DEAR HELOISE: My husband said he no longer wants potatoes because they're too fattening and he's trying to lose weight. However, I read that a medium-size potato has only about 100 calories. Which of us is right?
-- Lynette I., Silverdale, N.C.
DEAR READER: Actually, the average medium-size potato does have about 100 calories. It's the butter, sour cream, bacon bits and the rest that add the calories. Potatoes are rich in vitamin C and potassium and low in sodium. They're also a good source of fiber. A baked potato with a small amount of butter, salt and pepper won't hurt his diet.
DEAR HELOISE: My family loves seafood, and I love your Shrimp Dijon recipe. I'd like to make up a batch fairly soon but can't find the recipe. Would you reprint that one so your readers can enjoy a delicious recipe?
-- Anna Y., Westlake, Ohio
DEAR READER: Here it is.
Shrimp Dijon
¼ cup butter
1 ½ pounds peeled, deveined shrimp
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup flour
1 ½ cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
Rice prepared to package instructions
Melt butter in a frying pan, add shrimp and onions and saute for 3 minutes, but do not brown. Sprinkle flour into the mixture, while thinning the mixture with milk, a little at a time to avoid lumping. Add mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until blended and warm, but do not boil. Serve over cooked rice.
DEAR HELOISE: I love homemade bean soup but hate the way it can produce gas. Is there a way to reduce or eliminate that problem altogether?
-- Beatrice F., Garden City, Kan.
DEAR READER: Yes, there is a way to help that problem. Dried beans are less likely to produce gas if you soak them overnight, discard the water in which they've been soaked and then cook them in fresh water. You also can add a pinch of ginger to reduce the gaseousness of home-cooked beans.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email