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Journal Surak's Journal: Living it up geek style! 74

Journal by Surak

Here are some useful things I've learned as a techie bachelor living by himself. Geeks still living in their parents' basement need not apply. (And I just pissed off about half of Slashdot. ;)

Economic tips

Soda: Here in Detroit we call it 'pop'. So if when I say 'pop' I mean soda. Most geeks are caffeine addicts and drink soda by the gallon. Don't buy individual pops. Two-litre bottles are a good choice, especially since you can get them in the gas stations for as little as $0.89 (plus deposit). Read the ads for your favorite supermarket chain. Some of them like this one that many of you have never heard of but is big in the Midwest even put them online. Scan for sales on pop! I just picked up a few 12-packs of Diet Coke for $1.69 each.

Printer paper: Go to OfficeMax or someplace like that and get one of the inbox trays you undoubtedly have at work on your desk. Or steal it from work. I didn't tell you to do that. ;) Keep it next to your printer. Put all of those extra blank pages and aborted pages and any extra pages you have lying around in the tray, all facing one way. Flip it over. Now you have extra paper to print stuff like directions from Mapquest or phone numbers from Superpages.com on! (Also, if you can get away with it...print big stuff at work. Shhh! I didn't tell you that either! ;)

Food: Pizza and Chinese food have long been hacker staples. Eating delivery pizza and take-out Chinese every night can get expensive. Stir fry is one of those dishes that's as good as Chinese carry out (IMHO) and it's easy and cheap to make and takes <15 minutes, including prep time!

equipment:
First off, invest a few dollars into a George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine. You can get one of the small units with a bun warmer for as little as $50 at your local discount chain store. Also, you need a wok or a large frying pan. The non-stick kind. And an egg turner or large wooden spoon or fork or something to stir with. A kitchen knife for the meat.

Next, stock up on stir fry vegetables. I use pre-cut frozen stir fry vegetables that you can get for as little as $1 for a 1 lb. bag. (Ewww..frozen? In a stir fry you will never be able to tell the difference. Trust me.) And rice or noodles if you prefer. These are cheap.

Meat, if you eat that sort of thing: watch the specials. I usually get chicken breast fillets or pork tenderloins.

Oil. I use a nice extra-virgin olive oil, which tends to be a bit expensive, but you can use other oils. Olive oil is healthy and doesn't leave any odd tastes on your food though.

Sauce. You can make a sauce, but I personally just pick up a bottle of Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce or Teryaki sauce. Most supermarkets carry a nice variety of different Asian-cooking type sauces and sauce mixes. The mixes are cheap, so you might wanna consider those, especially since you can always doctor 'em up more easily than the stuff in a bottle.

Cooking it up
Plug the grilling machine in (it takes 5 mins to warm up), and start preheat your wok or pan to 350 F. Get out your meat and start cutting any extra fat off and cut the meat into cubes. By the time you finish with that, the wok should be ready to add oil...add some oil to the walk. Get out your vegetables. You need about 1/2 of a 1 lb bag per person. Throw those in the pan or wok and stir. They need to cook for 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring them every 15-30 seconds or so. Take your meat, and toss it on the grilling machine. This will take about as long as the vegetables.

When the meat is done cooking, toss it in the wok with the pan, add your sauce, any additional seasonings you want, and stir. Let it cook about another minute or two. Serve and enjoy.

If you want RICE or NOODLES, follow the directions on the package for making those. You'll typically want to start your rice or noodles before you start anything else.

Housekeeping tips

General Cleaning: To avoid having to spend your Saturday or Sunday cleaning your place, start doing this. Take 5 minutes every day and do something to clean your place. Pick up clutter, dust off a table, vaccum a room etc. Use a stopwatch. Live by the stopwatch. You'd be surprised at how much stuff you can get done in 5 minutes. Then, when the weekend does roll around,
you won't have to spend all day cleaning, just maybe half an hour or so straightening up.

One bathroom tip: Completely remove the toilet seat from your toilet now and then...you'd be VERY SURPRISED at how much disgusting germs and slime accumulate where the hinges attach to the bowl. Ew. :)

Okay, this has gotten WAYYY to long... more in a later JE!

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Living it up geek style! More

Living it up geek style!

