DEAR HELOISE: My family has always put vinegar, wine vinegar and lemon juice on any kind of greens. Tastes great on fish and potato chips, too.
Also, I put a slice of bread on a shelf of the refrigerator to quickly remove odors. My mom always used the trick between cleanings.
-- Dee B., Indiana
DEAR HELOISE: I work about 48 hours a week and have little time to bake, but I'd like to make something tasty for dessert. I heard you have a no-bake cheesecake recipe and wondered if you'd print that for me?
-- Katie C., Hawaii
DEAR READER: Here is the recipe:
No-Bake Cheesecake
Mix one average-size package of vanilla pudding according to the package directions. Add a (8-ounce) package of softened cream cheese and mix until well blended. Pour the mixture into a ready-made graham cracker pie crust and refrigerate until set. You can top it with your favorite canned pie filling or, for a novel taste, use lemon pudding instead of vanilla.
Cream cheese also can be used to make frosting by mixing 8 ounces of cream cheese with 1/2 stick of softened butter, 1/2 box of confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend together until smooth and spreadable.
DEAR HELOISE: What does it mean to "frizzle" food? I have a recipe that calls for it. How do I frizzle?
-- Bernard P., Nevada
DEAR READER: To frizzle means to fry in hot fat until the edges of the food curl.
DEAR HELOISE: While watching a cooking show, they talked about "ramekins" but never said what they were. What are ramekins?
-- Tyler N., Fairbury, Neb.
DEAR READER: Ramekins are small, individual-size baking dishes.
DEAR HELOISE: Whenever I go on vacation, I like to collect a cookbook from that area. I love regional cookbooks. When I prepare a dish from one of the books, I follow the recipe to the letter the first time. Then the second time, I often try a few variations to make it more interesting and put my personal stamp on it. The dish usually turns out well.
-- Gloria Z.,
Vero Beach, Fla.
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
Heloise@Heloise.com
Food on 01/30/2019