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We’re up in Alaska this week, and unfortunately we haven’t had much time for podcasting. But here’s a little postcard from a trip we took to meet some reindeer.
Many of you have asked about the music that we use on the show, and we finally had Amy the Intern get on it for you. Episode 23’s music is below, and the jams from past episodes will be up soon. Enjoy!
Episode 23 (in order of appearance):
- “You’ve Got the Love Remix”, song originally by Florence and the Machine, Remix by The xx. Original album: Lungs
- “Sun Hands” by Local Natives. Album: Gorilla Manor
- “Work” by 1, 2, 3. Album: New Heaven
- “Black Hills” by Gardens & Villa. Album: Gardens & Villa
- “Sublimis” by Tripping Icarus. Album: The Sideshow Sessions
How to: stay awake on a long drive, understand a foreign accent, and wrangle votes for your bill. Also: what to do when you have the same number on your football jersey as somebody else, and Tripping Icarus, Tripping Icarus, and Tripping Icarus.
How to: talk to your congressperson, keep cool outside, drive a taxi, and run a 5k. Plus, Mike proves once again Ian shouldn’t tell him anything in confidence.
And by the way, if you try Babe Ruth’s method of staying cool in the heat, by all means send us a photo at howto (at) npr (dot) org.
You can listen and subscribe via our rss feed here. We think that’s a really good idea. Or you can find it on iTunes here, also a good idea. And you can send us a how to question at howto (at) npr (dot) org.
We tell you how to: perform mouth-to-beak resuscitation, heal a flesh wound at 30 miles per hour, win at Scrabble, and disappear without a trace.
We tell you how to: design a flag, make perfect scrambled eggs, be a sniper, and talk like a 21st Century American.
In Episode 20, we talk to a vexillologist (we had to look it up) about how to design a flag. Justin Witte of TinyMarkers designed this HTDE flag, which we’re putting up as soon as we get a flagpole.
It’s time to give scrambled eggs the respect we give to omelettes and Dutch Babies. On this week’s podcast, we’ll learn some classy techniques from Dan Souza. Here’s his recipe, courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated. It says “perfect” because it’s perfect. Give it a try, and let us know what you think.
PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS
SERVES 4
It’s important to follow visual cues, as pan thickness will affect cooking times. If using an electric stove, heat one burner on low heat and a second on medium-high heat; move the skillet between burners when it’s time to adjust the heat. If you don’t have half-and-half, substitute 8 teaspoons of whole milk and 4 teaspoons of heavy cream. To dress up the dish, add 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, chives, basil, or cilantro or 1 tablespoon of dill or tarragon to the eggs after reducing the heat to low.
8 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
¼ cup half-and-half
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
1. Beat eggs, yolks, half-and-half, 3/8 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper with fork until eggs are thoroughly combined and color is pure yellow; do not overbeat.
2. Heat butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until fully melted (butter should not brown), swirling to coat pan. Add egg mixture and, using rubber spatula, constantly and firmly scrape along bottom and sides of skillet until eggs begin to clump and spatula just leaves trail on bottom of pan, 1½ to 2½ minutes. Reduce heat to low and gently but constantly fold eggs until clumped and just slightly wet, 30 to 60 seconds. Immediately transfer eggs to warmed plates and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.
In Episode 16, Kate asked us how to get grass stains out of her son’s little league uniform. So naturally, we asked “The Big Hurt” Frank Thomas. His response? Keep ‘em dirty. But just in case Kate wants her son to have the cleanest pants in baseball and the nickname “cleanestpantsinbaseball,” we asked you to share your advice. So without further delay, we present the listener solutions to grass stained pants.
Paulina says: Best way to get a stain out is with literally boiling hot water. Boil water. Use thick rubber gloves to hold fabric taught. Have lovely assistant pour boiling water ” through” the stain. Repeat. Living happily stain free. Don’t burn yourself.
Mark says: My mom taught me to get grass stains out using shampoo. Just a basic shampoo works fine, no need to use expensive stuff.
Johnathan says: I use “GOOP hand cleaner”. It is a non-toxic gel-like product. You just rub it in the stain wait a few minutes and wash with cold water, always start with cold water when trying to get rid of stains so it does not get set into the fabric.
Good luck, Kate!