DEAR HELOISE: You had a recipe for a potato soup that was easy to make and really good on a cold day. Would you reprint it for your readers?
-- Louisa N., Missoula, Mont.
DEAR READER: Louisa, I'd be delighted to pass this recipe along:
Meme's Potato Soup
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup water
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
Cook potatoes, onion, shortening and water in a large pot until potatoes are soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
FYI: If you need to thicken a soup, you can add about 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal.
DEAR HELOISE: I like to make a big pot of tea, but I hate to throw out the leftover tea. I pour the remainder into ice-cube trays and freeze it. Then I can use the cubes when I serve iced tea, and the flavor won't be diluted. Sometimes I add a little curl of lemon or a mint leaf to dress up the ice cube.
-- Sarah B., Hartsville, S.C.
DEAR HELOISE: With the cost of food rising, I want to get the most bang for my buck. I've heard of beef that's "Prime," "Choice" and "Select," but I don't know the difference between them. Can you clarify the differences?
-- Nora P., Fort Smith, Ark.
DEAR READER: Nora, "Prime" has the most marbling of fat, which is what makes it the most tender and juicy, and the most expensive. "Choice" has less marbling than "Prime," but still is considered a tender and juicy piece of beef. "Select" has less marbling than "Choice," but it is still tender, though perhaps a little less juicy. Any other grade of beef is leaner and less expensive than "Choice," as well as less juicy and less flavorful. This cut usually is best cooked with moist heat or should be oven-roasted.
DEAR HELOISE: There are several recipes in my mother's old cookbook that call for wine, but can I cook a recipe without putting wine in it?
-- Meg Y., Clayton, Mo.
DEAR READER: Meg, most of the alcohol is burned off by the heat of cooking, but if it's the taste rather than the alcohol you object to, many recipes require just enough wine to enhance the flavor of the dish but not overpower the flavors. However, you can eliminate the wine from your recipe if you prefer.
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 02/28/2018