Elegant Calgary Library

Gillian Steward praised the elegant new Calgary Central Library in the Toronto Star today. It has received international acclaim for it's architecture and for it's welcoming vibe. And it was completed on time within budget.

Such a project would never be done in Toronto because the federal and provincial governments, and the city council would debate forever about who designs, who pays, and when it will be done.

• Gilliam Steward Article
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Instant Potpourri

I like the Instant Pot which cooks all the food for a meal at the same time in a removable, stainless steel inner pot.  I have the Duo Mini (3 quart) so the pot easily fits in the dish washer.  It has seven modes of operation.  Some pots have more modes.  There is an expensive Immersion Circulator add-on device for Sous Vide. But I only need Saute and Pressure cook modes.

There are tons of recipes on the WWW.  I just make spaghetti or stew with beef or chicken. Saute is optional for meat because the blending of flavors during pressure cook makes it seem unnecessary.  Pasta recipes with tomato sauce need to have the sauce added last to prevent scorching.

The Full Release valve emits a startling blast of steam.  Steam is bad for kitchen cabinets so I place the pot on the glass-top range and turn on the ventilation fan before releasing.  Also I tap the valve several times to lessen the initial blast.