In lasagna gardening, there is rarely any heat because of the spread of the organics over an area. To get heat from decomposition, one would need a bit more volume - something 12 to 18 inches high will simply 'cold' compost. I've planted in lasagna beds immediately after they were done. I do add a bit of soil around the roots of the plant, but just enough to buffer the roots. I have so little soil which is available to me. Lots of rocks, no soil. Your plants will actually settle in with the bed. I have never had plants end up half out of the ground as Lee states. Maybe we are doing things differently... Not the best of pictures, but the garden up against the house was just done last year, and this picture was taken a couple of months after it was in place. I immediately planted lilies, phlox paniculata, echinacea, digitalis, hydrangea, mulleins, etc. No ill effect! Nothing popping back out of the ground/bed.

Judy, it's not so much the higher wattage on the medium burners that you need as on the big one. You should be able to use a flat bottomed wok on that and get plenty of power. I understand shy, but they really are there to help you. The Miele showroom in Beverly Hills is an especially friendly space, and considering its location I have to think that that's corporate policy! Hm... above statement was made without thinking through your way of cooking. The wattage on the mediums is important if you have a really big pan that you're transferring from the wok into, so want to wok on one of the smaller burners. If you're not ready to cook something yourself in the showroom, ask for a personal demonstration. Even boiling water should give you a good idea about the heat and responsiveness. Could you work up the courage to make an appointment and go watch the salesman or chef use the unit? Or get a pushy friend to come along and speak for you? It's important for you to be happy with your choices, and one of the best ways to do that is to actually see the appliances in action. Re gas, yes, you can use the wok burner with a grill plate, but there are single sided ones that you can easily use on induction. Also, some of the double sided ones with shallower edges work okay as well, at least on some cooktops. I have always roasted eggplants and peppers on the gas flame to get them charred on the outside and not overcooked on the inside (a distinction which may just show up my lacks as a cook in not being able to do this in an oven). I have a little barbecue grate that's made for the purpose. It's a trick that's not for the faint of cleaning, however. Nolamom, the magnet test is a great way to assess whether the pots you have will work with induction, but if you're buying new it's probably worth your while to get pots that are known to work particularly well. Since I already have a lot of Le Creuset (works great with '60's coils, gas and induction all and I love the enamel), I don't know the specifics. Do a search here and you'll find recommendations. Some steel cookware has different amounts of steel in the sides of the pan and the bottom, so it cooks a little differently than one that's all the same. Some have more steel than others. Etc. Cast iron is pretty much cast iron, though weight and thickness will effect the way a particular pan works in comparison to another. Enamel shouldn't matter (it's an insulator but I haven't heard that it impedes magnetism). I have a little Turkish coffee pot which is stainless but doesn't attract a magnet at all. I can't remember if I tested it on Mr. Induction (all this stuff is packed for demo), but I'm pretty sure it won't work. :) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is if you're buying something new, make sure it will work well rather than just work.

I have the fibrament stone and love it. Bought it after my old thin ceramic stone cracked in half. It's very thick and heavy - makes me wish that my oven had those easy rolling racks. Mine is a 15.5" diameter stone. The instructions state that it should not get wet, so I've been just scraping off any accidental drippings and let the rest burn off. It's not pretty looking but my pizzas are never soggy :). I had sometimes had problems with soggy crusts when I used a thin cheap stone from BB&B. From 2009_07_09

Oh, my.... The alchemy of cookie textures... -Baking soda makes cookie spread and brown more. TOO much makes the cookie bitter. -Baking powder produces lighter-colored and puffier cookies. -Other leaveners include steam (from the liquids) which causes the cookie to puff. -The leavening in most cookies is minimal, so you will change the chemical reactions by leaving them out or altering the amounts. -Salt.... Even a pinch of salt will bring out the sweetness, so I wouldn't leave it out entirely. There is a big interplay between salt and sweetness. It will also improve the bitterness - especially with all that cocoa powder in the recipe. If you are avoiding salt are you also using a sodium-free baking soda (which would account for the doubled amount)? -Too much peppermint can cause the cookies to burn. - I would make marzipan - or something like this: Almond Marzipan Cookies - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230457/almond-marzipan-cookie/ -Grainlady