It’s been a month since I busted out with the Pomodoro Technique in a productivity boosting experiment. While I think it has improved thing somewhat, there are still some areas I find it a little lacking.

A quick overview in the (quite possible) event you haven’t heard of it. Basically, you:

• Choose a task to be accomplished
• Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
• Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your task list. (You can have a lot of checks on a single item.)
• Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
• If you get interrupted during a Pomodoro, put a different mark, like an “I”
• Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break
• Walk like an Egyptian*

* Not actually part of the Pomodoro Technique

The Good

RECORDS

There’s a lot that’s great about the Pomodoro Technique, one of the main things being the record you end up having of your day. It’s easy to get to the end of a typical day and think or feel that you haven’t actually accomplished much. The PT leaves you with a record of what you’ve accomplished so you can feel, well, accomplished. For every Pomodoro you do (or 25-minute activity block) you write it down. Every check feels like giving yourself points for getting something done, even if it’s your 16th check on, say, “Update the Natural History Museum Observation Module.”

For my task list (or “activity inventory”), I use a text file in Dropbox, which I have easy access to on my phone via an app called Plaintext. That way I can keep it handy on any computer I have, or when I’m lacking one. I also sometimes list how many pomodoros I think something is going to take. If you’re like me, having time frames on unpleasant tasks of any magnitude help a lot.

My list. On my laptop (left) and on my phone (right). X means a completed pomodoro, U means I was interrupted or it wasn’t finished, and # means the task is complete.

FOCUS

This is a great aspect. When tempted to deviate to email or IMs, it’s helpful to remember that I’m on the clock here — I can get to that after this pomodoro is done. I have a simple timer in my menubar, so I can easily see how much time is left. While most Pomodoro apps will set you back a few bucks, there are a bunch of free ones. I use Menubar Countdown.

Menubar Countdown (near the left)

PLANNING

Another great thing about this method is the way it can help you challenge yourself. When starting a day, you can set a goal for yourself to beat your average pomodoros done in a day. That average is also a good indicator of how much you’re likely going to accomplish on a given a day, so you can gauge how much to take on.

The Less Good

Pomodoro isn’t perfect, but then, what is? That said, here are some possible drawbacks.

ALL OR NOTHING
Either you work for 25 minutes and get to mark an X, or you don’t get to complete it. I use a different mark than X, but it doesn’t feel the same. Also, sure you can ignore emails for half-an-hour, but when people drop by in person, you can’t really tell them to come back in 9.5 minutes. You also can’t show up late to meetings or train stops because you’re in the middle of one.

SOMETHING ELSE TO DO
As great as all the things I listed above are, sometimes creating a task list and checking it off is just one more thing to do, and when you already have forty-six-dozen deadlines coming, you don’t really want to have yet another thing to manage. Sure, managing it helps you manage other things, but if that logic always applied, our dentists would never be on our cases about flossing.

In a nutshell

Pomodoro is great stuff. Will I keep using it? Probably. But my implementation will likely morph into something else along the way as I adjust it for my own needs. I just can’t see myself managing an activity inventory, a to-do list, a chart sheet and an extended log like the book tells you to. If I’ve learned one thing about both interface design and myself, it’s that things have to be simple, or they won’t be sustainable.

Another favorite Austrian recipe of mine is Griessnockerlsuppe, which means semolina dumpling soup. I’ve tried this recipe several times now and tweaked it to being just right. It only takes about 15 minutes to make and serves 4. Enjoy:

Dumplings (12):

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp semolina flour (Coarse is better, but anything works, really.)
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• 6 tbsp. soft butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Broth:

• 2 cans or 16 oz. beef broth (chicken works great, too!)
• 1 small/medium carrot
• 4 green onions
• 1 tsp parsley

Making it happen:

Chop carrot into thin slices, and to the same to the green onions. Add vegetables and parsley to broth and start cooking on high.

While that works up to a boil, grab a bowl and whisk the butter until soft and creamy. Add the salt and nutmeg, then add the eggs one at a time. Whip it up so the mix is nice and airy.

Slowly add the semolina flour until all semolina is mixed with egg mixture. (Note: The dumplings are even better when the mix is allowed to chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, but if you’re going for a quick meal you can skip that.)

Scoop out small dumplings with a soup spoon and form 12 egg-shaped dumplings. When they’re formed, use a spoon to drop them into your broth. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3-5 minutes (10 if you refrigerated them). Dumplings are done when they float to the top.

