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By MARY A. KEITH, Tribune Correspondent

Published: December 11, 2007

Is risotto a kind of rice or name of a dish?

Risotto is the name of a rice dish. It's distinguished both by the traditional type of rice used to make it and by how it is made. Real Italian risotto is made with arborio rice. The rice and onions are sauteed in butter, then hot broth is added a little at a time. The rice is allowed to absorb all the broth before the next small amount is added.

It's a slow process, but it makes the rice very creamy and still keeps the grains separate.

What is the secret to making good dumplings? My mother's were great, but every recipe I've tried makes heavy, dense dumplings, not light fluffy ones like hers.

Probably the most important thing about dumplings is to keep the lid on the pot. After you drop the dough onto the boiling soup, cover the pot tightly and keep it covered at least 15 minutes. The steam will cook them and keep them fluffy. If you take the lid off, or there is not enough steam, they will boil. That makes a dense, heavy lump of dough instead of a light dumpling.

Some dumpling recipes call for rolling out the dough like pie crust. Will those be fluffy, too?

They will never be light and fluffy, but if the dough included baking powder, they will expand a little bit. That style of dumpling is more German or Pennsylvania Dutch. Soup made with rolled dough boiled in the broth is called "pot pie."

You've mentioned making yogurt cheese several times. I tried it and it's great. Now, what can I do with the water that seeps out? Is it edible?

It is certainly edible. It's dairy whey and contains lactose and proteins, plus some minerals. It can be used in soups or gravies, added to smoothies or drinks, or as the liquid in baked goods. But taste it first. Depending on the yogurt you started with, it might be too salty, too sweet or too sour for those different uses. Because of the high sugar content, it will brown or scorch easily if overheated.

There was a recipe in the paper recently for marmalade that didn't have any pectin. How much pectin should I use?

If you're referring to the winter marmalade that uses apricots, pineapple and orange rind, you don't need pectin. The orange rind will provide enough pectin to stiffen the marmalade. But please do not use paraffin to seal the jars. The use of paraffin has not been recommended for years because it is not reliable. Keep it in the refrigerator, or process it for 5 minutes in boiling water with new 2-piece lids.

How can I preserve homemade pasta? I want to make it and give it as presents for the holidays.

Commercial pasta is preserved by drying. It's difficult to be sure that homemade pasta is dry enough especially in our humid climate. The best thing to do is to make and package it, then freeze it. I would freeze it in jars, so that it doesn't crumble.

What can I do to improve cakes when I bake with Splenda? They always fall and are so small and flat that I hate to serve them.

They will always be smaller because there is so much less Splenda than sugar. Splenda is very light and fluffy and doesn't weigh as much as the sugar. However, you can add 1/2 cup of nonfat powdered milk and 1 teaspoon of baking powder for each cup of Splenda in the recipe. The protein of the milk will help hold up the cake until it bakes. Using a slightly smaller pan will help, too.

Mary A. Keith can be reached at (813) 744-5519 or mkeith@ufl.edu.

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