Dear Home-Ec 101, Four months ago, we had a birthday party for a friend. One person made a really awesome chocolate fondue into which we dipped marshmallows and assorted fruit. It was heavenly. Rather than disposing of the leftover fondue at the end of the night, one of us just put it in the fridge …
Dear Home-Ec 101: I am in need of some breakfast food that can be eaten at my desk at work. I admit it, I’ve been spoiled. For the first 4 years after college I worked for a bookstore in a mall with a multitude of restaurants. The next 8 years I worked in an office …
Dear Home Ec 101, I have a 5lb bag of white sugar that is rock hard. Can it be saved? Is it safe to eat? Signed, Sugarland Heather says: Don’t worry your granulated sugar is not unsafe, it’s just inconvenient in its current form. White sugar does not support microbial growth, so it’s not going …
Dear Home-Ec 101,I have a rusty microwave and I’m worried. I know that there has always been some rust inside my microwave door, but recently I noticed it has become a lot of rust. I wiped it, shut the door & reopened it, and saw the rust dust was spreading. I only use my microwave …
Dear Home-Ec 101, My very nice, very expensive stainless steel Mikasa silverware is picking up rust spots. I know it’s not rusting, because it’s stainless, and the spots appear to be surface. How do I get rid of the rust spots on my flatware? I’m so tired of them looking icky, it happens to my …
Dear Home Ec 101, I am coverting to Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and several books suggest using a pressure cooker as a good tool in the kitchen. My questions are: 1. Are the European models better than the American ones? That was suggested in one book. 2. Are they safe now? My grandmother never had an accident with …
Heather says: Yesterday a reader commented on Beet Sugar vs Cane Sugar: Where do you purchase organic beet sugar? Have you found it in powdered form? I have only found it on an Austrian site so far and would prefer to buy US grown if it exists. As I am not, nor was I ever, …
Dear Home Ec 101, Why is it that sometimes when I heat foods in the microwave, the bowl is screaming hot, and the food is still a block of ice? Signed, Scalded in Scranton* Dear Scalded in Scranton, Here on Home Ec 101, we’ve written previously about how microwaves work. So if you missed it …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have an All-Clad stainless steel skillet, and I can’t seem to cook anything in it without burning the food. Last night, I cooked pork chops in it. I heated the pan on high, put a little olive oil, and put the pork chops in. The areas between the chops turned black quickly, and started …
Dear Home Ec 101,I’ve been wanting to write you for a while! I have smelly sheets! I wash them and I promise I don’t use too much laundry detergent. Then I dry them and then store them in a built-in bookshelf that’s in our closet. For some reason as soon as I get the sheets …