A soft sell or a crisp retort?

Dear Readers: Apparently the debate between crisp versus soft cookies continues! — Heloise

“Dear Heloise: I’ve been reading your column for many years. When my sister and I were younger, we told our mom that our neighbor’s cookies were better than hers! She asked the neighbor why, and was told that shortening in place of butter or margarine made them crispy. I still follow that advice.” — Susan R. in San Antonio

“Dear Heloise: I use the standard cookie recipe on the bag of chocolate chips, but the way I make the cookies makes all the difference. Not overbaking is the key. I bake them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, which is perfect. I use a small cookie scoop and never change the amount of flour or the temperature. I let the cookies sit for about five minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet. I bake these a lot, and they turn out nice and soft and yummy!” — Gail M., via email

Shell game

Dear Heloise: When I hard-boil eggs, I always add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water, which helps in peeling off the shells when I’m ready to use them.

However, recently I ran out of vinegar and, in desperation, added pickle juice to the water because it contained vinegar. To my delight, it worked perfectly, and the shells peeled off like magic. — Angie Z., Englewood, Fla.

Play it again, Sam!

Dear Heloise: I love pico de gallo, and I used to have a recipe that you published a few years ago. It was out of this world, but now I can’t find it! Would you please reprint that recipe? — Beatrice D., Little Rock, Ark.

Beatrice, I’ve recently had several requests for my pico de gallo recipe, so here it is:

1 cup coarsely chopped

tomato

1/4 cup coarsely chopped

onion

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro,

finely chopped

2 or 3 fresh serrano

peppers, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir together tomato, onion, cilantro and peppers. Add the salt and mix well

Pico de gallo is best eaten on the same day it’s made, although it can be refrigerated for a couple of days. Here in the Southwest, we love our pico de gallo fresh when all the fla- vors are at their peak. If you like this recipe, you’ll love my pamphlet called Seasonings, Sauces and Substitutes. Just send a stamped (70 cents), selfaddressed, businesssize envelope, along with $3, to: Heloise/Seasonings, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 782795001. By the way, if you like “pico,” as we call it in Texas, on chips, you’ll also enjoy it on eggs, tacos and even potatoes. — Heloise

Filter foods

Dear Heloise: I’ve found I can use coffee filters instead of small paper plates for lightweight foods. I can get 100 filters for about a dollar.

I read your column every day in the Princeton (Ind.) Daily Clarion. — Doris E. in Haubstadt, Ind.

A better buffet

Dear Heloise: I make sure the handles of the serving tongs aren’t touching the food at the buffet. People’s hands are dirty, and if they’ve touched the tongs and the tongs touch the food, the food could become contaminated. — Carolyn M. in North Carolina