book review: Jaws by Peter Benchley

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

The suspense in Jaws by Peter Benchley is expertly crafted - characters are put in situations where as the reader you're just yelling for them not to do what they are about to do. Particularly in the beginning of the book, the narrative goes from the person to the shark and continues back and forth creating such wonderful suspense. I wish that would have continued a bit more in the later parts of the book (the shark's perspective wasn't provided any longer). The characters were interesting and had compelling back stories. However, I did find some of the commentary and situations quite raunchy, racist, and unnecessary. I don't think these would make it through it to the final copy if this was published today, which I think is good. Even in 1974, though, even if they weren't considered taboo or unacceptable, the plot probably would have benefited if more focus was put on the situation with the shark versus so heavily character driven. I wanted to read the actual book since I never had and overall I enjoyed it and am happy I did. 

recipe: homemade yogurt by re-culturing

 It really is this EASY to make yogurt!

1. Add 1 cup powdered whole milk and 3 1/2 cups water to a pan (or just use 3 1/2 cups already liquid milk).

2. Increase temp to 180-195 degrees F on medium low. Keep it here for 10-20 min checking periodically with a thermometer.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to 110-115 degrees F.

4. To the 110-115 F milk, add a few spoonfuls from a store bought container of plain yogurt (or form your prior batch of yogurt) and whisk or stir. It's okay if there are some clumps.

5. Pour into 2 pint jars and place in oven with the light on for 6+ hours.

Master Your Temperatures

Do your own research to ensure you are hitting the correct temperatures but these are the reliable basics I use to make fresh yogurt every 7-10 days. 

The best part? My cultures have been going active and strong now for almost a year now! In fact, the culture seems to be getting stronger over time. It now takes only four hours for my yogurt to fully solidify, compared to the six hours it took when I first started. Some yogurt makers on Reddit state that their culture gets weaker over time, but I have not found that to be the case at all.

Accurate Temperature Control

Maintaining the correct temperatures is the absolute key factor in making yogurt successfully:

- The heat stage (180-195 degrees F) - Heating your milk to this range kills competing bacteria so your yogurt culture can thrive. It also unravels the whey proteins so they can bond with the milk's casein, giving you a thick, smooth texture.

- The cool stage (110-115 degrees F) - You must ensure you do not add your starter culture to the milk until it has cooled below 115 degrees. Anything hotter will kill the beneficial bacteria. However, also ensure you do not let it cool below 110 before adding the yogurt and getting it into the warm oven as it needs to stay warm in order to turn into yogurt.

Customizing Your Texture and Batch Size

If you want prefer greek yogurt, you can easily strain the final product through cheesecloth to remove the liquid whey. However, I find this standard recipe is already perfectly thick, creamy and satisfying without any extra work.

This recipe yields two pint jars, which is the perfect amount for me as one person. It provides just enough to enjoy throughout the week without forcing you to eat yogurt every single day to finish it.

Keeping Your Culture Alive

Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to scale the batch size to your personal needs. Just remember the holden rule of sustainability: make your next batch within 7-10 days. This timeline allows you to use a small scoop of your current batch to safely innoculate the next one. Waiting longer than 10 days risks spoiling your yogurt and permanently weakening your live culture. 

book review: Quarantine by Greg Egan

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5

Greg Egan's Quarantine dives deep into the Observer Effect, which was my primary motivation for reading it. The author crafts a highly detailed storyline exploring how the subconscious not only determines reality but can also actively manipulate its outcomes. Because there are so many theories about the true capabilities and limitations of the Observer Effect, it was fascinating to experience a vivid, albeit fictional, visualization of how this concept could play out.

The book also toys with the psychological impact of realizing we may not be in complete control of our destiny. This reminded me of a concept from I believe Cixin Liu’s work: the idea that if humanity ever confirmed the Observer Effect—or discovered extraterrestrial life—we would struggle to find fulfillment, crushed by the knowledge of how minuscule our lives are in the grand scheme of things.If you enjoy exploring these philosophical themes alongside the concept of neural "mods" altering human choices and emotions, this book is an excellent fit. However, it is a challenging read that requires a basic grasp of quantum physics, or at least the patience to digest complex scientific theories alongside a fictional narrative.

I deducted one point because I found the first half of the book skipped over important information in the search to find the missing woman and why she was abducted. And, I didn't feel like the remainder of the book resolved that fully, instead relying more on a different subjects contribution to Ensemble.