Dealing with my cluttered basement has a place on this cycle's semi-annual projects. On the first non-shabbos day to pursue them, I made mental excuses to avoid, or at least procrastinate this one. Nature had another plan. The Weather Service announced a local tornado warning, advising everyone to seek shelter in a basement if they could. I looked outside. Seemed legit. And I had been in a real tornado with damage to a hotel across the courtyard during a visit to Mammoth Cave not that long ago. So as much as I preferred doing other things, a half hour in my basement, temperature not that much above a wine cellar's, seems a wise thing to do.
Since forced there, I might as well begin my project. The space had a musty odor, more in the farthest corner than where I was, at the other end near the furnace and water heater. Facing the furnace, I glanced at a not yet occupied mousetrap place by the exterminator at his last survey. To my right, a work bench, all flat surfaces large occupied. To my left, shelves. Better place to start. Interesting inventory. On the floor immediately in front of the shelves I found my good cast iron hibachi, little if ever used. I had considered replacing it, but the current Amazon offerings cost a significant multiple of what I paid. It just needs a scrubbing and drying. Then some grilling this summer. The shelves had mostly items suitable for food. Unopened were bamboo steamers, and ice cream countertop freezer, a silverplate chafing dish. I had taken my mid-sized French press to the kitchen where I use it regularly to fill a large travel much with good coffee to take to OLLI. I had long since forgotten that this came as a set. The sugar holder and creamer matched to the press had remained in the box. I have a better guest sugar/creamer set already in the kitchen, almost never used, so I don't anticipate having any need to take this set upstairs. I have two beer growlers, one and two liters. At one time Total Wine introduced craft beer from kegs. If you bought enough beer, they would give the growler as a promotion. Good deal as a combo. Not a good deal as a refill, as the price of the beer, good as these selections were, soon approximated the cost of the wines that I usually purchase there. Growlers returned to the basement.
As a youngster, my father invested in an indoor Farberware grill with rotating spit. Diets were different then. Steak could come out of the freezer, get plopped on the grid for a half hour and there would be dinner. For shabbos, a minute steak tied as a roast or a whole chicken could be skewered in the spit and made by rotisserie. It took a long time but always turned out better than roasting in the oven, which is why this method of cooking remains popular for takeout. Cleanup of this bulky appliance was never trivial. I got one as a new homeowner, used it a few times, then retired it to a lower metal shelf in the basement, which it has occupied for some thirty years. Perhaps when I make the veal roast or next whole chicken that has been taking up too much space in my freezer that could be used for other things.
Found a surplus of thermoses. Don't know why I have so many. And I have more in the storage nook that surrounds my kitchen, just below the ceiling. Thermos bottles have largely been replaced with insulated mugs and tumblers. These are designed to fit into the beverage holder next to the driver's seat, do not have to be uncapped like a thermos, and have no stopper as a loose part to get lost and make the item no longer serve its purpose. They won't break like a glass thermos. But I have a lot of thermoses. As a practical matter, I always worked at a place that always had coffee for the taking, either in a hospital doctors' lounge or in my office. Almost never brought soup or broth to work. Almost never picnicked, though among the items near the shelves were a couple of insulated coolers, mostly yard sale acquisitions, and a woven wooden picnic basket akin to what Yogi Bear would seek out. And appropriately stored, my two milchig iron casseroles purchased on sale with intent, though few occasions to make milchig in major quantity. And my turkey roaster, used only on Thanksgiving, though less so as an empty nester when a quartered turkey breast is more suitable for a few dining companions. And two good fleishig casseroles, retrieved once or twice a year for major dinners. And a large coffee urn, last used at my father's shiva in 2009 but perhaps still ready for its Next Act. I assume the cord is inside.
What to harvest. Hibachi for sure. Designate fleishig, scrub the cast iron. And very portable for kosher grilling at a park or on my deck, with some protection for the wood. Four cup coffee maker for sure. I buy a lot of k-cups, mostly for convenience and variety. They go on sale. Bulk coffee of a fine brand such as Lavazza or Starbucks or custom ground from Sprouts also fills my cart when on sale. One cup easy to make in a Melitta cone or in a French press, though the latter takes some effort to clean. And I have a 2-4 cup French press, just right for filling an insulated mug, though also a chore to clean. Neither the cone nor the French presses are really set it and forget it. The cones need aliquots of water poured over the grounds which then have to be watched. The French press coffees need to be timed. But the auto drip works at its own rate. Water in tank, coffee with filter in its designated position. Carafe in its position. Then push a button. No need to keep track of water level or occupy myself until the timer runs down. That goes upstairs. Everything else stays downstairs, at least until I am ready to make ice cream, steam something in bamboo, or host a reception that needs these things.
And then look to the right to assess the workbench contents.
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