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  • type can make or break a dish, Its worth every penny to get the good olive oil and scrimp on the other ingredients here is a good source for Olive oil [olio2go.com]
    • I'll agree with this one, but don't forget the other oils out there. Peanut oil has a very high smoke temperature which makes it good for wok cooking. It also leaves very little of its own flavor in the dish letting you enjoy the flavors of the food. Though be aware of unrefied oils in wok cooking [nih.gov].
      • The thing I like about peanut oil is that when you use it in an iron skillet it also helps condition the skillet, Yeah I was just using the Olive oil as an example as I mostly cook Italian, but Peanut, and Canola oils, Balsamic Vinegar and Marsala Wine for cooking are all really worth spending soem extra bucks on
    • Also, keep in mind that oils go bad (e.g., rancid, rotten, etc.) after a while. So, don't go out to the warehouse store and buy 5 gallons of olive oil. Stick to smaller quantities of high quality oil and just keep in mind that you'll have to go shopping more often.
    • One fat for cooking that I like is actually fairly cheap: Bacon Grease.

      Chicken fat is also good to save, I use it whenever I saute vegitables for chicken dishes.

      I usually cook with olive oil though. I've been getting liter bottles of Olidi brand extra virgin olive oil for $3.99 a bottle.
  • Also, you need a wok or a large frying pan. The non-stick kind.

    I used to use non-stick - but since switching to a proper cast-iron skillet, I'll never go back. The even heat distribution makes for a far superior cooking (and hence eating) experience. Buy a good one, and it'll outlast you!
    • Agreed. Non-stick pans are a scam, and definitely not a good choice economically -- while a real frying pan will outlast it's owner, a non-stick pan needs to be replaced in a few years/
      • Well, high-end non-stick may be a scam, but you could always opt for the "local discount retailer" option (nice phrase, Surak!).

        Don't get me wrong -- I *love* my cast-iron skillet (a wedding gift), and we've got another one that's probably 2 or 3 generations from Hubby's family. But it's really not the greatest thing to fry and egg in, or make gravy. Those tend to take off some of the patina.

        No, for liquids & stuff, I use non-stick. Buy a cheapie and replace it when it stops working; in the meantime
        • Yes, iron isn't good for everything, but before non-stick pans came along even the cheap (steel, for example) frying pans lasted a lifetime.
    • kitten is right. Plus, there is no need to clean a cast iron pan. Wipe it out good with a paper towel while it is still very hot, and it is ready to use next time.
    • I'll second that emotion. My cast-iron skillet is well used. My mom's is older than I am, and still giving good service. Only warning - remember that the handle ALSO gets hot...
    • Watch out for the house guests who use your skillet and then put in in the sink to soak, though. Mine's just starting to recover from our housesitter (She's nice, just ignorant, that's all).
      • Watch out for the house guests who use your skillet and then put in in the sink to soak, though. Mine's just starting to recover from our housesitter (She's nice, just ignorant, that's all).

        I had a housemate do that once. She very nearly ended up disemboweled. Don't fsck with my cast iron pans or you *will* find out first hand just how sharp my chef's knife is.
        (No I didn't actually do anything violent or even threaten it, but I did think about it and I was plenty pissed)
    • I have a nice ceramic-coated Le Creuset cast-iron skillet. All of the performance characteristics of cast iron, but without the disadvantages of rust and having to season it. Expensive, but very nice to use.
      • *sigh*

        Okay, people, I'm going for the CLEANUP factor here on the non-stick kind. I can put a non-stick pan in the dishwasher. I can't do this with a cast-iron skillet.

        Remember, this is for ZIPPY people, not gourmet people.

        • The Le Creuset skillet does go in the dishwasher. It cleans nearly as well as non-stick, and cooks just as well as cast iron (since it is), and does not require seasoning.
        • I hear you on that front!! I am *all* about *everything* going in the dishwasher. It either has to be dishwasher or washing machine friendly, or it's gonna just sit in the back of the cupboard or drawer and never get used.

          The one exception to this is, of course, the cast iron, which, as previously mentioned, gets rinsed, wiped out with a paper towel, and left to dry on the stove.

          Using our wonderful appliances leaves us more time for the more *pleasurable* experiences in life!

          ....Bethanie....
          • Using our wonderful appliances leaves us more time for the more *pleasurable* experiences in life!

            Sometimes those appliances can be used *for* the more pleasurable experiences in life. (Depending on what you mean by appliance and/or which appliance you are talking about. ;)

            • Yes, I had thought about that, as well, but couldn't think of how to work it in.

              We're thinking along the same lines. Scary.

