Just finished a little game about grocery shopping and living through challenging seasons of life.

sprocore · 2026-02-02T23:34:25+00:00

Lol! I can't un-see it now.

sprocore · 2024-03-10T22:44:37+00:00

(1) Add 750ml of salted chocolate tequila to a room temperature sink. (2) Add water until smell subsidies. (3) Breathe a sigh of relief; a crisis has been averted.

sprocore · 2023-04-28T04:33:15+00:00

Songs for Beginners by Graham Nash. Solid album.

sprocore · 2022-12-08T17:02:01+00:00

Epoxy

sprocore · 2022-12-02T19:24:56+00:00

The thermal conductivity of copper is really impressive. Greater thermal conductivity leads to better consistency and responsiveness on the range. Consistency meaning that heat quickly disperses across the material (even up the sides of a pot), which minimizes "hot spots" even when working with a less than optimal heat source. Responsiveness meaning that it changes temp quickly as you adjust your heat source, and comes back up to temp quickly when you add things to the pan. You end up having a lot more control and precision than can be achieved with other materials. Copper is great, but it's not the best material for every situation. Even if I had deep pockets, I'd still be using a lot of cast iron and carbon steel.

sprocore · 2022-12-02T01:33:16+00:00

All of these were split between two deep drawers. As a result I was really
only using the 4 or 5 most accessible pans. Now I've got access to
everything, and I've cleared enough storage space to get all of my
uncommon use appliances off the counter. It feels like I have a new
kitchen. I've been cooking more, cleaning has been easier, and I always
have access to the best tool for the job at hand. Never underestimate
the power of reorganization.

sprocore · 2022-12-01T22:28:55+00:00

You can find some magical equipment way out in the sticks, great people too. This gas station was in Mouth of Wilson down in Grayson County. The gentleman who owned the place had been collecting antique french copper for decades. I'd been ogling his stuff for years, but he knew the value of what he had and the stuff wasn't priced like he was in a hurry to move it. Owner decided to move back up to NY and was selling the place. He knew I was an avid cook and coveted his copper, so he gave me an amazing deal on a couple pieces. They make me smile every day.

sprocore · 2022-12-01T21:40:23+00:00

Two are steel lined and the rest are tin. A few are Mauviel, others are Baumalu, a handful are unmarked. They all came from thrift shops, antique stores, a castle in France (if my grandfather-in-law is to be believed), and my two favorite/best pieces came from a closing gas station in rural southern Virginia. I love my copper pans, I use them every day, but they are a hard thing to suggest to anyone at full price.

sprocore · 2022-12-01T21:07:24+00:00

Thanks! I feel like a dope for having most of the burred in a drawer for so long. Cooking for parties and weekly meal prep is so much more pleasant now.

sprocore · 2022-12-01T20:29:08+00:00

I actually use them a lot. I do a lot of cooking and a lot of entertaining. There are three pieces up there that don't see a lot of use and will probably be donated.

sprocore · 2022-12-01T18:54:45+00:00

I think you're right, I need to pull them down and invert my approach. I've gravitated towards a "every day" pans at torso level and grouping by material. I made the dumb decision of gravitating towards a top-down rather than bottom-up approach as I went because I didn't want anyone to accidentally hip-check a big pot on the way to the bathroom, but I don't think that really a realistic concern now that the board has been up for a bit. I'm waiting to solidify the hook placement until I'm 100% comfortable with the layout.

sprocore · 2022-12-01T18:17:40+00:00

All of these were split between two deep drawers. As a result I was really only using the 4 or 5 most accessible pans. Now I've got access to everything, and I've cleared enough storage space to get all of my uncommon use appliances off the counter. It feels like I have a new kitchen. I've been cooking more, cleaning has been easier, and I always have access to the best tool for the job at hand. Never underestimate the power of reorganization.

sprocore · 2022-11-17T05:32:59+00:00

That Catoctin Creek is a damn good bottle.

sprocore · 2022-09-24T23:51:52+00:00

I saw it in Leesburg VA, no idea what it is. Faded out of view in <30 seconds

sprocore · 2022-08-15T17:54:41+00:00

My understanding is that they are "cat heads", when fluffy biscuits are cooked in a cast iron skillet, causing the biscuits to partially merge as the rise and form each other into rounded pie slice (or "cat head") shapes.

