HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: There are only three ingredients in a good pie crust: flour, fat and water. Sometimes salt or sugar is added, but neither one is essential to a good crust. First, cut in butter or lard and mix with the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Next, add just enough ice water so that you can form a ball when you squeeze it. Allow it to rest for about 45 minutes in the refrigerator. After resting, it’s ready to be rolled out. Handle the dough as little as possible, and be sure to stick your rolling pin in the refrigerator while the dough is resting.
— Jane B., Montana
DEAR HELOISE: Years ago, I used to make cookies from a box of cake mix. I don’t know where I got the idea to substitute applesauce for the ½ cup of vegetable oil, but the cookies turned out great! They even had a slight taste of apple in them.
— Edith B., Lakewood, N.J.
DEAR HELOISE: My meringue shrinks on top of the pie when it starts to cool off. It leaves a cloudy-looking liquid on the pie filling as it shrinks. What am I doing wrong?
— Sandra O’B., Texas DEAR READER: When applying your meringue to the pie, make sure the pie is very hot and fresh out of the oven. Use a spatula to press the meringue to the edges of the pie crust before returning the pie to the oven for browning. After this step, let the pie cool off before putting it in the refrigerator.
DEAR HELOISE: Baking soda on a wet sponge will do a beautiful job of cleaning a stainless steel sink. Afterward, spritz with vinegar and leave for a few minutes, then scrub again if you have stubborn hard-water stains. Use a little lemon oil or mineral oil to make it shine.
— Jan Z., Hilo, Hawaii
DEAR HELOISE: Some time ago, one of your readers wrote about using a potato peeler to peel a mango. Well, I finally tried it, and it’s so easy and efficient. What a great suggestion.
— Mercy C., Maine
DEAR HELOISE: I found out the hard way that when working with chicken, everything you use — cutting board, counter top and knives — needs to be washed afterward in very hot, soapy water. It’s so easy to forget this step, but forgetting it can lead to food poisoning.
— S.W., Monrovia, Ind.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email