              Oh, and speaking of appliances... I don't know if anyone'll get you a Roomba, but if you're looking for a birthday "treat" that involves having someone crawl around on all fours and suck, well... ;-)

              ....Bethanie....
              • Oh, and speaking of appliances... I don't know if anyone'll get you a Roomba, but if you're looking for a birthday "treat" that involves having someone crawl around on all fours and suck, well...

                I've always said that no one sucks quite like Bethanie... ;)

        • A decent wok, properly seasoned, only needs a quick rinse and wipe. It takes a little effort to properly season a wok, but once done it is a cinch to clean. Plus, each time you use it, the seasoning process continues and the wok will get better with age. Although if a flatmate attacks your wok with a scourer while you are out, you are back to square one on the seasoning front. (This happened to me once - even if they find the body I am sure no reasonable jury will convict me after hearing the facts of the c
          • The recipes that I've seen usually add sesame oil at the end, specifically as a flavoring. One cookbook says not to use sesame oil as a cooking oil, because it burns so easily. We have a soy/ginger/sesame oil sauce that we use on a beef stir-fry that works very well. Getting good-quality sesame oil also seems to make more of a difference than it does for many other ingredients.

            • Sesame oil is best added later in the cooking process, although sometimes it can be used in the marinade. I would never cook using solely sesame oil - tried that once when I was starting the whole wok cooking thing and learned pretty quick that it was not such a good idea. 8-/

              With both sesame and olive oils, it is definitely worthwhile paying extra to get a good quality oil. Usually you use such a small amount of sesame oil that the extra cost is minimal - a small bottle can last a long time.
        • Actually my cast iron pans and my wok are the easiest to clean. A quick rinse while hot, dry with paper towel, wipe with oil, and hang it up.

          Even easier than my Calphalon non-stick as things don't stick to the outside.

          I find I only use my non-stick pans for omelettes, cheese and a few other things. Otherwise my other pans brown better and are just as easy to clean. (even the copper and regular anodised Calphalon that can't go in the dishwasher)

          The biggest thing I hate about non-stick is having to baby it
  • As an expat Detroiter living south of the border (Indianapolis), I'm disappointed that you didn't mention coneys among the staples of a proper diet, along with "pop". Do you know of any coney places that'll ship some product to an addict who's gone cold turkey for far too long??? I've checked on the web and can't find anything...
    • Coneys are a Detroiter thing, not a geek thing. :) And it's just not the same thing if it's not fresh off the grill, man. :)

      • I was actually surprised one time, though.

        Initially I went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and during Parent's Weekend, my folks brought me a package from Athens Coney Island (Woodward, just south of 14 mile if memory serves), the coney stand of my youth. Dogs, buns, onions and sauce were all packed in dry ice, and when I cooked them up in my dorm lounge the results were far better than I ever would have expected.

        Food-wise, that's the one thing I miss most about Detroit - you can find
        • Initially I went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and during Parent's Weekend, my folks brought me a package from Athens Coney Island (Woodward, just south of 14 mile if memory serves), the coney stand of my youth.

          At the risk of attracting stalkers, I will say that I live in that neighborhood and fully endorse Athens as being one of the finest coney islands outside of Greektown. ;)

          Food-wise, that's the one thing I miss most about Detroit - you can find coneys and "chili dogs" just abou
        • Same thing with Philadelphia and Cheese Steaks.

          Now, WTF is a coney?
          • Same thing with Philadelphia and Cheese Steaks.

            Now, WTF is a coney?

            A Coney Island Hot Dog (coney for short) is basically a 'chili dog'. They were originally sold at by vendors at New York's Coney Island amusement park. *Detroit* coneys are legendary, however. I don't know exactly what makes a Detroit coney a Detroit coney...other than the fact that an ISO-standard Detroit coney has chili sauce, mustard and onions. But until you've had a true Detroit coney, you have not truly lived. ;)

            Coney Islands a
            • As some one who regularly makes the pilgrimage to Nathan's in the Holy City of Brooklyn, I'm wondering how a Detroit Coney stacks up against the original Nathan's stand in Coney Island. Can anyone offer an opinion?

              I used to do a great bike ride. Starting in Forest Hills, Queens (near Shea Stadium and the National Tennis Center) I'd ride all the way down Woodhaven Blvd/Cross Bay Blvd to Rockaway. From Rockaway, I'd ride along the beach then to Coney Island via the Gil Hodges Bridge. Stop at Nathan's fo

  • Although i've never been able to bring myself to call it tonic, here in Boston, half the locals call it that. Since the bartenders are from out of town, they serve tonic water as tonic and tick off the locals who are over 35. Since the young generation is ALSO from out of town, they don't order tonic unless they mean tonic water. And since they tip better, the bars keep getting bartenders from out of town. And the older folk keep calling it tonic.

