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Recipes with high return on investment

I'm looking for dishes where the taste, appearance or "wow factor" is much more than the effort, time or money put into the dish. For the purposes of this question, there are no other restrictions.
posted by NotLost to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 4:18 PM
100 users marked this as a favorite

Where do you go for inspiration?

My laptop crashed and, with it, my entire RSS reader's links directory, which I had been lovingly cultivating for 10 years. As I rebuild it from scratch, I figured I'd ask this community for some recos.
posted by missjenny to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 29 at 5:56 AM
26 users marked this as a favorite

How to *think*

If I really want to think about stuff, my modus is, I go to a bar that is 5 minutes away, there usually is a seat at the counter, I sit there, stare at the bottles, drink a beer or three and ponder whatever is troubling me at the moment. There is music, it's lively, and I just let my mind do its thing. I can not do this at home, if I just sit down on the kitchen table, or on the couch I just can't get in the mindset and I feel kind of stupid, you know, just sitting there and staring in the void. I can do it when I am lying down before sleep, but if it's 20:00 this also feels strange. Listening to music does not make it better. I think it is the stimulus rich environment that is conductive to the process. I can think of other venues to do this but they are not dependably available, or near, when the need arises (usually after kid and wife are in bed or otherwise occupied). I guess most people do some mindless task or art or something, but I find I get easily absorbed in such activities . I don't know if walking around would work. So where and how do you *think*?
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 24 at 1:38 PM
24 users marked this as a favorite

Lost in Color Space? Help me re-find an explanation of color.

A while ago, and I think this was on metafilter, someone linked an invective filled and thorough explanation of how color and perception worked especially with regard to computer displays and graphics, including all the different color models and spaces that had been invented over the years. It was very informative and now I can't for the life of me find it.
posted by Zalzidrax to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 24 at 12:50 AM
24 users marked this as a favorite

Bookfilter: Non-dystopian, re-imagining the present or near future

Sometimes the state of the world gets me down. I'd like help imagining a better future that we can work towards. Does anyone know of any good near- future or present fiction that imagines that we did things differently and better? Bonus points for Indigenous, Black, or People of Colour authors.
posted by My Kryptonite is Worry to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 28 at 4:14 PM
23 users marked this as a favorite

Montreal for a long weekend

We (2 NYers in late 30s) are planning on driving up to Montreal for a long weekend the second weekend in May. What should we do/see/eat and more specific questions
posted by zara to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 25 at 6:08 AM
19 users marked this as a favorite

Vegetable stock: My Secret Lover

So I made this vegetable broth that pops up every few years when someone discovers it. After learning what fennel bulbs looked like, it was pretty straightforward. Although it didn't change my life, I'm wondering what your favorite homemade, fresh vegetable broth recipes you enjoy?
posted by craniac to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 4:07 PM
17 users marked this as a favorite

I'm looking for a term or a phrase that may or may not exist

What is it called, when you have a process/method of doing something, that gets passed down, where it turns out that part of that process/method was due to limitations/situations at the time, and is not important to actual process of doing the thing at all?
posted by lizjohn to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 8:37 AM
16 users marked this as a favorite

My conservative Christian friend wants to learn about gender identity

She is perplexed by talk of "nonbinary" and "transgender" and says she wants to learn more (I'm her token liberal she goes to with these kinds of questions). She specifically wants a book to read. Any recommendations?
posted by dede to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 29 at 8:58 AM
14 users marked this as a favorite

Weird dynamic I always find myself in. How to stop?

I’m working as part of a group, or have been asked to help a group of people with something. Everyone else seems to know what to do and springs into action. I’m not sure, so I ask someone how I can help, and people seem annoyed that I’m asking and tell me that my help isn’t needed. Then, the authority figure who assigned the work stops by and gets mad at me for slacking.
posted by wheatlets to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 9:19 AM
14 users marked this as a favorite

Affordable, portable, high quality, self-adjusting projectors are real??

That's an open question! I met with a fancy client company this week, and the meeting involved use of an LG Cinebeam projector. It amazed me—I didn't realize the technology had come this far—and I'm curious if there's something more affordable that comes close on some of this model's features.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 2:11 AM
13 users marked this as a favorite

A week in Yorkshire for walking...which town?

Hello, Yorkshire people! Can anyone recommend a small market town for me (68F New Englander) as a base for walking the heathery moors in late July?
posted by amphitrite to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 25 at 4:47 PM
12 users marked this as a favorite

Looking for more writers like Matt Levine

Does anyone know commentators with a similar tone, approach, style etc. to Bloomberg’s Matt Levine? Not looking for additional folks covering his topic area, but rather writers who have a similar vibe writing in other areas.
posted by dredge to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 28 at 10:02 AM
11 users marked this as a favorite

Who was the physically strongest POTUS?

