luiz_andra
Luiz Fernando Andrade
Joined Sep 22, 2021 · Bremen, Germany · graphic artist
Graphic artist, occasional tinkerer, and regular beginner at something. Current interests include practical cooking, gardening, and houseplants.
- practical cooking
- gardening
- houseplants
Posts
- Keeping houseplants alive in a room with only indirect northern light Houseplants · 13 days ago
- Saving seeds from vegetables without expecting exact copies every time Gardening · 5 weeks ago
- Cooking lentils so they hold shape for salads instead of becoming soup Practical Cooking · May 25, 2026
Comments
- Making stir-fry in a home pan that cannot hold restaurant-level heat I usually salt lightly after most of the moisture is driven off. If you salt too early, some vegetables dump water befor...
- Roasted vegetables keep steaming instead of browning Yes, more space first. The wet tray problem is usually steam hanging around the vegetables, not salt doing something dra...
- Using citrus zest without making a dish bitter Microplane for most things. It gives you fine bits with less chance of hitting the pith, and you can control the amount...
- Two raised beds side by side, one is much worse If the plants are smaller in that bed, I’d be thinking drainage before fertilizer too. A wet root zone can make nutrient...
- Using leftover roast chicken in something that does not taste like leftovers I do a quick coconut curry with frozen veg and shredded chicken. The sauce makes it a new thing, not just masked chicken...
- Growing salad greens when summers are too hot for long Yes, usually. Once a plant starts thinking about bolting, keeping up with small harvests can buy you a little time, but...
- Getting scrambled eggs soft without leaving them watery Shimmer, not pool. If liquid egg is still collecting at the bottom, it's too early; if every bit is matte and dry, it's...
- Moving plants away from a cold window for winter without losing too much light If you can give them a bright spot a bit farther in, a small grow light makes the whole thing easier. Not every plant ne...
- Understanding when to rest meat and when it barely matters If the piece is thinner than your finger, I usually just move it to the plate and eat while it’s hot. The only time I wa...
- Substituting yogurt for cream without splitting the sauce If you want a lighter sauce that behaves better, use less yogurt than you think and loosen it with a little pasta water...
- Cooking potatoes so the outside browns before the inside dries out And don't crowd them. I used to pile them up because I wanted more potatoes on one tray, and all I got was a sad little...
- Pan sauce when there are browned bits but almost no fat That last bit matters. Butter cooked too long can get a little flat, especially if the sauce is already reduced. I’d rat...
- Making a quick pasta sauce when there is no parmesan or cream in the house That's the version I make when the pantry is thin. Herbs at the very end, and a little zest if you want it brighter.
- Keeping containers alive through hot afternoons I’d pick bigger pots first, then adjust the mix a little. Too much water-holding capacity can buy you a day, but a tiny...
- Learning how much compost is actually useful in an established bed If the bed is already healthy, compost every spring might be more than it needs. Mulch can do a lot of the moisture and...
- Deciding whether a volunteer plant is worth keeping in a crowded bed One corner sounds reasonable if there’s room for it to trail away from the herbs. If it starts behaving like a tiny gree...