    So you're a bachelor who can cook, too? Bethanie! did you k

    • So you're a bachelor who can cook, too? Bethanie! did you know this???

      Cooking? No that's 'making stir fry'. *Cooking* is when I make you chicken breast fillets smothered in a heavy cream-based French onion sauce with my World Famous(tm) secret-recipe baked vegetables and some fresh-baked baguette.

      Or when my make my World Famous(tm) All Day Spaghetti[*].

      [*] I promise to post the receipe in the next couple of days or so. What's cool about All Day Spaghetti is that you get TWO dishes for the price one, b
      • I promise to post the receipe in the next couple of days or so. What's cool about All Day Spaghetti is that you get TWO dishes for the price one, because you also get out of that Baked Leftover All Day Spaghetti out of that, which is actually just as good, if not better, than the All Day Spaghetti itself! ;)

        I'll be watching, so you'd better come through, man. I need to expand my repatoire so that I can impress my wife occasionally.
        • I'll be watching, so you'd better come through, man. I need to expand my repatoire so that I can impress my wife occasionally.

          *wife*? /me checks previous JE...

          Oh yeah, you
          did say [slashdot.org] that. :)

          • So, I take it you're not [slashdot.org]interested?
            • Well, basically I'm straight. A female friend of mine insists that I might actually be bi, but I keep trying to tell her that I'm not. She won't listen to me. :)

              • Well, basically I'm straight.

                Well, I am too, but who says a meaningful lifetime relationship has to be about sex? Can't we just enjoy being around each other? ;)
              • What is it about the friends-that-are-girls of guys that causes them to suspect the sexual orientation of their guy friends just because they can cook? Dangit! I need some answers!

                For the record I cook frequently. I match the meat to an appropriate wine for the dinner course. I occasionally shop for stronger cheeses to try. I have several garlic presses. I use more than 3 types of olive oil for different cooking / basting / marinating / tasting needs. I go to operas, ballets, and symphony concerts.
                • What is it about the friends-that-are-girls of guys that causes them to suspect the sexual orientation of their guy friends just because they can cook? Dangit! I need some answers!

                  Or if they enjoy clothes shopping? Or the aforementioned operas, ballets and symphony? Or if they like going to art museums? Or if they enjoy watching art films? Or if all their furniture matches their place mats and dishes and towels and linens and shower curtain, etc.?[*] Or if they go to the coffee house and order a doubl
                  • What does Virgo imply towards personality (if anything)? And in that case, what is a Libra (me) suppposed to be like?

                    jason
                    • Traditionally Virgos are very analytical and intelligent, very meticulous and organized. They are perfectionists. They tend to be somewhat indecisive as well. They're very conscientious. Their tendency to want to straighten things out often extends to people. They tend towards being shy and are often introverted. This gets them often put in the middle of conflicts. ;)

                      Libras are very much idealists. They are sociable and easy to be around. They're fairminded. Their fairmindedness also tends to get th
                    • Hummmm. I'm a libra, but far more like a Virgo than libra. (Flirtatious??)

                      I must not have gotten the "So you've decided to be a Libra" memo they handed out at conception.

                      jason
                    • Libras and Virgos have a bit overlap, and I've met Libras with more virgo-y trates and vice versa. Also, if you're near the border (Aug. 26) this will be more of common. ;)
                    • Nope. I'm early Oct.

                      jason
                    • Err..*SEPT* 26. Sorry.

                      So you are a border baby then?
    • Honey, he doesn't just cook -- he *sizzles*!!

      (And have I mentioned how cute he looks in [nuthin' but] his apron?)

      ....Bethanie....
  • Pop in 2-Liters loses its CO2 too quickly.
  • At least for wok cooking. Cooking your meats in the wok will help seal in the juices of the meat and marinade. That's the whole reason for the extremely high heat of the wok. A good way to know when to add your meat is when the oil starts to smoke. Then you know you've raised the temperature of the wok high enough.
    • This is for the under 15-minute version. This is not the GOURMET version. THe gourmet version requires fresh vegetables and chopping and all kinds of things not. The Grill is a shortcut. ;)
      • But you're using the grill for your meat. That's five minutes warming the grill, then 5-10 minutes to actually cook the meat. In the wok, you're already heating the oil up to some temp. After that, only about 3-4 minutes to fully cook your meat. Of course, you lose the parallel-ness of the previous method which I suppose would tack on 4 minutes to the total time.....but well worth it. And you don't have the grill to clean.

