Dear Home-Ec 101, My plastic dishes are starting to taste (and smell) like soap. Help! Because I hand wash, I switched to “moisturizing” dish soap. Since the switch, the soapy taste has been overwhelming. I can still taste the soap, even after I switched back to plain blue Dawn, which several friends recommended as a …
Dear Home-Ec 101, This past weekend I attempted to fix a wood (plank, not end-grain) cutting board with some pretty deep cuts in it, and wound up totally botching the project. Do you have any tips or tricks for cutting board maintenance? Any recommendations for a new cutting board, since I ruined the old one? …
Dear Home-Ec 101, The other night I splurged and made rack of lamb for my husband and sons. It was the first time, because I really don’t like it, and probably the last, because the clean up was such a hassle. Even though I sprayed my roasting rack and pan with Pam, it still took …
Dear Home-Ec 101: I have one of those pricey enameled cast iron Dutch enameled cast iron Dutch, err…French ovens. One particularly rushed morning while doing laundry, entertaining the baby, and vacuuming the endless pet hair from my carpets, I let chunky ragu scorch onto said pricey French oven. After several days of soaking, I gave in …
Dear Home-Ec 101: I have a glass smooth-top stove. Recently I managed to burn it pretty badly – I think there were some food particles either on the burner or the bottom of my pot because when I put the pot on the burner, it sizzled and then a very bad burning smell filled the …
Dear Home-Ec 101: A few months ago Heather wrote a post on the voluntary phosphorus ban in dishwashing detergent. I don’t recall offhand if Texas is under that ban, but regardless I can’t buy phosphorus detergent anymore. My cousin found a website that offers Cascade with phosphorus but hasn’t tried it out yet. My only concern …
Brian says: There’s one thing you need to know about me: I love to cook. No, I really love to cook. But all the love and passion for anything in this world means absolutely nothing if you don’t have the right tools for the job. So often, people cram their kitchen spaces with machines and …
Dear Home Ec 101: I just discovered your site – very, very cool – and wondered about easy ways to clean coffee makers. I have been doing a cycle with a few tablespoons of vinegar and the rest of the pot water about once every month or so. I have also heard you can use a …
Dear Home Ec 101, I just got some new stainless steel appliances–and they streak–and have blotchy places on them. Any ideas? Signed, The Streak Heather says: You aren’t the first homeowner to fall for the gleaming lure of stainless. It’s so pretty there in the show room. What you don’t see are the legions of …
Dear Home Ec 101: Help! How do I get the fish stink out of my kitchen? I’m trying to encourage an elderly dog to eat and someone recommended canned mackerel. Signed, Mindy Mackerel Heather says: Since your fish wasn’t cooked, only served. I bet a few drops of the foul smelling liquid are lurking. Wipe …