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By MARY A. KEITH Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

I collected some lovely shells on the beach. They may be scallop or clam shells, and I've had them for about 10 years. Can I bake in them or use them for food?

I would be leery of baking anything in the shells. They might shatter and cause food to splatter all over the oven. And there's no way to know whether anything on them could spread into the food. But there is probably no danger in using the shells for cold items, such as lining with a lettuce leaf and putting a slice of salmon or tuna salad on top.

I have leftover rice and beans and a thawed steak in the refrigerator. They're both about three days old. Which should I use first?

Both can be refrigerated for three to five days, but eat the leftover rice and beans first. It's a combination dish that contains protein, starch and fat. That means it's a good place for bacteria to grow and will spoil faster.

What is the purpose of bleaching flour? Does it do anything other than make the flour whiter?

Without bleached flour, we wouldn't have most of our packaged cake mixes. It absorbs water or liquids faster and more evenly. That makes the starch swell more and makes a firmer batter. Fat also sticks better to the outside of starch grains so that it spreads more evenly throughout the batter. The result is a finished cake with a more uniform texture and taste.

I've seen some old cast-iron skillets at yard sales, and I'm really temped to buy them. But can an old skillet be ruined so badly that it can't be cleaned and used again?

Probably not, although you might need a drill with a wire brush attachment to scrub deep enough to remove rust or cooked-on oil. On the other hand, don't ever cook in a skillet that has been used to hold chemicals such as paint cans, jugs of pesticide or household cleaner - no matter how well you clean it.

I read that processed meat contributes to stomach and colon cancer. Is this because of nitrites in the meat or the high amount of fat?

It's probably a combination of both. Studies have shown nitrites are connected to the cancers but haven't uncovered an exact cause and effect. You can buy nitrate-free lunch meats; check the label to find them. Keep these products refrigerated at all times because they generally have a shorter shelf life. Including nitrites in processed meat is the most effective way to stop botulism bacteria.

My recipe for watermelon popsicles calls for both sugar and corn syrup. Could I use artificial sweetener to cut calories?

You can substitute sweetener for the sugar, but you will probably get fewer popsicles or have to make them a little smaller. I would recommend using the amount of corn syrup called for in the recipe. Without it, the popsicles will be rock hard instead of having just the right amount of crunch.

Whenever I make a cake from scratch, the centers don't rise. What am I doing wrong?

First, be sure you are using the right pan size. If the pan is too large, the centers won't cook enough to hold their shape. Second, check the oven temperature. If the oven is too cool, the protein in the center won't set soon enough and it will sink. Finally, as you are adding the flour, don't overbeat the batter. Beating the eggs and sugar adds air bubbles, which will make the cake rise. But if you're too vigorous when adding the dry ingredients, the air bubbles will be destroyed.

Mary A. Keith, a nutrition and health agent at Hillsborough County Extension, can be reached at (813) 744-5519 or mkeith@ufl.edu.

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