Appliance Maintenance

The dead of winter is a good time to perform basic appliance maintenance. The coffee pot and espresso maker need to be cleaned and maintained- Andy does that.

Oven

Clean racks, then remove them (don't run oven racks through the self-oven cleaning cycle as it ultimately degrades the finish on them). Wipe out the bottom of the oven then run the cycle. A standard cycle is 5 hours, the low cycle is 3 hours which has always seemed to be sufficient.

Ready for a low cleaning cycle

Vent hood

Slide the cover underneath the hood towards you, then unlatch the fan cover box. Clean both covers in hot soapy water. Clean the underside of the hood using spray kitchen cleaner- this is an awkward reach.

Clean grease in  cover

Cleaned cover reinstalled

Fridge

Our current LG fridge's coils are covered and in the back of the unit with no access to pull it away from the wall, so we haven't cleaned them. I do vacuum under the fridge using a long tube attachment to limit the dog hair. I've had to defrost the bottom freezer- that's a yucky job. Change out the water filter about once/year.

Tube vacuum attachment

Dishwasher

Unscrew and clean the basket in the bottom periodically. Run a cycle with dishwasher cleaner a couple of times a year and clean the gaskets well.

Drains and disposal

Pour 1/4 c baking soda down the drain followed by 1/4 c vinegar. Let sit for 30 min, then follow up with a pot of hot/boiling water. If we're noticing real drain slowing, we've used drain enzyme cleaner. There are cleaners that can be used for the disposal.

Washing machine

Clean the drain in front by twisting the cap out of the drain tube and letting the tube drain into a bucket. This takes a while. Once the flow was stopped, unscrew the drain cap and clean out the drain, as well as clean off the scum that accumulates on the drain cap. Reassemble. Occasionally run a cycle with washing machine cleaner. I hear that some front-load washers can start to smell funky. Ours has been good, I think for 3 main reasons:

• Our Bloomington water supply is good quality and not hard
• I don't use as much detergent as encouraged by detergent manufacturers- maybe half, and I stick with Tide powder so it doesn't really build up
• I keep the washer door open between loads so it can dry out and breathe

Empty drain hose into a bucket. This takes a while

Unscrew the drain cap and clean the slime that accumulates

Dryer

Clean the vent filter with every load. Once a year, get the long-handled bristle and clean the exterior vent outlet and into the vent hose.

Hot water heater

Test the relief valve by draining a bit of water. Next time use a collecting vessel that can be pulled out from under the pipe without tipping water onto the floor. Connect a short hose to the bottom drain valve and drain a few quarts to clear sediments that collect at the bottom.

Relief valve

Draining relief valve

Draining sediments

Humidifier

Turn the water supply off in the spring and on again in the fall. Sometimes gross stuff grows at the end of the drain pipe, due to the filter sediments, etc. Clean this up and spray the hose with bleach water. Replace the filter pad annually.

Yuck!!

Gas Fireplace

Turn off the pilot light in the spring to save gas. Push in the control knob and turn to off, then turn gas valve perpendicular to the line.

Off

In the fall, open the gas line (parallel), then depress button and turn so the pilot indicator is to the left. Keep button depressed for a few seconds then press the ignitor button. Once lit, push button and turn to the "on" position.

On

Spaetzle

After being reminded how much I loved spaetzle both at Oktoberfest in New Ulm and at a German restaurant in Palm Springs with friends, I asked for a spaetzle maker for Christmas. A 1/3 batch of the recipe on the maker's label was delicious and a generous amount for two people.

Spaetzle 

(Serves 2)

• 1 egg
• 1/3 c milk
• 1 c flour
• scant 1/4 tsp salt
• couple dashes nutmeg

Using paddle, beat egg until foamy, then beat in milk, then dry ingredients, a little at a time. The dough will be stiff and elastic. Use the spaetzle maker to press into boiling water and allow to boil 2-3 min. Strain the cooked floating dumplings out of the water and top with butter and freshly cracked pepper.

Vegetarian Sushi

Grandma rolling sushi

Rolling your own sushi is a fun, if a bit messy.

Sushi Rice

2  c sushi-grade short grain rice

2 c plus 2-4 tbsp water (more if very dry/in the winter)

1/3 c rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Rinse rice well, then cook on the regular cycle in the rice cooker. Remove to a large bowl or cookie sheet and fluff with a paddle. Allow to cool (you can periodically fan the rice). Mix vinegar, sugar and salt, and gradually sprinkle over the rice and lightly mix (don't stir). Wait until cool to the touch before using. Don't refrigerate.

Dynamite Sauce

1/4 c mayo

1 tsp to 1 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (to taste)

Stir to combine.

Quick pickled carrot and daikon

5 oz daikon

4 oz carrot

1/2 c water

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1/3 c sugar

pinch salt

Julienne daikon and carrot using a julienne peeler. Combine vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool, then add to vegetables.

Other ingredients:

Nori wrappers

Pickled ginger

Soy sauce

Wasabi (in the tube is better than preparing from dried which is what we did this time)

Avocado

English cucumber

Furikake seasoning

Green onions

Will trying out the Sushezi extruder

Quick Sourdough Crumpets

Halving this King Arthur Flour crumpet recipe makes 2 crumpets- they're quick and go well with soup.

• 1/2 c unfed sourdough starter
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp plus a pinch of baking soda

Preheat griddle to 300 and grease it. Grease the 2 circular molds. Divide batter into the molds on the griddle and cook 5 min, then remove rings and flip, cooking another 4-5 min until golden brown.

This one was cooked in a cast iron skillet with a good film of oil