DEAR READERS: Wow and double wow! It seems like a lot of you have had some pretty funny "mistakes and mishaps" in the kitchen. I had no idea so many of you would "fess up" to some pretty silly food foul-ups. Here are just a few:
• Ilona, via email, said: "In my first month of marriage, I used a recipe calling for a clove of garlic. I thought it meant the whole head. Boy, did my kitchen reek of garlic for hours after!"
• Maria C., via email, said: "I grew up with three brothers. When learning to cook, I made my first cake from scratch and left out any leavening. The cake turned out flat and rubbery. My family still laughs about how my brothers had a great time using it as a flying disc in the backyard!"
• Marie W., via email, said: "My mother baked the best cherry pie on earth, so I wanted to impress my father with mine. I cooked a cherry pie. The problem was, I used canned cherries with the pits still in them. My father ate it, declaring that it was the best he had ever eaten, while spitting seeds along the way. I will always adore him for that!"
Look for even more stories next week.
DEAR HELOISE: I enjoy eating fish and chips, and I love the malt vinegar sprinkled on the fish. I put some on the "chips" or fries by accident, and I loved the taste. To make ordinary french fries tastier, sprinkle with malt vinegar.
-- Ally T. in New York
DEAR READER: I often do the very same. I do love vinegar on salads and veggies, and tasty red-wine vinegar with fresh chilled cucumbers and carrots. With so many flavored vinegars available, it's easy to experiment with different foods for a new (and no-calorie) taste experience. Use balsamic vinegar to add to salads or sliced tomatoes and mozzarella for a quick and healthy meal. Try it on egg rolls for a no-sodium alternative to soy sauce.
DEAR HELOISE: Pumpkin pie is a traditional dessert at Thanksgiving in our home. How long will it keep on the table?
-- Kelly D. in Kentucky
DEAR READER: Pumpkin pie is always on the menu during Thanksgiving (here in Texas, it's pecan pie). It should be refrigerated within a two-hour window of time. The same guideline goes for most food that sits out.
DEAR HELOISE: My husband came up with this hint: Save the little plastic "tables" that often come inside pizza-delivery boxes. They work great when poked into a frosted cake, pan of bars or meringue-topped pie. They keep the plastic wrap or aluminum foil cover from touching the food.
-- Cherie M., via email
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Food on 11/26/2014