HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: Black spots appear on the aluminum I use when I cook food. Is this something to be concerned about, and is it dangerous to consume the food cooked with aluminum?
— Tiffany G., Ashland, Ohio
DEAR READER: Don’t be alarmed. Those specks of black that you can see are caused when aluminum comes in contact with food that contains salt, is highly acidic or spicy, or has vinegar in it. It’s not harmful, and you can eat the food cooked with aluminum.
DEAR HELOISE: It’s been ages since I made your Creole Roast, but my husband never forgot how much he enjoyed it. For his birthday, he has requested that I prepare it for him. The only problem is that I cannot find the recipe. Would you reprint that recipe for my birthday boy? — Connie A., Glencoe, Minn.
DEAR READER: Happy birthday to your husband! Here is the recipe you requested.
Creole Roast
2 to 2 ½ pounds beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh snipped parsley or ½ to 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Trim off excess fat from the tenderloin and rub with the Worcestershire sauce. Combine the parsley, salt, pepper, celery seed, red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and ground cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the meat and rub in. Cover the roast and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
In a covered grill, arrange heated coals around a drip pan; test for medium heat above the pan. Insert a meat thermometer near the center of the roast and place on a grill rack over the drip pan but not over the coals. Lower the hood and grill until the thermometer registers 140 degrees for rare (about 45 minutes), 160 degrees for medium (about 55 minutes), and 170 degrees for well-done (about an hour).
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email