So, after some playing around trying to figure out a preferred physical layout, I decided a Hillside 46 splayed keyboard would be about right. Thanks to Leo at Beekeeb for answering all my questions before ordering and during the build! Surface mount soldering was tricky, but everything works on the first try! I finally can use Dvorak with keycaps in the right place. Keymapping is a work in progress as I am getting used to this, and I am still trying to figure out how to get my Unicode characters to display in Linux (though for the Mac they show up fine). Now for lots of practice to build up new muscle memory, and develop a lighter touch so I don't keep inputting command characters unintentionally.

Started a batch of natto this evening. 600g of dry soybeans soaked about 8 hours, then pressure cooked for 20 minutes. Mixed in some spores, put a thin layer of the beans in these glass containers, then covered with a damp cloth and lids. I'll keep these in my makeshift incubator (a cooler with a reptile cage heating mat) overnight at 40C, then put them in the fridge in the morning, and enjoy them the day after.

I have some Iranian friends who occasionally bring pickles over to share. I decided to make a fermented version (as my friends usually just use vinegar), and the pickles turned out amazing!

Be warned, this recipe requires a lot of chopping.

I used a recipe similar to the link, but substituted the vinegar with a 2% salt lactoferment. The spicing is crucial to its distinct flavour.

This is our local park composting setup for leaves and grass, not long after having removed finished material. Leaves (browns) are abundant in late winter, and grass is abundant in summer. Water is usually an issue, as volunteers who take leaves don't have time to wet everything down, so that usually gets resolved when we turn the compost (a community event 2-3 times a year). We just had an automatic watering system installed, so that should help. Doors are attached with wingnuts and come off fairly easily.

Hey! Here's a photo from my archives. 20% rye sourdough (with 25% high gluten flour and the rest AP). Overnight bulk ferment at 15C. For a while during COVID I was baking once weekly for some supplemental income. This was early on in my learning process for how to manage larger batches. It was helpful to have a commercial fridge available to slow things down, as I am in the tropics.

I'm digging up some old photos to share. I'm partial to ginger beers, and experimented with other flavours available here (in Taiwan). Roselle is our favourite (with lemon, of course), and always carbonated quickly. Turmeric by itself was too much flavour-wise, but half and half with ginger was tasty.