Listen guys, I don't have time worrying about a hair width crack in some caulking or anything else. My blueprints were re-written from a very simple and basic plan my mother and I drew and correspondingly, all materials were brought to the job site just like any other home. Anything can catch on fire. This is a bunch of crap, worry about your own home. Greenhouser, I'm a loner meaning I live alone. I love my family. Maybe if I get well, then someday I'll have a wife but until I'm ready, that's not a possibility. I have delusional disorder/schizophrenia and this is a resting place for me so I can get well while having enough property to garden, propagate, and keep my mind busy year-round. My parents they are helping me live a more comfortable lifestyle. ladylotus and others thanks. If you were here, you wouldn't ever want to leave this house. However, I did not build it. My friend and contractor knows how much I like my home. Thanks, and thanks for stopping the what if's. I've never lived thinking I was going to die just because it's possible to hit a deer with my automobile or if I were to be walking in the woods and a tree fell on me. I've got more important things to think about and franky, that's a bunch of non-sense. I'll write IFFFFF a tornado comes through and destroys everything. Then those of you who like to gossip can have something to talk about. Have a nice day, Dax

Linda, while polymerization of unsaturates is the PRIMARY way seasoning is formed....there is another lesser known (on the Internet) mechanism. When SATURATED fats are heated to the smoking point they will undergo THERMAL cracking chemical reactions. These cracking reactions will then form or create unsaturated molecules that will in turn undergo those same polymerization reactions. These reactions, however, will tie up nearly pure carbon into the polymer matrix that is formed. The polymers thus formed are not the same as what is formed when using Grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil has a VERY LOW carbon residue content. Because of the added "carbon" into the polymer matrix those polymers formed when using lard will not be PLANER in their orientation. "Planer" polymers (Grapeseed oil) are much stronger and slicker. You want polymers to be planer in their orientation.....and that is why I REALLY STRESS the point to ALWAYS use "LIGHT" layers of oil when you are seasoning your pan. You WILL NOT speed up the seasoning process by applying more oil in each seasoning cycle. FYI.....there is also a benefit to seasoning cast iron with low smoke point "saturated" fats like lard (purchased lard is better) or Crisco. When the thermal cracking occurs this chemical reaction leaves behind what is known in organic chemistry as "carbon residue". The carbon residue content of petroleum oil and animal fats & oils is a CHEMICAL property of the oil and it varies with the chemical composition of the oil or fat. It is a very important chemical property and it is measured by a specific analytical test procedure. It is important in the overall classification of oils and gives certain information about the higher molecular weight molecules contained in the oil. Adding carbon residue (i.e using lard or Crisco) is sometimes useful when seasoning a pan which was formed using modern day coarse sand molds......like the one's made by Lodge. Cast iron produced by Lodge is very "rough" because it was cast in a sand (not clay) mold and because it was not machined polished as the cast iron pans of old. Sooo.....you sure can season a pan with both lard and/or Crisco.....or perhaps just wait for it to develop over time thru usage like your grandma did. But why wait???? Use grapeseed oil and you can get to initial non-stick a whole lot faster. Then you get to build upon that solid non stick base through continued use of the pan......that is if you maintain it properly. There is a lot more detail that I can get into on this particular subject. I could write a chapter in a book on this topic. However, I'm afraid it would be too confusing for some. I've touched on carbon residue in the link I posted above and it was confusing to some people based on the emails that I received. The procedure that I will eventually write will work just fine 90% of the time for most people.....that is, if people follow the procedure EXACTLY how I will write it. For instance... when I say clean your pan with Bar Keepers Friend....I mean it. When I say to use "purchased" lard...I mean to use the stuff you buy in a super market and not rendered bacon fat. When I say dry your pan on a burner before storage......I mean exactly what I've written......because there are very specific and sometimes technical reasons why I will put that particular step in the procedure. I've written many hundreds of very complex and technical procedures in my former career and I do not put extra steps in just for the fun of it. I'll post when I am satisfied with what I consider to be the best (simple) procedure for most cases. Dan Semper Fi-cus

A very good question. Have you noticed that when you buy roast beef from a deli, the beef is always the same, identical everyday, every year? I believe the beef is cooked very similar to sous vide. Sous vide cooking has great benefits for restaurants and for some food makers. It can basically guarantee expensive meats will be cooked perfectly every time. It does not matter who is doing the cooking. Quality end result is predictable and repeatable. Sous vide cooking has another benefit that meat shrinkage is less, and that can add up. For restaurants, meat can be cooked ahead of time in quantity, refrigerated and reheated to be served without losing quality or overcooked. However, sous vide is just part of the cooking process. There is still a need for good recipes and good total preparation for the food to be delicious. Sous vide cooker is like any other appliance or cookware, you are correct that it cannot automatically make quality (delicious) food. dcarch

You can make fruit sauce pretty easily. As with anything else, there is more than one way. This is my way. You can use any fruit to first make fruit juice. The key is first to remove the skin and seeds, which makes it tricky with cherries, pomegranate, grapes, etc. I have ways to do that, but that will require another long thread to explain how and a video to show how. Second thing with some fruits you will need a juicer or a high power blender to make the fruit into true smoothie. If you want to make clear fruit sauce, you will need to first make clear fruit juice by using filters or a high speed centrifuge machine. However, for a pretty good fruit sauce, a blender, a filter or a very fine mesh sieve will do a very good job. Basic fruit sauce: Fruit juice or fruit puree Sugar/corn syrup Corn starch A touch of lemon juice. Proportion for the above is not critical, depending on how sweet the fruits and how sweet you like the sauce to be. Boil everything, but add corn starch (dissolve in cold water first) at the end. Do not use too much starch, or you will be making glaze. I prefer using tapioca flour instead of corn starch for better transparence and less starchy taste. Variations and tricks: Use fruit flavored candies instead of sugar. Go to a Spanish store and buy fruit flavored sugars. Use food coloring. You need very few drops. Add frozen fruit juice concentrate. For pomegranate sauce, add Grenadine syrup Use cocktail mix Add some fruit flavored jello when boiling, very little, you don�t want to make jello. Add Grand Marnier, or other fruit flavored liqueur Have fun. dcarch