Serve the broth with 2 or 3 dumplings per person. Garnish with a pinch of parsley or chopped chives.

You’ve probably noticed it’s German/Austrian cooking week here at Awesome Toast. It’s my favorite cuisine, and definetly my favorite to cook. Another favorite recipe of mine is German potato salad. It’s very different from American potato salad, with a sweet vinegar type glaze and is typically served warm. Here’s my recipe:

The Stuff:

• 3 cups peeled potatoes, sliced. I prefer Yukon Gold or Red potatoes.
• 4 tbsp of butter OR 4 strips of bacon (see below)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white vinegar (just a little less than that, actually)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Making it Happen:

Place your sliced potatoes into a pot, and fill it with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.

While that’s going, melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. (For the less healthy but even tastier version, fry your bacon, then remove it and use the remaining bacon grease. Chop the bacon up and add it in later.)

Add your onion and garlic to the butter or grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Then add the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. If you used bacon, add that now. Reduce heat and stir occasionally for about 1-2 minutes. The starch from the potatoes will cause the sauce to thicken into a glaze. Serve warm and enjoy!

Photo by Oxfordian Kissuth.

Käsespätzle (or homemade egg noodles with cheese) is one of my all-time favorite Austrian/German recipes, and one of my favorites to make. Here’s my recipe!

You’ll want to start the caramelized onion topping first, as it takes the longest.

Caramelized Onions

• 1 tbsp butter (not margarine)
• 2 Onions (preferably sweet like Walla Walla, but others work fine too)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter in skillet over med-high heat. Stir in sliced onions until they’re covered, then cook for 10 minutes. Stir every 3 mins or so.

Then sprinkle the salt over them (and a tsp of brown sugar if you have tangier onions) and reduce heat to med-low. Cook for 30-40 minutes until they are golden brown and a little crispy looking.

Spaetzle

While the onions are going, grab a large bowl and this stuff:

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• At least 2 cups of your favorite cheese(s), grated

Start a pot of water boiling. I use an average-sized sauce pot filled just over 3/4 full, and with a little salt. Add a little butter or oil to the water (to keep the noodles from sticking together)

Beat the eggs soundly, then add the milk, then add all the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Mix the batter well. It will be thick. Set your spätzle hobel or a colander on top of the pot, and scrape about 1/4 of the batter in. Spread the batter across the hobel or colander with a spatula so it falls out the bottom in little bits. When the bits rise to the top, they’re done. It won’t take long. Scoop them out into a bowl or casserole dish with a slotted spoon and repeat until your batter is gone.

Once your spätzle are done, dial your oven to 350°, then layer the spätzle in a casserole dish with your cheese. I usually do 2-4 layers, ending with cheese on top. My favorite spätzle cheeses are Gouda, Appenzeller, and Gruyère, but you can get excellent results with Cheddar and Colby Jack as well.

Bake the spätzle for about 15 minutes. The point is simply to get the cheese and noddles melted together and make the top a little toasty. You can bake it longer for a crispier top if you’d like. When it’s done, serve with the caramelized onions on top.

Bon Appétit! Or as the Austrians say: Mahlzeit!

Image from Foolforfood.de

A lot of people ask me, “Your domain is AwesomeToast… but what does that mean?”

This is often a very difficult question to answer, as the definition of awesome toast is complex and varied — only some of which actually relate to toast as it is commonly understood. That said, I believe the following video begins to scratch the surface and gives an effective (and mouth-watering) demonstration of the fundamentals of awesome toast. Watch as chef Daniel Humm creates the grilled cheese sandwich of the gods:

[YouTube via Gizmodo via Feast]

Tried this today. Didn’t work. It was funny though.

There’s another version of this floating around the interwebz, but it didn’t quite do today justice so I made my own.

Sometimes a regular facepalm just doesn’t cut it.

Oooh! This has us mildly steamed:

http://indylaw.indiana.edu/programs/simulation/info.htm

So they totally ripped-off our annual counter-terrorism simulation. No big deal. Frankly, IndyLaw, we’re flattered. Even if you pretty much copied us on everything from your fake CNN site right down to what you named your live video feed.

But hey, it’s cool—until you allude that yours might be the first counter-terrorism simulation of its kind.

Not cool, IndyLaw. Not cool.

In any case, the real first-of-its-kind simulation (started in 2007) is coming again in 2010, and it’s going to be excellent.

And here’s a little documentary about it: