Buttermilk fixes `gamey' taste
My husband and our two boys like to hunt for game birds such as duck or pheasant, but wild game often has a “gamey” flavor that I don't like. In order to get rid of that undertone of wild game, I soak the birds in buttermilk (after the feathers are removed) overnight in the refrigerator. When I'm ready to cook them, I take them out, one at a time, and roll them in flour or breadcrumbs. The gamey flavor is gone by then.
I also add buttermilk to pancakes and biscuit mix to give them a richer taste.
— Diane L., Red Bank, Tennessee
DEAR HELOISE >> My son is coming home on leave soon, and he asked me to make the pumpkin bread that he loves so much. The problem is, I can't find the recipe. Would you reprint it so I can make it for one of our boys in uniform?
— Emma H., Oklahoma City
DEAR EMMA >> I certainly will.
INGREDIENTS
1 2/3 cups flour
PROCEDURE
Sift together the dry ingredients. Add nuts and mix well. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend. Pour into a 9-inch-by-5-inch-by-3inch greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 60-75 minutes.
This simple and tasty recipe is found in my pamphlet called “Heloise's Baking Soda Hints and Recipes.” It's full of cleaning ideas and other uses for baking soda, as well as a few recipes to try out on family or friends. To get a copy, just go to Heloise.com, or you can send $5, along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You'll be amazed at all the things you can do with just one box of inexpensive baking soda.
I have a cheese grater, but I usually ended up grating my fingertips along with the cheese. Finally, my sister suggested that I put a thimble on my index finger to save me from injuring that finger.
— Pamela F., West Fargo, North Dakota
My husband had a heart attack a few months ago, so I've been very careful to avoid fried foods in his diet. Instead of browning meatballs, which he dearly loves, in butter or oil, I bake them. I spray nonstick cooking oil in a casserole dish, put the meatballs in (do not layer) and bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 F. Then I add the meatballs to a low-calorie sauce. Not only has this been beneficial to keep my husband's cholesterol down, it also has helped him shed the extra 20 pounds he was carrying.
— June S., Kokomo, Indiana