Mine is so crappy that I don't really use it for grinding anything up, just for catching random debris that would get down there like grains of rice or bits and bobs left on a plate. I tried to grind some lemon peels when I first got it and the sound was so horrible that I never did that again.

If I had any ability to compost, I would do that instead, but I don't, so I don't.

I mean, I could get one of those little composting buckets and just bring it out to the Esplanade every so often, but I don't think the city would appreciate it that much.

Really? People have never had a disposer? That's amazing.

I only had one at my previous apartment (and it was an Insinkerator).

We just compost damn near everything except meat (what little there might be left over from me) and dairy.

t edit There are, apparently, composters (or compost enzymes?) that will happily gobble up meat, but our household meat consumption is so low that it's not worth changing over our Giant Composter of Rot.

I have never had a disposal either. No, I take that back-- I think I did in one apartment, but I was scared of it and didn't use it.

This is the first place I've lived that had a disposal. I don't use it much, just for, like Vortex said, random debris. It does make a horrible noise. I'd rather compost. I suppose I ought to get a proper composter. But I don't cook, so there's actually very little food waste.

I've never had a disposer in any of my own apartments, but my mom has had one in every place she's lived in since her condo that she moved into when I was 19. Apartments around here definitely don't offer one as a standard extra.

Speaking of food-related things, looks like the cafeteria has power again, but lunch won't be available until noon (a half-hour later than usual), which is fine with me.

I live in an old - 1929 - building and neither the plumbing nor the electrical systems could handle disposals. However, one of the building maintenance workers told me he was once in an apartment fixing something else and the person living there was chopping up food trash to run down the drain (he stopped her and pointed out that this might be why the sink kept stopping up).

Speaking of compost, I need to set up a new worm bin. Or an outdoor bin. Something.

But I don't cook, so there's actually very little food waste.

What about Lamentably Neglected Produce In The Fridge? That's a large source of our composting. That, and coffee grounds and eggshells.

Hil (or anyone), do you have a good recipe for vegan lasagna? Is it easier just to leave the cheese out completely than to try and substitute something?

[eta: I found this recipe online and it looks pretty amazing - [link]

My brother's girlfriend is vegan and we want to make sure she has something to eat up in Canada. Most nights they'll probably just cook for themselves, but we do a fair number of big family dinners up there and island cuisine revolves heavily around butter and ground beef. (My dad announced a plan to make one veggie and one sausage lasagna one night and nobody's yet pointed out to him that ricotta cheese isn't vegan....)