Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fresh

A carbon air filter that works?

Nish ton — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:36:46 -0800

Have you ever encountered an activated carbon air filter that actually removed odors, leaving the output air clean? Which one? Never in my life have I been so peeved at the whole steaming pile known as consumerism.

I've tried no less than 7 times now to find something that works.

I bought a honeywell filter appliance, a febreze, and a bionaire, only to find that there was something wrong with the carbon filter material itself in all 3 cases. Not only does it not clean the air, but even after more that a week running in the garage (12 days in the case of the honeywell) it was still releasing some sort of awful fumes. I strongly suspect the smell is added intentionally by companies to make the air "smell clean" to ignorant consumers.

After the misfortunes of finding the honeywell and febreze machines didn't work, and having bought and not yet gotten around to returning the bionaire, I decided to try something.

I bought some carbon filter stuff (they call it " paper" but it more like a mat of hair made from Polyethelene terephthalate), the sort they use in air conditioners in office buildings, from Camfil Farr. To remove odors, suposedly. Then I took the filter out of the bionaire machine and taped a few square ft. of filter paper over the intake.

Exactly the same smell and problem after running it for a week. I figured it was just a matter of finding a brand of carbon filter that actually worked. I tried 3 more filter medias from various sources, all with the same problem.

I read up on some of the physics and design principles and it is clear that it is easy to make a functional filter that will absorb household smells, but
apparently it has come to the point now that companies have decided to stick with just duping the masses into accepting useless junk instead, no matter how little effort making a functional product actually requires.

So has anyone ever encountered a filter that works?

BTW this really matters because I live in a house with no provisions whatsoever for bringing in fresh air during the winter.

Where to get fresh-baked (artisan?) bread near Menlo Park, CA?

pbh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:56:09 -0800

Where to buy fresh baked (artisan?) bread in the Menlo Park, CA area? For as long as I can remember, I've really liked fresh baked bread. I'm trying to find somewhere where I can get bread as close to the point of having just been baked as possible. (I'm a little too lazy to bake it myself at the moment, as this previous ask.mefi discusses.) Ideally, this would be a place that bakes bread all day and I could just drop in and buy a loaf (or a boule or whatever).

Complicating my quest is that there seem to be different types of bakeries, and most of the bakeries around here seem focused on selling cupcakes and the like. Is there a special name for a bread bakery, or special resources for finding them?

California also seems to have some sort of "artisan bread" movement, but I can only seem to find big artisan bread wholesalers (which is what Acme Bread seems to mostly be, unless I go up to the city). By the time I get, say, Acme Bread at my local supermarket it seems a bit old (though maybe I'm going at the wrong times). My favourite place to get fresh baked bread on the east coast calls itself an "artisan bakery" and seems to specialise only in bread, so maybe this is the right direction?

Any suggestions for specific locations or where/how to look would be most appreciated!

I want to make pasta like an Italian grandma

exceptinsects — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:27:01 -0800

My pasta machine is a useless waste of space. Please help! I love fresh pasta, and I would love to make it more often. The problem is that whenever I do, it ends up being a 5-hour process that covers the entire kitchen with flour.
As a result, the pasta machine sits in the cupboard covered with dust.

How can I do it more efficiently? Can you make a bunch at once and freeze it? Is there a faster method?

I've been using the "make a big pile of flour and whisk eggs into it" method, and the pasta machine is the hand-crank kind where you feed the dough through it like 90 times in a row. (small exaggeration)

Am I tempting food poisoning?

nímwunnan — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:25:20 -0800

Aw crap, I left some salmon out overnight. Is it still safe to eat? Still in a sealed package, in a shoulder-bag in a slighly chilly room. Hoping that a food-safety expert will read this before dinnertime, GMT. I don't like food poisoning, but I don't like not eating a tasty dinner when I could eat a tasty dinner.

Is there fresh & tasty pizza in Westchester County?

Four-Eyed Girl — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:18:22 -0800

Where can I find fresh & tasty made-to-order pizza in the Mamaroneck/Rye/Larchmont, NY area? I recently moved to Mamaroneck, and I'd love to find some great fresh made-to-order pizza. Non-thick crust is preferable.