Who was the physically strongest President of the United States of America, and would he be stronger than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?
posted by TheophileEscargot to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 27 at 10:01 AM
11 users marked this as a favorite

Recommend a Tarot deck?

I am interested in buying a Tarot deck. My primary purpose is is for using it in games; mostly table top role playing games and adjacent stuff, but also traditional card games or other modern uses. Things like divination/cartomancy/meditation/contemplation are of some interest but not my main use case.
posted by SaltySalticid to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 7:49 AM
10 users marked this as a favorite

At home laser hair removal

Are the at-home laser hair removal devices any good?
posted by greta simone to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 9:33 AM
10 users marked this as a favorite

In Search Of: Thin, Rough, Quick Drying Towels

Ok, this will probably sound weird but I hate soft and fluffy bath towels. They shed and never absorb moisture which defeats the whole purpose of having a towel. The only place I've ever been that has the perfect towels is my nearby spa and they don't know where theirs come from. Where can I get some that are thin, kind of rough, and also super good at drying? I need both body and hair towels. Microfiber is not a good fit.
posted by The Adventure Begins to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 22 at 6:03 PM
9 users marked this as a favorite

Tips & Recommendation for an Aspiring Leather Crafter?

I have recently developed an interest in getting into leather crafting. I don't think I'll ever want to become an actual cobbler, but I would like to make some smaller, simpler things, such as leather cuffs, notebook folders, belts, tote bags. What tips and recommendations do you have for an aspiring leather crafter? What books should I read, what websites should I visit, what online and Toronto-area suppliers should I check out, and what supplies and tools will I want to acquire first?
posted by orange swan to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 24 at 1:41 PM
9 users marked this as a favorite

Is there a large portable induction burner that can heat a 12" pan?

I have been using a Duxtop portable induction burner for a few years now, and I am totally converted -- I love it, and I use it for everything. The only thing I don't love is that it seems to only have a nine-inch coil, and that means that the max size pan I can use most effectively is a pan with a 10-inch base. Are there any induction burners that have a larger coil, and could actually heat all of the actual surface area of a proper 12-inch pan?
posted by Hadroed to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 29 at 8:33 AM
9 users marked this as a favorite

Baseball books

My parents always bought each other books for Christmas/birthdays, and after several years of mom buying dad a book about baseball (could be about its history, a collection of newspaper columns, etc) it turned into a running joke where dad would open each present asking “Is this my baseball book?” Mom died a few years ago so I’m reviving the tradition. What are some of the best books that have been written about baseball in the last five years?
posted by skycrashesdown to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 27 at 4:51 PM
9 users marked this as a favorite

Posts

Popular Comments

Pay the extra $10 and consider this a learning experience about clear communication when interacting with service providers. It sounds like the cost would have been $38 for cuffed hems anyway ("cuffed hem is different and costs more"); the tailor is doing you a big favour by accommodating your wishes without charging you for the... [more]
posted by heatherlogan to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 8:21 AM
55 users marked this as a favorite

I suggest you start from the premise that it is unacceptable for the cats to *ever* be chased by the dog, and do what is necessary to prevent any situation that poses a reasonable risk of that happening. Keep the dog on a leash while you work on training calmness around the cats, and crate the dog or keep it in a separate room otherwise. If... [more]
posted by Rhedyn to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 24 at 6:52 AM
49 users marked this as a favorite

This seems to me to be one of those situations expressly made for the “listen in, dump out” rule of thumb in relationships. Your husband, it seems clear from this post, is much, much closer to this painful issue than you are. Your distance may allow you to see some moral aspects more clearly right now than he does, but it also seems unarguable to... [more]
posted by Merricat Blackwood to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 8:06 AM
46 users marked this as a favorite

How do I evaluate the risk? In 2023 there wasn't a single fatal accident, anywhere in the world, involving any make or model of jet aircraft. A rational process of risk management should focus on (a) the car ride to and from the airport, and (b) any roads you have to cross on foot. [view]
posted by Klipspringer to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 11:49 AM
42 users marked this as a favorite

CW: child trafficking and awful feelings about sex work Not going into detail, but I was used as a kid to make porn. When my wife and I moved into our first house, I found her porn stash. Now, I'm a sexually open, progressive person. I'm poly and kinky, so my wife was floored when my reaction to that stash was revulsion and rejection. She... [more]
posted by Vigilant to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 9:24 AM
40 users marked this as a favorite

This feels like when men tell women to smile more. I would try to ignore it. [view]
posted by happy_cat to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 25 at 1:46 PM
40 users marked this as a favorite

I can offer an experience from the child’s perspective: my parents divorced, and my mother’s boyfriend moved in. He did not want to be a stepdad, and they took no steps to integrate him into my or my sister’s life, as a parent figure or anything else. In some ways, this was great - he would not have gotten the job based on his qualifications and... [more]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 25 at 10:30 AM
36 users marked this as a favorite

" And then when I went into the interview, I blew it. I was deprecating about my research and sounded as though I didn't take it seriously (huge mistake); I talked about my current institution as though I didn't want to leave / didn't have the drive to start somewhere else; when they asked about my vision for the post I said I didn't have one... [more]
posted by melamakarona to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 12:35 AM
35 users marked this as a favorite

The thing about animals like that is if you start feeding one you have then entered a contract*. That first dish of food is you saying, "I am willing to take responsibility for your feeding," and this is how a cat/dog sees it. So to just stop seems unreasonably cruel to me. I agree, go over her head, talk to a rescue, see if you can... [more]
posted by routergirl to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 1:10 PM
34 users marked this as a favorite

I have heard this called the Pot Roast Principle. [view]
posted by Jeanne to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 8:45 AM
34 users marked this as a favorite

There's the additional consideration that you get the job, take it, suck up the commute for 6-9 months and get that massive salary hike in your history, and then pivot that into a better role, with much better pay, and a better commute ~a year from now. [view]
posted by phunniemee to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 25 at 12:20 PM
33 users marked this as a favorite

I had a similar experience when my father died. He didn't have a second family, but he was well-liked and respected at his long-term place of employment, his coworkers were shocked and saddened by his sudden death, and they came out in droves to mourn him. At home, he was a deeply abusive, manipulative and controlling man. I still struggle... [more]
posted by terretu to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 29 at 3:30 AM
33 users marked this as a favorite

I'm stepdad to three awesome humans. They are all in their 20s now, and I arrived in this picture 17 years ago. Their biological parents (a woman and a man) were themselves married for a long time before their dad came out of the closet first came out to himself, then to me (another man), and then to the rest of the people in this scenario. As a... [more]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 25 at 3:32 AM
31 users marked this as a favorite

Also, leading with a critique of her physical appearance is a classic (and misogynist) trope of older-generation musical snobbery against young women pop singers. I'd check that impulse. [view]
posted by spitbull to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 10:45 AM
30 users marked this as a favorite

It freezes well. Not as good as fresh but in the range of 8.5/10. [view]
posted by Depressed Obese Nightmare Man to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 28 at 8:15 AM
28 users marked this as a favorite

I'm also very surprised that so many folks here seem to think that this is an unusual response to have to a partner supporting the intentional starvation of civilians. I don't think there would be this much confusion (or so much grace being granted to the partner) if he outed himself as a Trump supporter or a transphobe--and to me and many, many... [more]
posted by lizard2590 to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 1:13 PM
28 users marked this as a favorite

About Abe: Inside Abraham Lincoln’s Surprising Career As A National Wrestling Champ In 12 years of wrestling, Abraham Lincoln was known to have lost only one match out of 300 on his way to being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame... The young 185-pounder eventually won Sangamon County’s wrestling championship. One bout... [more]
posted by They sucked his brains out! to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 27 at 12:22 PM
27 users marked this as a favorite

Opening a conversation about a 34 year old, high femme woman superstar by pointing out that she looks like a plastic doll to you is A Choice, and one I'd personally reflect on why I did it and how it colors my perception. Three generations of my family quite enjoys Swift, from my mom to her granddaughter. She's has tons of hits, for twenty... [more]
posted by Jacen to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 8:00 AM
27 users marked this as a favorite

It's a stray cat and the neighbor seems to relinquished all claims and responsibility to/for it so I think you're free to do what you want and are capable of doing. Are you willing and able to make arrangements for this cat? How often are you at your mother's? Can you be more on call available to deal with cat until this is resolved? If so, I... [more]
posted by brookeb to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 23 at 12:35 PM
27 users marked this as a favorite

i don't think it's reasonable for anyone to criticize you for reacting (internally) with disgust or contempt. such people apparently have far greater mastery of their emotions than i do. i do think it's reasonable for anyone to advise/remind you that your marriage is more than your conflicting feelings on the events in Israel. but i also think... [more]
posted by troywestfield to Ask MetaFilter on Apr 26 at 9:17 AM
27 users marked this as a favorite