How `Lace` Dresses Up Plain Cake

September 18, 1986|By Phyllis Magida.

Q--My neighbor bakes a plain, round chocolate cake, then makes it special by sprinkling confectioners` sugar over the top so that it resembles a piece of lace, only the ``lace`` is confectioners` sugar. How is this done?

I. Williger, Chicago

A--Your neighbor makes this pattern by laying a lace paper doily on top of the cake. She then takes a large shaker filled with confectioners` sugar and shakes it liberally onto the doily until it is well covered. Then she carefully lifts the doily off the cake so as not to disturb the pattern. When you do this, make sure that the cake is thoroughly cool; otherwise, the sugar will melt into the cake and destroy the pattern.

Q--I grew sunflowers in my garden, and now I`d like to harvest them but can`t find directions anywhere. How do I remove the seeds and make them edible?

Food Guide reader and gardener,


A--Sunflower seeds grow in the center of the flower, among the brown fuzz. To get to them before the birds do, check the plants every day for maturity, beginning about the first of August. When the heads start to nod, the sunflower is heavy with seeds. Immediately tip the end of the head over lightly and give a very slight shake. If seeds fall out, they are mature. To remove the rest of the seeds, simply shake the heads energetically but carefully over a bowl until the seeds fall out. Be sure to use only seeds that have not been fumigated or treated with pesticides or fungicides.

Sunflower seeds should be hulled before roasting or using in recipes.

To hull: Rinse unshelled seeds under running tap water. Then place in a pot and cover amply with salted water; use 2 quarts water and 1/3 to 1/2 cup salt. Heat to boil and simmer 2 hours. Drain well on absorbent paper towels and shell by hand. The hulls should come off easily.

To roast: Place 1 cup hulled sunflower kernels in a single layer on a cookie or jelly roll pan. Roast in a 300-degree oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, salt lightly and transfer to bowl. Eat like popcorn, sprinkle on salads and potato salad or use as a garnish on brown rice or on stews. Newly roasted sunflower kernels also can be tossed with a little melted butter or margarine if desired.

Q--Are there cookbooks that explain the chemistry of cooking on a simple, homemaker`s plane.

P. Celebcigil, Keflavit, Iceland

A--We recommend ``On Food and Cooking,`` by Harold J. McGee (Scribner`s, $29.95) and Howard Hillman`s ``Kitchen Science`` (Houghton Mifflin, $7.95, paperback). ``On Food and Cooking`` has short essays on subjects such as why beans cause flatulence and why chicken doesn`t taste as good when its reheated. It has no recipes. ``Kitchen Science`` has a question-and-answer format and has a few illustrative recipes.

Got a problem? We cannot answer questions or telephone calls directly, but we will address questions of general interest in this column. Write to Cooks` Dialogue, The Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.