Wood chips can also be used for gas grilling
Dear Readers: If warmer weather is visiting your part of the country or is about to, grilling out might come to mind. Wood-chip grilling isn't only for charcoal grills -- if you own a gas grill, you can use wood chips, too!
Here's how:
First, soak the wood chips of your choice in water or beer for about an hour. This will help the wood burn slowly, giving off a nice, light smoke.
Loosely wrap the wood chips in a foil pouch, then punch several small pinholes in the foil.
Put the pouch on the grill near the heat source.
Turn on the grill until you see smoke. Next, lower the heat ... and then bring on the meat.
Remember the grilling mantra: low and slow. As you grill, the smoking chips will give whatever you're cookin' up a wonderful smoky flavor. You can send for my pamphlet Heloise's Down-Home Barbecue Collection. Please send a self-addressed, stamped, long (63 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Barbecue, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You will receive some delicious recipes for sauces such as White Barbecue, Red Chili and Fiery Hot Basting Sauce. While you have the grill hot, think about cooking extra beef or chicken to freeze. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I buy chicken potpies when they are on sale. Most of them don't have much chicken or vegetables in them. When I have leftovers -- carrots, peas and chicken breast -- I add them to a baked potpie. Mary J. Ducharme, Hitchcock, Texas
Dear Heloise: Your column provided a hint from a reader about how to keep the punch in a punch bowl cold by using large ice floats made from water frozen in plastic margarine or butter containers.
I have been using this principle for years, but my method makes the ice attractive also. I take a flower-shaped gelatin mold, fill it with water and freeze it. Then, a second or two dipped in hot water, and it comes right out and looks lovely in the punch bowl. L.B.J. in Lake Worth, Fla.
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