I agree with Tiffany / purpleinopp - if you cover garbage over, it can look or smell as bad as it wants to while it is breaking down. That doesn't bother me!
My basic pile always has more brown than green. And I usually have some tough or woody stems that won't fully dissolve for a long time. They keep the pile aerated and might deter critters. But I never see any critters! Well, it is pretty urban and we have a lot of cats but no dogs.
When I bring home discards from a fruit stand or throw out my kitchen scraps, I put them into the center of the pile and mix roughly with the mostly-brown stuff. Any slimy stuff dissolves before I bury the next load. Eventually the center of the pile becomes balanced with browns and greens, and I can use it as finished compost
Often I have to screen out the twiggy things that are still softening.
I don't worry about a little meat, like uneaten wet cat food or meat scraps that got old enough to be doubtful. I do chop them fine and bury them deep.
I'm sure she's also right about the most efficient way to compost: just put it where it's needed and let it compost in place. That way there is no waste at all. And that has to be the minimum-effort method.
But I like my pile! And I get to see the process when I mess around with it: garbage today, gold tomorrow.
