HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: A simple way of removing egg yolk and leaving the whites behind is with an empty water bottle. Squeeze the upside-down water bottle. Place the bottle opening against the yolk (raw egg). Let go so the yolk is drawn up into the bottle. Move the bottle to another dish and squeeze so the yolk comes out.

• Barbara M. in W.V.

DEAR READER: What an interesting hint, and one that we tested in Heloise Central, my home and office. The only tricky part is once the yolk is in the bottle. You need to slightly tilt the bottle to the side to keep the yolk from falling back out. Also, we tried a small water bottle first, which did not work. It must be the larger size, approximately 16 ounces.

P.S.: For any bacteria concerns, as long as you make sure to cook all the egg parts you are using to the proper temperature, any bacteria that might be transferred during the extraction will be destroyed during cooking.

DEAR HELOISE: I spent an entire day baking for my family. The amount of dirty dishes was overwhelming. Most of the pans and utensils could not be washed in the dishwasher. After filling the dish drainer, I still had dishes left to wash and dry. So, I opened the dishwasher door and used the empty racks for drying the remaining dishes.

• K.G. in Tenn.

DEAR READERS: Plantains are not bananas, but they sure do look like them, don’t they? They are a little larger than a banana, with a little thicker skin. Plantains are starchy but lower in sugar than bananas. You can’t eat them raw, but once they are cooked, they can be used much like potatoes.

Plantains are available in most stores year-round. They can be eaten at every stage, from green to yellow. Green plantains are best prepared fried or boiled, while yellow plantains often are grilled or baked. Black plantains, which are the sweetest, usually are baked into desserts.

DEAR HELOISE: A family member was just here and decided to warm up some pizza we had the night before. He used a damp paper towel, laid it on a plate and laid the pizza on top. He wet another paper towel and laid it on top of the pizza. He warmed it in the microwave, and it was soft and delicious.

• Arlene A. in N.Y. Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000;

fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail [email protected]