TRY OUT THESE HANDY COOKING HINTS

Dear Heloise: For more years than I care to remember, I taught home economics in high schools. There are some lessons that need to be repeated because we all forget things over time. Here are some cooking hints to remember:

• Before you start any new recipe, read over the ingredients and cooking instructions twice. Don’t just skim through the recipe.
• Next, check to see if you have all the items necessary to make that recipe. If you lack the correct ingredients, make a written list of the things you’ll need. Don’t rely on memory alone.
• Follow the measurements in the recipe accurately. A little too much or too little of an ingredient can make all the difference. If a recipe calls for unsalted butter, for example, don’t use butter that contains salt.
• After following the recipe’s ingredients and instructions the first time you make a new recipe, you might feel a little adventurous and want to add a few different things (or remove a few). I had one student who added rum flavoring to a yellow cake mix, and the results were very good.
• And while I’m at it, when a recipe calls for “two eggs beaten separately,” it means to separate the egg whites from the yolk, then beat them. It does not mean you have to beat each egg in two different bowls.
• If you cut out a recipe from a magazine or have printed-out pictures of the recipe, you can use a photo album to store those recipes. You can also store a photograph of people enjoying the dish that you made next to the recipe. There will be memories of happy times next to the food everyone loved! — Elaine D., Glendale, Arizona

PAINTING THE WALLS

Dear Heloise: I’ve discovered that painting along the ceiling and into the wall’s corners before I paint a wall makes it much easier and faster to get the job done.

I also stick toothpicks in the nail holes where pictures were hung so that the paint doesn’t clog up those holes. This saves me a lot of time so that I don’t have to repeatedly measure where the pictures were placed before I started painting. — Ernie the House Painter, in New Jersey

HERE’S A HELOISE QUIZ

Dear Readers: Do you know how many pounds of milk it takes to make 1 pound of cheese? Is it:

A) 1 pound

B) 5 pounds

C) 10 pounds

D) 15 pounds

E) 20 pounds

Did you make your guess? Well, if you selected 10 pounds of milk, you are correct. A new survey shows that Americans love cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, Parmesan and provolone. (Blue cheese tied with provolone.) — Heloise

SOGGY PIZZA

Dear Heloise: When I microwave leftover pizza, the crust is always soggy. What am I doing wrong? — Micky C., Hammond, Louisiana

Micky, reheat the pizza in the oven or in a frying pan on the stove for a nice, crisp crust. — Heloise

SAVING PLASTIC LIDS

Dear Heloise: I save plastic lids that are usually thrown out from deli containers, cottage cheese containers, dips, etc., and use them on the side of the stove to rest cooking utensils on. They can be cleaned and reused or just thrown out when you are done. — G., via email

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