Question:I have a recipe that calls for potato starch. What is this ingredient?
Answer: Potato starch is, as its name implies, pure starch, a tasteless powder extracted from potatoes but containing none of their vitamins or minerals. It is most commonly used commercially in packaged snacks but can be found online and in some specialty stores.
When you can't find the starch, potato flour, made from cooked, dried and ground potatoes, is an easy substitute, says LaRue Bunker, research project leader at Miles Willard Technologies, a food research and development firm in Idaho Falls. In fact, many recipes use the two ingredients interchangeably.
Both potato starch and potato flour can be employed to bind meat mixtures, such as meatballs, or to thicken gravies and soups. During Passover, when some Jewish people abstain from eating leavened breads, potato starch or potato flour are sometimes combined with matzo meal or used instead of cornstarch in baked goods.
Potato four and potato starch are also important for people allergic to gluten, the substance that makes dough stick together. Bakeries often use potato flour to create moist bread that stays soft. (Because potato flour doesn't contain gluten, it cannot be substituted for wheat flour; use it only when a recipe calls for it.)
When neither the starch nor flour is available, you can replace them with dehydrated potato flakes. Grind them in the food processor first.
Question:I see lots of chocolate pots at auctions. When were these used?
Answer: The oldest known chocolate pot — a ceramic teapot-like vessel first used by the Mayans in Central America to serve hot and cold cocoa beverages — dates to 500 B.C. Spanish colonials adopted the custom of drinking liquid chocolate and serving it from pots, from the Aztecs in 16th-century Mexico.
Europeans started consuming hot chocolate in the 1600s. Before cocoa powder was used beginning in 1828, they boiled ground cacao seeds with milk or water and skimmed off the cocoa butter that rose to the top. The resulting beverage was served from a lidded pot with a short spout located high on one side to keep the leftover cocoa butter that settled at the bottom from clogging it.
Typically smaller than coffeepots and made of copper, silver, ceramic or porcelain, chocolate pots from this period often had straight handles that stuck out from the sides. Molinets were another popular feature; these stirrers were inserted through a hole in the cover and used to whip the thick drink into a froth before serving.
At the end of the 19th century, chocolate pots could be purchased to match silver tea sets. But many people simply bought a second coffeepot and used it for cocoa, which was served at breakfast and after dinner.
Later, in the 20th century, ceramic sets, including a pot and matching cups, were marketed exclusively for hot chocolate. However, these were hardly distinguishable from coffeepots and cups.
Question: The drawers and cabinets in our new house have self-adhesive shelf liners. How can I remove them?
Answer: There are several solvents that will dissolve the adhesive on liners. From mild to strong, these include rubber-cement remover, acetone and turpentine. Start with a mild product; if it doesn't work, try something more potent.
Carefully pull a corner of a liner with a paint scraper or razor blade. With a natural-bristle paint brush, dab solvent beneath the paper while tugging up on the corner. Working quickly, continue brushing and pulling until the liner comes off. You may need to use a scraper to peel back the liner, but keep in mind that this can gouge the surface.
Once you have removed the liner, sand any remaining glue with a fine- to medium-grit sandpaper. You'll have to use paint stripper if the other products fail to do the trick. Apply it to the entire surface of the liner using a paintbrush, and leave it on for about half an hour (follow manufacturer's instructions); use a scraper to loosen the liner. Wipe residual stripper off the surface with a damp sponge, and sand.
When using any of these products, it's best to work in a well-ventilated area and safeguard the surrounding surfaces by taping down masking paper. (If using stripper, place plastic drop cloths underneath the paper.) Apply stripper outside. If this is not possible, cross-ventilate the area by opening all doors and windows. Wear goggles and chemical-resistant gloves, and never work near a source of high heat, sparks or flames, such as a clothes dryer or gas stove.
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