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MARY A. KEITH, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 6, 2007

I'm a diabetic. Why can I eat potatoes sometimes without messing up my blood sugar and other times, they make it go sky high? I really like them but avoid them for fear of what they'll do.

How fast potato starch is turned into sugar and absorbed depends on the type of potato, how it is cooked, what else you eat with it and what time of day you eat it, among other things. All you can do is keep track of what kind of potato you ate, under what conditions, until you can tell reliably what combinations are "safe."

What's the difference between a blender and a food processor?

The differences in the motor strength and shape of the food container, which we can see, make a difference in what we can do with each machine. Food processors usually have a stronger and more variable motor. That means they can tackle heavier jobs, such as bread dough, that would burn out a blender. Blenders, because of the shape of their pitcher, usually need either liquid or completely dry ingredients. Some jobs can be done by both appliances, but some are strictly for one or the other.

What can I use instead of coriander in a chicken dish? The recipe calls for the seeds, not the leaves.

Probably your closest substitute for coriander seeds would be cardamom. Both have a slight lemony flavor. If you get whole cardamom seeds, be sure to open the papery skin and crush just the black seeds inside.

How much oil should I use instead of shortening in a pie crust?

You can't just substitute oil for shortening in a pie crust recipe. If you do, you'll have a tough, leaden lump. You need to use a recipe developed specifically for oil. Most make a dough that is pressed into the pan, not rolled out.

How can I tell when homemade pickled tomatoes have gone bad? Mine are several years old and look great. But they're taking up space in the refrigerator, and I don't want to keep them if they're not good.

Properly made pickles can be good for years, especially if they've been kept in the refrigerator. Spoiled pickles can get cloudy, have a skin or fuzz on the surface, get soft and mushy, or start blowing bubbles at you. If you don't see any of those signs, keep on eating your pickled tomatoes.

How many cups are in a No. 2 can? An old recipe gives only the can size.

A No. 2 can has 29 ounces, or 31/2 cups.

How many minutes should I pressure-cook stuffed peppers if the ground beef in the filling is still raw? I remember making them, but don't know how long I used to cook them.

I can't find a recipe in my few pressure-cooking books, and there are different recipes on the Internet. What I find ranges from 13 to 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. If you cook them for 15 minutes and find they're not up to 160 degrees in the center, you'll have to continue cooking a few more minutes to get them to that temperature.

Once I've thawed a frozen cheesecake, how long can I keep it in the refrigerator?

At most, don't keep it for more than 10 days, but less than that is better. If you can, divide it while frozen and just thaw what you can use in three to five days.

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