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Is it true that pasta makes you fat?
How do you carve a ham? I tear it to shreds and Easter is just around the corner!
Please help me make a tasty meatloaf.
Question: Is it true that pasta makes you fat?
--Diedre, Santa Fe, LA
Answer: It’s extra calories that make you fat, whether you eat them as carbohydrates(carbs), fats or protein. The theory is that when you eat carbohydrates, your body turns them into sugars, which are then stored as fat. It’s more complicated than that, though. There are complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, and those are processed slowly and gradually. These are the “good” carbohydrates, so the best pasta is made from whole grains. Simple carbs are made from processed flours and sugars and that includes white-flour pasta—it’s a “bad” carbohydrate.
Bad or good carb, they’re all okay if consumed in moderate amounts. But who eats a modest amount (like 1/2 cup) of pasta? That’s where the problem comes in. If you go to a restaurant, you’re likely to get three cups of pasta—six times what you need—in a serving. And at home, 1/2 cup just isn’t what we’re used to seeing on the plate. Try serving whole-grain pasta. Besides being more nutritious, it has fiber in it, so it’s more filling.
Question: Whenever I grill foods with barbecue sauce, the sauce burns. What causes that and what can I do about it?
--Lisa, Denton, TX
Answer: Most barbecue sauces contain sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey or other sweeteners. They burn quickly, so the best way to keep your sauce un-charred is to cook the food until it’s just about done, and then brush on the BBQ sauce in the last five minutes of grilling. You’ll get all the flavor without the burning.
Question: How do you carve a ham? I tear it to shreds and Easter is just around the corner!
--Patty, Metarie, LA
Answer: If you have a spiral-cut ham, it’s easy. Just cut around the bone to loosen the slices and they will fall right off. If your bone-in ham isn’t pre-cut, from one end, slice down to the bone and cut out a small wedge of meat. Continue slicing, perpendicular to the bone, cutting thin slices until you reach the end. Then slice along the bone to release the slices.
Question: Please help me make a tasty meatloaf.
--Jordan, Spring Hill, LA
Answer: The key is the type of meat you use. Go with ground chuck, which has a good balance of fat to lean meat. Too much fat and your meatloaf will be greasy; too lean and it’ll be tough and chewy. Following the recipe of your choice, mix the meat as briefly as possible. Over-working the meat also leads to toughness. Most recipes use bread or cracker crumbs and a beaten egg to create that classic meatloaf texture. Some people like a tomato sauce on top, and the choices in seasonings are endless.
Question: I bought baking powder and the label says “double acting.” Does that mean I need to use only half as much?
--Samuel, Kellogg, TX
Answer: Nearly all baking powder is double acting. This means it contains two different types of acids that react at different times. The first acid creates gases when mixed with the liquid in the recipe—that’s what makes all those bubbles when you prepare a batter. The second type will react by creating gases when the batter is heated in the oven—that’s what makes the food puff up. Use the amount of baking powder listed in the recipe for best results.
