Heather Solos Heather says: Do you like this site? Yes? Do you like when I occasionally geek out explaining a concept in cooking? Yes? Buy Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food¹. Now that was the easiest review ever. Oh, you want to know more? Jeff Potter’s Cooking for Geeks is a soft cover …
The last few weeks, I’ve felt like I was slogging through molasses just trying to get the bare minimum done, much less the extra that makes it onto the site. Last night I broke through the inertia and made two batches of enchilada sauce (one was an experimental gluten-free version). Those will be posted early …
Dear Home Ec 101, Can you clarify your directions for making the shopping list from your Thanksgiving menu using a spreadsheet? Signed, Confused in Conyers Heather says: Sure thing, a visual might help and keep in mind I was cooking for 20, before you freak out over 2lbs of butter. Click the image for a …
Heather says: It’s time to make your Thanksgiving Day Dinner shopping list. I know that Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, but this will hopefully give you time to take advantage of some sales and spread the cost over two grocery runs. In many households this makes the expense a little easier to absorb. Unless …
Heather says: There’s no heavy lifting today, only some more planning. Grab your Thanksgiving Day menu from Monday and another sheet of paper or some index cards and head into the kitchen or wherever you store your serving dishes. How are you serving your meal? Will it be family style with everyone seated around the …
Dear Home Ec 101, What is the point of tenting a turkey with aluminum foil? I’ve followed along with your Countdown to Turkey Day posts, and I’ve seen you mention the technique a couple of times. I just don’t get the point. Signed, Turkey Talker Heather says: Heat is transferred by several methods when cooking: …
Heather says: Let’s make sure everyone is on the same page. We’ve found the dining room table, made a guest list (and invited them), we have made a soft menu plan, and if you’ve never even roasted a chicken that’s on the to-do list, right? Also, if you’re anything like me, you may need to …
Heather says: The Sunday Confessional here at Home Ec 101 is a chance to quit hiding our imperfections. No one is perfect, no matter what the media wants us to believe. I have a few this week. I went to bed early last night, determined to catch up on sleep. Yes, I know you can’t …
Heather says: How is your Thanksgiving preparation going? Are you staying on top of the weekly chores? Is your dining room table still clear? No? Fix that, I’ll wait. On Tuesday we talked about putting together a tentative guest list. It’s time to go invite everyone formally. I’m not talking about embossed, fancy cards, but …
Heather says: Food prices fluctuate all the time. How can the average American (sorry Canada and Europe, I don’t have a frame of reference for you) estimate what they will be spending on food from month to month? The USDA publishes a monthly food price index based on four spending levels: Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate, and …