DEAR HELOISE: I love pico de gallo, and I used to have a recipe that you published a few years ago. It was out of this world, but now I can't find it! Would you please reprint that recipe?
-- Beatrice D., Little Rock
DEAR READER: I've recently had several requests for my pico de gallo recipe, so here it is:
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 or 3 fresh serrano peppers, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir together tomato, onion, cilantro and peppers. Add the salt and mix well.
Pico de gallo is best eaten on the same day it's made, although it can be refrigerated for a couple of days. Here in the Southwest, we love our pico de gallo fresh, when all the flavors are at their peak. By the way, if you like "pico," as we call it in Texas, on chips, you'll also enjoy it on eggs, tacos and even potatoes.
DEAR READERS: Apparently the debate between crisp versus soft cookies continues!
DEAR HELOISE: When my sister and I were younger, we told our mom that our neighbor's cookies were better than hers. She asked the neighbor why, and was told that shortening in place of butter or margarine made them crispy. I still follow that advice.
-- Susan R. in San Antonio
DEAR HELOISE: When I hard-boil eggs, I always add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water, which helps in peeling off the shells when I'm ready to use them.
However, recently I ran out of vinegar and, in desperation, added pickle juice to the water because it contained vinegar. To my delight, it worked perfectly, and the shells peeled off like magic.
-- Angie Z., Englewood, Fla.
DEAR HELOISE: I've found I can use coffee filters instead of small paper plates for lightweight foods. I can get 100 filters for about a dollar.
-- Doris E. in Haubstadt, Ind
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DEAR HELOISE: I make sure the handles of the serving tongs aren't touching the food at the buffet. People's hands are dirty, and if they've touched the tongs and the tongs touch the food, the food could become contaminated.
-- Carolyn M. in North Carolina
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 10/30/2017