Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Dear Heloise: My husband does most of the cooking because he really enjoys it. The other day, he was making a marinade and asked me if there was a difference between dry and prepared mustard. I thought that was a good question and decided I would ask you. What do you say? Kerry in Texas
Kerry, you're right -- that is an interesting question, so we contacted major spice companies for the answer.
Dry mustard is just that: dry ground mustard seed. It is used as a seasoning for vegetables, meat and in pickling. It can be found on the spice aisle of a grocery store.
Prepared mustard is made with ground mustard seed (i.e., dry mustard), vinegar and water.
Sometimes you can substitute dry and prepared mustard for each other. Here is a general guideline: When a recipe calls for one tablespoon prepared mustard, use one teaspoon dry mustard. Some suggest adding a dash of vinegar to the dry mustard for better taste. (When you need a substitute for one teaspoon dry mustard, you can use one tablespoon prepared mustard.) Hope this answers your question. For other substitutions and seasoning ideas, please send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/SSS, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
Did you know that if you don't have sour cream for a recipe, you can combine 6 ounces cottage cheese and 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix in a blender until smooth? Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have found that freezing cooked bacon for later use in bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches is a great timesaver and kitchen-mess saver.
Use a shield to minimize grease spatters, drain the bacon and blot excess grease with paper towels. Then separate layers with waxed paper and store in a covered container in the freezer. Thomas Parry Sr., Frederick, Md.
Dear Heloise: Here's a hint I just discovered this morning while finishing the cupcakes for my daughter's celebration at school:
I was putting the icing on cupcakes and got distracted. That happened several times. When I was ready to shake the red sugar on the top, it didn't stick because the icing was already hard.
I have a spray bottle of water that sprays out a very fine mist. I held the bottle high over the entire tray of cupcakes and sprayed it one time. A light mist covered them, allowing the sugar to stick, but it did not make them wet, so the sugar didn't lose its color. Kirsten in Maryland
King Features Syndicate