Enjoy vinegar with a touch of tarragon

Dear Heloise: Is there a recipe to make tarragon red-wine vinegar? I cannot fifind it anymore, and I fifind it adds a great touch to my Caesar salad. — Fran P., via email

Fran, I have a recipe that starts with a bottle of your favorite red vinegar. For every pint of vinegar, you will want three to four sprigs of fresh tarragon (if you can fifind it) or 3 tablespoons of dried herbs. Place the herbs in the vinegar bottle and re-cap it. Now all you have to do is let it sit for three to four weeks, strain the herbs, and the vinegar is ready to use. Can’t wait three to four weeks for the vinegar? Speed up the process by coarsely chopping the fresh herbs before adding to the vinegar. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: With the holiday season in full swing, I end up preparing food for several days before the actual holiday, and refrigerator space becomes quite limited. To make more room, I make “shelves” using cardboard that I cover in aluminum foil. I use these foil-covered pieces to stack plates and dishes that otherwise would not be stackable. Makes a little space go a long way! — Lucy P. in Tennessee

Dear Heloise: We enjoy barbecuing and tailgating when football season arrives. Here are a couple of hints we think others would like: First, we like a special barbecue sauce, so we put it in a squeeze bottle and take it with us to be enjoyed like ketchup on french fries and onion rings.

Second, we use a turkey baster to add sauce to foods. It allows you to place it exactly where you need it, and this way it doesn’t make a mess by dripping all over the grill. — Jim D. in Chicago

Dear Heloise: When slicing into cake, particularly cheesecake or frosted cake, it can get messy. Take a long, sharp knife and run the blade under hot water to warm the metal so that it easily slices through any cake. Wipe the blade dry and use it to cut the cake. If making multiple cuts, wipe the blade each time while running it under hot water again. — Jane D. in New Jersey

Dear Heloise: I recently discovered new uses for old newspapers. I cleaned my ceramic cooktop with a product. It left a fifilm on the cooktop. I used an old newspaper that I had rumpled up to clean it. It works just like old newspaper works on mirrors. It made the cooktop shine like new.

Additionally, I found that old, rumpled newspaper makes the exterior of stainless-steel cookware shine, and eliminates smudges. — Dennis W., via email