Hi - we went apple picking this past weekend but we didn’t pick greenings. The orchard had cortland, empire, fuji and gala. Of course they are all mixed up now and we don’t know which is which. Can you bake apple brown Betty with apples other than greenings? If so, what changes?

Submitted by Gillyf (Gillian@redfive.com)

Yes, of course you can use almost any kind of apples, except, I would say, Red Delicious, which are truly flavorless and in any event, don’t bake well. It might be a good idea to use a variety of apples, that would give it a nice flavor. The apples you picked are a bit sweeter than Greenings, so, if you like sweet desserts I would say don’t change anything about the recipe. But you could also cut down the brown sugar by a tablespoon or two.

IN addition, different apples soften (or not) differently, so the texture of these, when cooked, may be firmer than Greenings. No matter. Granny Smiths stay firm too and the dessert is still wonderful.

Guess what I am saying is that this is a very forgiving recipe, as is apple pie. Use whatever you have, try different apples each time and you’ll taste the difference as well as feel the different texture, but it will all still be delicious.

Whenever I make macaroni and cheese, the sauce breaks.  Even though it tastes good, it looks curdled.  What am I doing wrong?

Submitted by bubby (leslie@sussmail.com):

Hi Bubby. Sorry you are having a problem with macaroni and cheese. It seems as if it is always the plainest foods that cause problems. Here are some pointers that might help:

1: evaporated milk and UNSWEETENED condensed milk (most of the condensed milk we see in the supermarket is sweetened) have stabilizers added, so it helps keep the sauce ingredients together.

2: same goes for American cheese; adding a bit of American cheese to the mix can stabilize the sauce too.

3: or use whole milk (rather than skim) because fat serves as a stabilizer.

4: use young cheeses such as asiago, non-aged cheddar, havarti, muenster, non-aged gouda, and so on. These have more water content than aged, older, drier cheeses and melt more easily, keeping the mixture stable.

5: shred or grate the cheese so that it melts more easily when you add it to the hot white sauce. Only add a little at a time and mix it in thoroughly before adding more. If you add cheese all at once there’s more of a tendency for the sauce to separate.

6: Although most people use cheddar, it’s better to use another cheese (or cheeses) in addition because cheddar alone can be grainy.

I hope this helps. Let me know!

Question submitted by Bubby (ljsussman@earthlink.net):

I love rice pudding.  Almost any kind makes me happy - except the gummy kind from the supermarket that you mentioned your brother eats.  Yuck!

I always like the rice pudding they serve in diners.  It’s creamy and not too sweet.  I can’t imagine that the diner cooks bother with separating eggs like your mother did in her recipe. 

Do you have an easy rice pudding recipe to share?

Yes I do!

Rice Pudding is also one of my favorites. I have about a dozen recipes, a few for the creamy, sensuous kind you can get at a good diner. Try this one (you can ask for another whenever …). The rice is slightly al dente — you can tell it’s rice, which I like better than the puddings in which the rice is ultra soft.

Be careful not to let the mixture come to a boil after you put the egg mixture back into the saucepan, because that can cause curdling.

Creamy Rice Pudding

4 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup long grain rice (not instant or parboiled)

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup cream (can be heavy, whipping or light)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (not imitation)

Combine the milk, salt and rice in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the raisins and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cream. While the rice is cooking, combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat (use a hand mixer) for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pale. Pour in the remaining 3/4 cup cream and stir to blend the ingredients. Gradually add some (up to one cup) of the hot rice mixture to the eggs (this helps prevent the eggs from curdling), stir and spoon the egg mixture into the saucepan. Stir to blend ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 8 servings

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I use a variety of cheeses when I make macaroni and cheese and, although  it tastes good, every time it comes out of the oven, the cheese sauce has broken.  I once read that using condensed milk would address this problem.  Do you know if that works?  Also, why does my sauce break?

submitted by Grandma Bubby

Hello Grandma Bubby! Sorry about your Mac and Cheese. If your grandchildren are like mine, they love this dish and they can be very particular about it.

Here are some tips for you, to help keep your Mac and Cheese sauce from separating:

1: evaporated milk and UNSWEETENED condensed milk (most of the condensed milk we see in the supermarket is sweetened) have stabilizers added, so it helps keep the sauce ingredients together.

2: same goes for American cheese; adding a bit of American cheese to the mix can stabilize the sauce too.

3: or use whole milk (rather than skim) because fat serves as a stabilizer.

4: use young cheeses such as asiago, non-aged cheddar, havarti, muenster, non-aged gouda, and so on. These have more water content than aged, older, drier cheeses and melt more easily, keeping the mixture stable.

5: shred or grate the cheese so that it melts more easily when you add it to the hot white sauce. Only add a little at a time and mix it in thoroughly before adding more. If you add cheese all at once there’s more of a tendency for the sauce to separate.

6: it’s good to use more than cheddar, as you do, because cheddar alone can be grainy.

I hope this helps. Let me know!