A Cup to Buy, Not Borrow

Question: Does anyone make measuring cups in two-thirds- and three-quarter-cup sizes?

Answer: Yes. Tupperware manufactures measuring cups in those sizes. Check the White Pages of the telephone directory for a Tupperware Home Parties listing in your area.

Q: What is it about lemons that makes them so good at eliminating other odors? Recently my hands were smelling of bleach. I rubbed them with a wedge of lemon and it completely removed the strong scent.

A: According to a spokesperson for Sunkist Growers, it’s a combination of the lemon’s acidity, which neutralizes alkalies, and the fruit’s fragrant oil. It’s also an old trick to grind a squeezed lemon in your food disposer.

Q: In the past I’ve ordered basmati rice, shelled pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes from a mail-order source. I called this morning and these items are no longer available. Please, where can I mail-order them?

A: All three are available from Gourmet Treasure Hunters, 10044 Adams Ave., Suite 305, Huntington Beach, Calif. 92646. The rice is sold in 12-ounce packages, pine nuts in 2-ounce packages. Sun-dried tomatoes are offered in oil, as well as dried halves and dried chopped.

These items are also available at many specialty markets around the Southland. Basmati rice can also be found in Middle Eastern and health food stores.

Q: I do a lot of holiday baking but still don’t know how to coat cookies with powdered sugar. It either doesn’t stay on or turns into powdered sugar mush. How can I get an even coat on my cookies?

A: Timing is the key. If the cookies are too cool, the powdered sugar will not adhere; if they are too warm, it melts. Try allowing the cookies to cool briefly, then working quickly, gently roll one at a time in a bowl of powdered sugar. With a little experimenting you should be able to get the results you desire.

Q: I have a turkey and a ham that have been solidly frozen for two years or more. Are they safe to eat?

A: The quality of both would definitely be questionable. Most sources we checked recommended maximum freezer storage time for properly prepared, suitably packaged turkey as six to seven months; ham, two months.