DEAR HELOISE: My husband loves it when I make brown gravy, but I think it's boring. How can I perk up brown gravy so it doesn't always taste the same?
-- Charlotte H.,
New Braunfels, Texas
DEAR READER: Brown some mushrooms and add to the gravy, or add a vegetable bouillon cube. Use the water you used to boil potatoes and add a bay leaf for more flavor. Some cooks add a tablespoon of coffee to their gravy. Go ahead and experiment with different seasonings and spices to see which ones you like best. Have some fun with it.
DEAR HELOISE: What is the difference between black and green olives? Do they come from different trees?
-- Taylor A., Camden, N.J.
DEAR READER: Even though they come from the same type of tree, they are indeed different in looks and taste. The difference is the ripeness. Green olives are picked when they are still immature, and the black are ones are left on the tree to ripen. Green olives will need to be soaked in a lye solution before brining, while black olives can skip this step.
DEAR HELOISE: Some time ago you printed a marinade for lamb, and my family would like me to make it again because they loved the flavor it gave the lamb. I no longer have the recipe, so would you please reprint it for us lamb lovers?
-- Kate D., Milwaukee
DEAR READER: But of course:
Lamb Marinade
1 cup dry white or red wine
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry tarragon
1 bay leaf, crushed in small pieces
½ teaspoon thyme or marjoram
1 large clove garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and use as you would a commercial marinade. (However, a marinade can only be used once to prevent food poisoning from cross-contamination.)
DEAR HELOISE: I don't understand the need for iodized salt -- not in this day and age.
-- Hector V., Norman, Okla.
DEAR READER: Iodine was originally added to salt to reduce the incidence of a goiter. If salt contains iodine, it will be labeled on the outside of the box of salt.
DEAR HELOISE: I hate throwing out perfectly good food. So I told my family that from now on, Friday nights would be leftover night -- a week's worth of leftovers served at one meal. At first my husband didn't like the idea, but there was a nice variety of foods to choose from, and the kids loved it. Now it has become our family tradition for Fridays.
-- Patsy G., Dodge City, Kan.
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