        BTW, I'm not putting down the GF Grill as a great geek cooking tool....I love mine!
        • Well my roommates never bothered to actually clear their Foremans... They just left them for a week or so until they cooked on them and noticed that it took too long to heat up because of the extra layers of greeeeezyness stacked on top.

          jason
  • We have a large and fast indurtrial laser printer at work. I usually print everyting off that, many an E-Book has found itself in that printer's queue.

    In fact my home printer doesn't even work anymore because I have not used it for years.
    Other money saving tips is to borrow furniture lying round at work... say something like you have a party at the weekend and you would like to borrow a few of the extra chairs, then bring back most of them on monday but keep some at your place.

    Pens: do I even need to exp
    • Hmm. Hey John, this is Bob, your boss checking in here. I hate to do this, but policy is policy. You need to have your desk cleared out by the end of the day, and we're docking your final check* for our estimated losses.

      Sorry to see you go. Don't use me as a reference, though.

      *Read: No check for you.

  • First off, invest a few dollars into a George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine.

    This is great advice. The meat isn't the best cooked, but if you want it fast, this is your machine. You can go from frozen chicken to cooked chicken in under 20 minutes (including 5 minute grill warm up time). If you season the meat correctly, it really comes out pretty tasty.

    As mentioned above, this is for the speedy types, not gourmet types. :-)

    • As mentioned above, this is for the speedy types, not gourmet types. :-)

      A little extra sauce covers up a multitude of non-gourmet-ness, though. I use mine for grilled sandwhiches as well. Much easier than trying to estimate when to flip it in the frying pan (Though I had gotten good at it before I got the GFG).
      • Definitely helps. I usually make my own, but when I don't have time or patience Stubb's [stubbsbbq.com] is my standby. Great stuff! Most of it is on the zesty side. Disclaimer: I like lots of habanero sauce on Mexican food and eat really hot curry dishes, if your not sweating it's not hot enough :D
    • I'll stick with my little Weber kettle grill. Nothing like sitting outside in January grillin' up a big 'ol chunk of meat.
      • Second this. Though my current Weber (Fathers' Day present) is not what you would call "small". And it has a gas igniter, so no more messing with lighter fluid (and it starts faster).

        Not interested in a gas grill. I like my charcoal.

  • Tips (Score:2)

    by ces ( 119879 )
    Pop:
    Don't drink it. Coffee on the other hand ...

    Printing:
    I used to mostly print at work. Currently I don't print much so the huge box of paper I have has lasted a while. The best bet is to buy a whole case of whatever copier/printer paper is cheapest at the office supply store. Don't buy single reams they are typically a rip-off.

    Food:
    Learn to cook, you'll save money in the long run. One of the biggest things is to learn how to make/season your own sauces, marinades, and dressings.

    Also invest in good kniv
    • Ahhh printer paper. I get mine from a wholesale supplier for graphic design houses and printshops, as I used to work as a graphic designer, and I used to do freelance stuff for the printshop circuit, until Kinko's came in and ruined everything for that market. You can get some really good deals by buying by the case from places like that. They used to be called Paper & Graphics Supply and now they're called X-Pedex or something stupid like that.

      Food: That was the point of the stir-fry. You can coo

      • Re:Tips (Score:2)

        by ces ( 119879 )
        Knives and pans: I have a forged steel knife set with full-tang construction that I spent a good amount of money on. Pans: I went with "high-end" non-stick stuff (T-Fal). One day I'll invest the $$$ to go cast iron.

        Cast iron is CHEAP, certainly cheaper than a T-Fal nonstick pan. I think I paid all of $15 for my 12" cast iron skillet.

  • Food: Pizza and Chinese food have long been hacker staples.

    The best single-guy food is Mac 'n Cheese. You don't even need a fridge! Here's the secret: canola. That's right, use oil instead of milk--then you don't need a fridge for anything! Buy the off-brand boxes in bulk at Sams/Costco or Wellymart when there's a sale. You should be able to get the boxes for around US$0.25 each. The canola is cheap if you buy the big jugs.

    Finally, you can make grilled cheese sandwiches with two slices of (2 day old, US$

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