QUESTION: I am cooking supper for 60 people next week. I would like to know how much romaine lettuce to purchase for Caesar salad, how much garlic bread should I purchase and what quantity of spaghetti noodles should I buy? How can I cook this large amount of spaghetti without the noodles sticking together? Thanks, Stephanie, Altona.
ANSWER: You will need six to eight heads of romaine lettuce, depending on the size of the heads. One head of romaine typically feeds eight people. I would buy four loaves of garlic bread and cut them into 12 slices per loaf. Each slice is really two pieces because the top and bottom separate. When I used to cook for 60 college students, we would go through only three loaves of bread so it's up to you if you want to buy the extra loaf, but I think you will have leftovers. One pound of uncooked spaghetti equals four servings. So if you divide 60 by four you will need to buy 15 pounds of uncooked spaghetti.
To prevent this large quantity of pasta from sticking together, the key is to cook with several large pots so the noodles have lots of room to swim. Place spaghetti into a deep pot of boiling, salted water. After adding spaghetti, do not cover; return the water to a rolling boil. Boil noodles for two minutes then cover with a lid. Remove from heat and let rest for five minutes. Then drain the noodles and rinse with hot water to wash off starch. You can even make your noodles a day in advance. Right before serving, heat water and drop in the pasta for one minute. Drain, toss with olive oil and serve.
QUESTION: I have a sports sweatshirt that has huge numbers ironed onto the back of it. Through time, the numbers have started coming off and although I have tried to peel the rest off and even heated them with an iron, they are not coming off. I was wondering if you have any solutions to help get the rest of them and the clear film under them off. Would you know of something I could soak it in to loosen it, or is there nothing that can be done? I hope you have a solution for me, short of destroying the shirt. Thank you, Donna, Selkirk.
ANSWER: Your chances are not great for removing the numbers. Heat is your best solution. Peel a corner of the number and heat with a hair dryer to loosen glue. Unfortunately, even if the glue releases and the numbers peel off, they will still be visible because the area with the numbers will be darker than the rest of the jersey.
QUESTION: Please tell me how I can clean and put the sparkle back to a stainless steel toaster and electric water kettle. I clean with water and buff with a dry cloth but there are still marks left on both, which I would like to get rid of so the small appliances sparkle on my countertop. Thank you, Karen, Otterburne.
ANSWER: Sounds like you are doing everything right to clean the outside of your appliance. What you need now is the finishing touch. After you have thoroughly cleaned the exterior of your kettle and toaster, wipe the surfaces with a soft cloth and small amount of olive oil. You can use baby oil, cooking oil or mineral oil but I prefer to use olive oil because I find it seeps into the metal and does not attract dirt, dust and grime.
Fabulous peppery tips of the week:
-- Peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
-- Peppers with four bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
-- Save leftover bell peppers, slice into strips or dice (whichever you prefer), seal in a freezer bag and freeze.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a corporate presenter on the topic: Harness the Power of Words? Check out my website, Reena.ca.
