I love writing a column based solely on your questions. Your notes give me a hint of “what’s cooking” in your kitchens. And who doesn’t enjoy a peek into someone else’s oven?
My email address is included at the end of every week’s column and I truly enjoy hearing your thoughts, questions, problems (cooking related only, please!) and if you have suggestions or ideas for a topic that you’d like me to write about, send that along as well.
Onto the questions and answers:
QUESTION FROM JANE: What is chipotle chile in adobo? I’ve seen it called for in many Mexican recipes and I’ve no idea what it is or where to buy it.
ANSWER: A chipotle chile is a dried jalapeño pepper that has been smoked. You can buy them several different ways: in the whole, dried form, pickled or canned in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce is a combination of ground chiles, herbs, vinegar and spices. The sauce is typically milder in flavor than the chipotles themselves, so if you want to tame the heat in a recipe, just use the sauce and not the peppers. Dried or canned chipotles are easily found in most larger supermarkets in the same area where you’d find tortillas, enchilada sauce, salsa, etc.
QUESTION FROM JERRY: Do you have a good recipe for meatballs? Mine always come out too browned on one side and look anything but like a ball – they are very misshapen even if I stand at the stove and turn them constantly, they still don’t come out very round. And texture wise, I like a meatball that is tender and soft. Mine come out like bricks. Help!
ANSWER: To begin with, I never fry my meatballs. I place them on the rack of my broiler pan (coated with non stick spray for easy clean up and the pan lined with foil) and bake them in a 375 F oven. Talk about easy-peasy — no turning and they come out golden brown and perfectly round every time.
Over working the mixture yields tough, hard meatballs, so mix ingredients gently with super-clean hands. We like BIG meatballs with our pasta and sauce so I use a 1/4 cup to measure out the mixture and then gently roll them into a ball. To prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands, rinse your hands in cool water from time to time. I bake this size (1/4 cup) meatball for about 24 minutes at the above mentioned temperature, let them cool, and then freeze them in my containers of sauce or you can freeze the meatballs on a rimmed sheet pan and when hard, transfer them to a freezer zippy bag or other plastic container so you can take out just the number that you need.
Ultimate meatballs

• 2 lbs. 85 percent ground beef
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and rough chopped into chunks
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup warm whole milk
• 1 large egg

Place ground beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle with fresh bread crumbs and the seasoned crumbs. Combine garlic and onion pieces in food processor and using on/off turns, process until finely minced. Add to bowl; sprinkle with salt and black pepper, parsley and Parmesan. Combine milk with egg and whisk to combine; pour over ingredients in bowl. With clean hands, gently work mixture until well combined, taking care not to over-mix.
Form into balls, using a 1/4 cup measure to divide evenly. Place on rack of broiler pan (line pan with foil and coat rack with non-stick spray) and bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 20-25 minutes or until slightly firm. (They will get slightly firmer as they cool.) Yield: 22 meatballs.
QUESTION FROM ELIZABETH: I had a delicious shrimp cocktail while on vacation in England and it was served with a sauce called “Marie Rose Sauce.” It has mayonnaise in it and no horseradish and is absolutely delicious! I’d love to be able to make it in my kitchen. Can you help?
ANSWER: You almost stumped me on this question, Elizabeth, but I prevailed upon my friend Jean who lives just outside of London and she knew exactly what I was talking about and provided me with the recipe.
Marie Rose seafood sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. brandy
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, brandy, lemon juice, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce and whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: about 3/4 cup.
QUESTION FROM KAREN: What is the latest on the safest temperature for pork? We were at a friend’s house recently and the roast pork that she served was still slightly pink in the center. I wasn’t sure if it was cooked enough so only ate the edges.
ANSWER: You really don’t have to worry about a little pink in your pork. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) previously recommended pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F, which results in pretty dry, tasteless pork, especially with the leaner cuts like chops and pork tenderloin. In 2011, the government’s recommendation was changed to 145 F. Pork cooked to this temperature is still juicy and will have a slight pink color in the center. Rest assured it is perfectly safe to eat.
QUESTION FROM MARTHA: My mom wrote to “Heloise” years ago for her recipe for cream soup made with powdered milk and it was a delicious base for making all kinds of creamy veggie soups. It is among the missing; would you happen to have a copy of it or know how I can obtain one?
ANSWER: I think I’ve had this in my files (written just as I’ve included below) since the early l970s, but confess I’ve never made it.
Hints from Heloise: dry mix cream soup

• 1 cup nonfat powdered milk
• 1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon powder
• 1/2 Tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
To use: Place mix in a large saucepan set over medium heat; add 2 cups of cold water and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
This nonfat base can be used to make any flavor you want by adding the main flavoring ingredient. Just add 2 cups of cold water to the cream base, along with one or more of the following: mushrooms, celery, onions, chicken or beef. Heat thoroughly over medium heat. Yield: 4 to 6 cups depending on how thick or thin you like it. (The instructions for the addition of the veggies do no specify if they should be cooked first. I think they should be.)
QUESTION FROM LESLIE: I love Caesar salad (could you please reprint your quick and easy eggless recipe?) but hate store-bought croutons. They are too salty and as hard as a brick. Can you give me an easy recipe for making my own?
ANSWER: I have a gallon zippy bag in my freezer that I toss in odds and ends of different kinds of sandwich breads, stale hamburger, hot dog or dinner rolls, etc. When the bag gets full, they magically become croutons and are returned to the freezer repurposed. I find that tearing the bread (rather than cutting) makes lots of nice nooks and crannies that catch the salad dressing and add more crunch.
Home made croutons

• 3 cups torn 1-inch pieces of bread
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place bread on a rimmed sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Using clean hands, toss several times to distribute oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Toss occasionally for even browning.
Eggless caesar salad dressing

• 2 heaping Tbsp. regular or reduced fat mayo
• 1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine mayo with garlic, lemon juice and zest, Worcestershire, Dijon, and anchovy paste if using. Whisk in olive oil until smooth. Add Parmesan and black pepper, stirring to combine. Yield: enough dressing for 6 servings of Caesar salad.