Around your house 12/12/07

HOME

Q. We burn package logs from the grocery store in the fireplace of our weekend home for more heat in addition to our electric wall heaters. Are these man-made logs safe for the fireplace -- will they cause a buildup?

A. The popular brand of man-made logs is safe, though they do contain a lot of wax that could accumulate in the chimney over time. Not only that, but they are not the best product to produce heat. The best heat will come from seasoned hardwood. Seasoned means that it has been aged so it's dried out and burns hotter than other logs might. It takes 3 years to season most firewood. Actually, in the long run, real wood not only burns hotter but it is far less expensive for the amount of heat generated.

KITCHEN

What's your perfect last meal? It's a question from the same realm as fantasizing about what you'd do if you won the lottery. And now it's a book, with answers provided by 50 of the world's greatest chefs. Melanie Dunea posed six simple questions, asking the greats of the food world to detail the food, drink, setting, music and companions for their final meal. The answers, along with recipes and photos, are collected in "My Last Supper." Some of the answers are simple -- Gordon Ramsay wants roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy -- others are breathtakingly detailed -- Jacques Pepin begins a lengthy list with a baguette and ends with crepes and Champagne. This coffee table book is a fascinating and entertaining read.

BOOK: Melanie Dunea's "My Last Supper," Bloomsbury, 2007, $39.95.

GARDEN

Holiday Poinsettia basics: sun for at least half the day. Keep away from drafts, registers and radiators. Night temperatures in 50's or low 60's, days at 70 degrees. The soil should dry only slightly between thorough waterings. Discard the drainage. Be sure to punch holes in decorative foil wraps to prevent soggy soil conditions. Living Christmas tree basics: dig the planting hole before the ground freezes. Mulch and cover the backfill soil and the planting hole to keep them dry and unfrozen. Don't allow the tree's roots to become dry. Spray with an anti-transpirant to reduce needle moisture loss. Store the tree outdoors in a cool, shady, windless area until the last minute. Mulch the roots to prevent cold injury. Set the tree up in your coolest room. Don't keep the tree indoors for more than one week. Plant outdoors promptly.