Please do not suggest a pizza place that fits the following description: The (usually cheese) pizza is already cooked when upon entry, the toppings are placed on the pizza when you order, and then the slice is re-heated. The only pizza places I've been to since moving to NY have been of this variety, and they have not been very good.

fresh prince of belair

edtut — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:42:27 -0800

which series and episode of fresh prince is it when carlton sings "they've only just begun" to his paretns? (it was in the series when ashley just started to blossom)
and as a side question which catergory is this question meant to fit under?

Thanks so much for any help!

skjønn — Fri, 18 May 2007 18:31:47 -0800

Help me find something that will let air in and keep prying eyes out. I rent a bedroom in a really old house. The windows dont open, so the only option to get fresh air from outside is a screen that is 21 inches wide and 40 inches long. Here is a picture:

http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=695b805bc464wz0.jpg

What could I buy to use instead of that screen that will still let fresh air in but give me privacy from people looking in and still keep insects out?

How do i keep my bed room warm and fresh at the same time?

freddymetz — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 11:11:53 -0800

How do i keep my bed room warm and fresh at the same time? In the summer i keep my window open for hours at a time but im looking for a solution for the winter that wont sacrifice warmth. Im aware of freshening sprays or whatever theyre called but the ones ive tried just didnt do it for me. It seems theyre all suited for large living rooms etc so id like an alternative.

Red? Green? Anything else?

1f2frfbf — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:15:38 -0800

Cool places to eat in or around El Paso, TX/Las Cruces, NM? Looking for fun places to eat in the area with my parents and little sister. Prefer in the $10-15/person range, no bars, vegetarian options a plus.

sorta previously

Keep my MacBook White, Fresh & Clean

BigBrownBear — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 05:52:53 -0800

Just got a new little white macbook. It's beautiful - and I want to keep it that way.... I've seen many old ones that get smugged with dirt and sweat. How can I keep it pretty and looking new?

Fresh Edamame?

seawallrunner — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 19:57:29 -0800

Fresh Edamame?? Anywhere? We love edamame - steamed with a bit of salt, or tossed hot with some red peppers, maybe some garlic... mmm, mmm, mmm snacking heaven.

However, the only edamame we have been able to find (even in Asian markets here in Vancouver) is frozen edamame.

Is it ever sold fresh? What should I look for? And, what is the season for fresh soy beans? I can find string beans, peas no problem, but no fresh soy beans (in the shell or out) in Vancouver or its suburbs.

If you do have access to fresh off-the-farm soy, where do you live?

cooking fresh, frozen, canned vegetables

mrkohrea — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 15:33:52 -0800

I've decided to eat more vegetables, and I have a few questions about the necessity of cooking them, the nutritional content of frozen vegetables, and how cooking affects the nutritional content. 1) What vegetables need to be cooked before eating? What happens if you don't cook them first? How long do you have to cook them (boiling, steaming, stir-frying or whatever method)? I'm not looking for fancy recipes. Just the vegetables by themselves pretty much.

2) I've heard rumors that frozen vegetables can often be more nutritious than "fresh" vegetables which have actually been sitting around quite a bit by the time you buy them. Any vegetables in particular? Are there any canned vegetables that are more nutritious than their fresh or frozen counterpart?

3) And if you have more to add to an old Mefi thread, Does cooking affect the nutritional value of vegetables?.

sleeping with open windows

|n$eCur3 — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:37:10 -0800

Why is it that when I sleep with an open window at night, I wake up way more energized? I try to sleep most of the time with a cracked window to circulate air. I notice that if it gets really cold outside and I decide to close my window at night, I feel groggy and lethargic the next morning. Why could this be? What are the properties of fresh air that could contribute to a better sleeping process?

Could there be something in my house that is toxic, even if the house was built in the past decade (should I test the air quality in my house... and how)? Or, do others also expereince this phenomenon? Is carbon dioxide slowly killing me, or do the plants that I have in my bedroom have something to do with this?

Stopping bread mold

Cosine — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 11:47:33 -0800

Anyone have tips for keeping bread fresh longer? My wife and I end up throwing out a lot of bread, putting it in the fridge dries it out... anyone got any tricks? Google was surprisingly unhelpful.

