Techniques - Home-Ec 101

Wash the Walls, Really?

Washing walls before painting helps the new paint adhere better, saving time and effort

Dear Home Ec 10, My living room desperately needs to be painted and I’ve rounded up a few friends willing to help sell their time for beer and pizza. I really want to do this right, is it true that I have to wash the walls before I paint? Signed, Short-Cut Shelby Heather says: Look at it …

Without any more procrastination or delay here is the Home-Ec101.com Knife Sharpening Tutorial. I talk about knife skills and the importance and safety of having sharp knives, but how do you get and keep your knives sharp? First, let’s start off with a little anatomy of a knife. This is my favorite knife, it’s a …

The Difference Between Boiling and Simmering

Dear Home Ec 101, I’m embarrassed to actually ask this, but what is the difference between boiling and simmering? A lot of your recipes say to bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. What does that mean, and why does it matter? Signed, Baffled Beginner Heather says: Basic questions like …

Heather says: Today we’re covering fried eggs -as new projects to procrastinate develop- I’ll also address: scrambled eggs, omelets, frittatas, quiche, and my as yet unnamed hybrid of the three techniques that feeds my family on a busy evening when I have no interest in effort. So what is a fried egg? Well …

countdown to thanksgiving turkey day graphic

Want to take your Thanksgiving recipes up to the next level? You can start by buying and roasting turkey necks to make stock. If you can’t find turkey necks, wings work just as well. Just buy whichever is cheaper per pound at the meat counter or butcher near you. Not only will this technique dial …

Why Does My Chicken Stock Taste Like Water?

Dear Home-Ec 101, I made chicken stock, but I can’t figure out why the broth tasted like water. Do you have any advice? Thanks! Why does my chicken stock taste like water? Did you follow the instructions here on Home-Ec101 or from somewhere else? In general, the answer is pretty straightforward. You probably used —wait …

How to Poach an Egg

Heather says: We’re huge fans of eggs in our house, with growing kids and a busy schedule, they are one of the fastest and most economical forms of protein we keep on hand. Throw in the fact that there are hundreds of ways to cook eggs and we’re sold. Learning how to poach an egg …

How to Butterfly or Spatchcock a Chicken

Heather says:

Did you know there’s a way to increase the amount of crisp skin on your chicken while decreasing the cook time? I tell the truth, you just use a five minute technique called Spatchcocking -that sounds dirty, doesn’t it?- or butterflying and you’ll greatly increase the surface area of your roast chicken. Not only is the surface area increased, but the amount of meat in direct contact with the cooking surface -in our case a baking sheet- is also increased. Both of these conditions work together to reduce the overall cook time of your bird and keep any skin out of the pan juices.

This technique cuts the cook time for a 3 .5 – 5lb bird down to around 50 minutes. Now you don’t have to save your chicken for Sunday afternoon. Who knew?

As a courtesy to vegetarian Home Ec 101 readers, I’ll go ahead and hide the rest of this post behind a jump. Just click more, if you want to see the tutorial.

This versatile sauce recipe is great for: enchiladas, chimichangas, and wet burritos, it's also known as red sauce.

Dear Home Ec 101, Do you have an easy recipe for homemade enchilada sauce? I’ve been trying to avoid MSG and haven’t had any luck finding any. Signed, Missin’ Enchiladas in Ensenada Heather says: Sure, this recipe for enchilada sauce is super simple, and provided you make your own chicken stock, you have complete control …