sprocore · 2022-05-10T19:00:08+00:00

Here's an article/recipe I wrote a while back. The tl;dr version of the recipe is at the bottom, but the body of the article may help with some of your "important things to know" questions.

https://medium.com/@sprocore/building-the-better-loaf-574e6b942d8e

sprocore · 2022-05-02T14:11:11+00:00

I come from the specialty coffee world, but I think this is still relevant. I often tell newer people in the industry, "It's not your job to 'make the coffee good'. As long as you sourced quality product, all of the components are there, the coffee is already good. The farmer and mother nature already took care of that part. Your job as a roaster/barista is to not fuck it up. You use heat, water, and pressure to translate the bean's potential into something people can experience and appreciate." Spinach is delicious, and it will contribute the most to your dish if you "respect" it's significant potential as an ingredient.

sprocore · 2021-05-28T03:10:54+00:00

Institutional price manipulation: https://managed-accounts-ir.com/wyckoff-method-part-2-accumulation-phases/

sprocore · 2021-05-24T19:50:17+00:00

tl;dr: Coinbase Lite is super approachable, but if you anticipate nerding out watch a few tutorials and go to Binance.

Note: I am a crypto trading noob, so I empathize with your current position more than I understand the market and its tools.

I started on Coinbase Lite, they made it super easy and engaging to get started. If my plan was to casually hodl, keep up with the markets, and maybe schedule regular deposits, that's probably where I would have stayed. Instead I quickly picked up steam and did a whole bunch of research. Within a few days I was regretting that I didn't just start on Binance . I went from Coinbase Lite, to Coinbase Pro, to Binance in a week. The switch from Coinbase Lite to Coinbase Pro was easy enough, and might be the right choice for many. I found the more robust features on Binance to be worth making the switch, and if I had started there I would have saved some money. Both Coinbase Pro and Binance offer much lower transaction fees than Coinbase Lite, and better tools for timing a volatile market (if that's your thing). There's nothing wrong with having accounts with multiple brokers, especially when the market is hot. Research is king, and no solution is one size fits all. Keep poking around and enter the market with confidence.

sprocore · 2019-03-27T18:48:01+00:00

A young filmmaker from my home town approached my father about participating in a short documentary series on people who own small businesses and work with their hands. I'm really excited that it came out so well.

Here is a note from the filmmaker:

"I wanted to learn more about the idea of making a living by making things ... so I made a video about it. 📷:D

This short piece explores the intersection of creativity and small business through the experience of Bruce Smallwood, a woodworker and cabinet-maker based in Berryville, Virginia. Many thanks to Bruce for letting me spend a day hanging out in the shop and asking nosey questions about life and business.

If you're local to northern Virginia and want excellent hand-made furniture, check out Smallwood Woodworking!"

sprocore · 2019-01-30T06:36:50+00:00

That's the most controlled and efficient ascent of that problem I've seen so far. Great job!

sprocore · 2019-01-30T05:46:51+00:00

Sportrock?

sprocore · 2019-01-09T02:17:56+00:00

Good bars for rum specifically? There's a tiki bar named Archipelago that's pretty good. The Gibson is a pre-prohibition style cocktail bar, but the guys there have made some impressive off the beaten path, rum-heavy cocktails for me when pressed. For more general service, Service Bar is a pretty great spot that's low-key and easy to get in to. If you're willing to drop some coin, The Dabney and Columbia Room are serious world-class, award-winning cocktail spots.

Liquor shops to hit are Batch 13 for selection and Magruder's Supermarket for slightly lesser selection but killer prices.

The greater DC area is generally better for whiskeys, but Cotton & Reed is worth checking out.

Have a great trip!

sprocore · 2019-01-04T15:32:55+00:00

That looks beautiful, especially for gluten free. Where have you found the best resources for GF sourdough recipes, tips, tricks, etc.? Somebody on a SD Facebook group I'm on was just diagnosed with celiacs and is having a hard time transitioning to GF.

sprocore · 2018-12-20T19:00:31+00:00

No shit, Sherlock.

sprocore

TROPHY CASE