When are various fruits & vegetables in season?

teem — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 00:37:28 -0800

During which times of the year are various fruits/vegetables/herbs/other in season? I love to cook, but the list of dishes that I cycle through has stopped growing. Whenever I'm at the markets I see loads of ingredients I would love to try, but not knowing when they are at their best (and cheapest -- I'm a stingy uni student), I'll play it safe and rush home to make the same delicious Carbonara I've been filling my arteries with for the last 3 years.

Most of the websites I've found using Google are northern-hemisphere-centric, and I have no idea if it's as simple as just reversing the seasons. Since I'd imagine that geography comes into it, I'm in Adelaide, South Australia. The climate here is pretty temperate: the winters rarely duck under 5ºC even at night, and the summers only occasionally peak above 37ºC. Don't let that limit your answers though, be as broad as you like. And I'm talking about any ingredients here, from tomatoes to figs to taragon to squash. Anything you can think of. If some ingredients aren't worth the fuss to buy fresh and in season, by all means mention those too (e.g. if I'm just cooking for me and the girlfriend, frozen raspberries are fine for a quick coulis).

If you're talking in terms of months of the year, please specify whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere if it makes a difference.

Clown Loaches hidden away for too long?

mimi — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 11:48:35 -0800

We have a freshwater fish tank community of tetras, catfish, gouramis and loaches. The loaches are the most dynamic and entertaining addition to our tank, but the clown loaches disappeared last weekend! I found them last night all bunched up in the top of a hollow fake rock. They haven't been around much for the past week, and I'm worried that they are depressed or ill! None have died as far as I know, but they don't come out much. Should I evacuate them from their garage, or let them be? If evacuation is the answer, what would be the best way to do so? (From mimi's handsome metafilter-less spouse)

Fruity booze! Tell me cocktail recipes

handee — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 06:07:49 -0800

Got any good cocktail recipes with fresh fruit?

What's the best way to store coffee grounds?

Kilovolt — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 21:56:06 -0800

Another coffee topic:
What is the best way to store coffee grounds? I mean to say - How should I store my store-bought coffee after opening? I buy 1kg. tin every month or so and keep it in the refrigerator. Should I buy smaller amounts and drink more?

Which fruits or vegetables keep the longest?

casarkos — Sun, 19 Sep 2004 10:39:28 -0800

What kinds of fruit/vegetables have you found that keep longest? For more perishable stuff, are there any methods (short of freezing) for extending shelf life?

Teach Me to Cook

tirade — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 19:21:39 -0800

Cooking for the lazy and overworked. I eat a lot of overpriced crap lately - think boxed/frozen/microwaveable, or even just takeout - and for a number of obvious reasons I'd like to stop doing that. I think most of America is in the same boat with me, but can those of you who aren't give me some tips on learning to cook for myself? Right now I'm a pretty lousy cook, and I'm really slow to boot. I also don't like to cook and don't think I ever really will, so come dinner time after work - when I've just gotten into the time left for MY day - the last thing I want to do is spend two and a half hours chopping, cooking, eating, cleaning, etc. It's a lot easier to just nuke something and be done with the whole process in a half hour.

Now, despite the above, I don't want to keep putting bad stuff in my body, or wasting money on bad food. What I really need to learn is how to prepare varied meals quickly and without much effort. Like I said, I don't think I'll ever really like to cook, but I love to eat, and I want to be healthy, so I'm willing to put in the effort to get to where I need to be.

I'm not really sure where to start, though, so I guess I'm just asking for some general pointers. I think part of the problem is that most of the "cookbooks" I have are really just collections of recipes - they don't teach you the skill of how to cook if you don't already know. How can I pick that up?

Difficulty Level: Vegetarian, but beyond that there's just about nothing in the way of food that I don't like.

keeping lettuce fresh

Frank Grimes — Wed, 26 May 2004 18:49:37 -0800

When I buy bagged lettuce it always seems to go bad before the expiration date. How can I keep it fresh? I Googled and found the optimal temperature (34 degrees), but should I put it in a ziploc bag once I open it, store it in the veggie drawer. Use high humidity or low humidity setting for the drawer?