Light vs. dark
DEAR HELOISE » I was making a family recipe, and it called for light brown sugar. I didn’t have any, so I used the dark brown I had on hand, and my recipe did not taste as good as it usually does. I thought light and dark brown sugars were interchangeable. What went wrong?
— Jennifer A., Modesto, California
Vegetable-beef soup
DEAR HELOISE » On the weekends I love to make homemade soup. What I’m looking for is a vegetablebeef recipe. A friend of mine told me that for homemade soup, you were the expert. So, got a recipe for some homemade veggie soup?
— Harold R., Hendersonville, N.C.
10 ½ ounce unsalted chicken broth
½ cup water
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables for soup
16-ounce can tomatoes
1 cup beef, cooked and diced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, crushed
Dash of pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 ounces (about 1 ¼ cups) narrow-width noodles, uncooked
Heat broth and water. Add vegetables, tomatoes, meat and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add noodles; cook until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving. Makes about 4 cups of soup.
If easy-to-prepare meals that taste great appeal to you, then you need my pamphlet “Heloise’s Spectacular Soups.” To get a copy, go to Heloise.com, or just send $5, along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/Soups, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Remember, leftover soup tastes even better the next day, so be sure to make plenty.
Caviar
DEAR HELOISE » I have decided to serve some caviar on Christmas
Eve, but I’m not really sure I know what I’m doing. How should it be served? I don’t want to risk food poisoning, so what should I do?
— Brianna L., Austin, Texas An unopened can of caviar may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three to four weeks.
Roquefort
DEAR HELOISE » Many people love Roquefort cheese in a salad, but my husband and I love it sprinkled over steak. I usually use a medium sprinkling of Roquefort while the steak is sizzling hot so that it sort of melts a little on the steak. It gives the meat a nice surprising flavor. — Beth W., Eugene, Oregon