How do you cook corned beef?

Dear Heloise: Please advise me how to COOK CORNED BEEF — roast or boil? Thank you for your informative column. Your soup recipe was enjoyed by my friends. — Cynthia, via email

Cynthia, one of my favorite ways of cooking corned beef is in a slow cooker. A 4-pound brisket takes about five hours, on high, to cook until it’s tender. If you’re adding cabbage, carrots and potatoes, put them in during the last hour.

Readers have suggested adding a spice packet (specific for corned beef ) or even a can of beer for extra flavoring. — Heloise

Cost-cutting groceries

Dear readers:

I have four simple ways to avoid going over budget when grocery shopping:

■ Eat before you go. Hungry shoppers buy more.

■ Be sure to make a list, and then stick to it.

■ Impulse buying is a killer to any budget. Don’t give in.

■ Let your children pick out one item each. Turn a deaf ear to the “I wants.” Most children tend to select junk foods that sink the food budget.

— Heloise

Good tea or bad tea?

Dear Heloise: Can tea go bad? — Carol B., Aspen, Colo.

Carol, tea is actually a fragrant herb, and like most herbs, it can become stale or bitter. Always store tea in a tightly sealed container away from light and heat. — Heloise

Cracking up

Dear Heloise: Why does my meringue always have cracks? I make a tasty lemon pie, but the meringue always has a big crack down the center. — Rhonda D., Lewiston, Idaho

Rhonda, after your meringue is as brown as you’d like it to be, turn off the oven, but leave the oven door open a little bit. This allows the meringue to cool down gradually, so it won’t crack. Never let it cool off near a draft. It needs to cool slowly. — Heloise

Read the label

Dear Heloise: Please tell your readers to read all food labels carefully. My son has a nut allergy and bought a packaged food that almost killed him because it had peanut oil inside. Thankfully, he had medication in his refrigerator that stopped his throat from closing up. — Noreen C., Bismarck, N.D.

Knives in the dishwasher

Dear Heloise: My husband keeps putting my expensive, Europeanmade knives in the dishwasher. I’ve heard this ruins the knife. — Tammy P., Moline, Ill.

Knives should never be washed in the dishwasher. Not only is the detergent too harsh for the sharp edge of a knife, but it gets banged around during the cleaning process.

Always wash your sharp knives with hot water and soap, keeping the sharp side away from you. Dry the blade carefully.

You also might take note that any dinnerware or stemware edged in metal (gold or silver) should not go in the dishwasher. — Heloise Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise. com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.