Soy Sauce

Eleanor Luna of Owings Mills was trying to find a recipe for marinade that she lost in her last move. It came from a bottle of soy sauce more than 30 years ago. Jo Ann Elder of Ocean City sent in a recipe she found on a bottle of La Choy soy sauce years ago and has been using ever since. She says it is particularly good for chicken but also can be used for pork or beef. I tested it using bone-in chicken breasts that I marinated overnight and then grilled. The chicken had a definite teriyaki flavor and was very tasty and juicy.

Wings are football food. There's no denying it. But they're certainly not health food. This recipe gives your arteries a bit of a break because the chicken is roasted instead of fried. There's no loss in flavor, though, thanks to a sweet and tangy glaze made with soy sauce, sugar and balsamic vinegar. They're sticky, for sure, but it's worth it. Just bring napkins (and maybe wet wipes) along with the wings for the game-day festivities. Balsamic soy-glazed chicken wings 4-5 pounds chicken wingettes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.

A friend burned her hand on a very hot pan handle. I grabbed the soy sauce and had her soak her hand in it after she ran the burn under cold water. She reported relief, and the next day she was fine. I was really worried it would blister. She smelled like marinade, but that's a small price. Thanks for sharing your success with soy sauce. We heard about this home remedy for burns from an Oregonian listener to our radio show. On my last visit to the dentist, our hygienist recommended we chew gum containing xylitol.

On first glance, chicharrones de pollo might just look like garden-variety chicken nuggets. Don't be fooled. This recipe with Dominican roots calls for the chicken to be marinated in a mix of rum, lime juice, soy sauce and sugar, making it full of flavor. And if you're dubious about how these would work at a tailgating event, fret not: They're crunchy, not sticky, after being fried up, making them the perfect finger food. And thanks to the flavorful marinade, they don't even need sauce.

My husband and I recently combined forces in a spectacular kitchen accident. He was heating water in a French press coffee pot in the microwave, and unknowingly heated it too much. As he picked up the pot and walked away from the microwave, the superheated water erupted into his face. In running to see what had happened, I slipped in the water, and hit my shoulder in the fall. I remembered reading about soy sauce for burns in one of your columns, and he quickly applied a liberal amount to his face.

Soy sauce, tamari and shoyu are members of a family of salty seasonings.Soy sauce typically is made from soy, wheat, water and sea salt that is fermented in wooden kegs for many months before being pressed. Always read the label of soy sauce bottles because many contain additives such as caramel color, corn syrup and chemical preservatives. I look for brands that are additive free.Traditionally, tamari is wheat-free soy sauce. It is a byproduct of the production of miso, a flavorful paste made from cooked fermented soybeans.

Several weeks ago at a summer buffet, I was dazzled by a roasted fillet of salmon that was part of the main-course offerings. Served whole, the fish had a rich, golden brown exterior and light, juicy flesh beneath. After a few bites, I found one of the hosts and asked how the salmon had been prepared. "Oh, we just brushed the fillet with soy sauce and then cooked it," she quickly replied before rushing to attend to other entertaining tasks. Days later, I decided to try the technique myself, but when I telephoned to ask if any other ingredients had been used I learned that my friends were out of town.

Each week a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center provides a guest post to The Baltimore Sun's health blog Picture of Health (baltimoresun.com/pictureofhealth). This week, Ellen Loreck weighs in on sodium. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people should consume between 1,500 and 2,300 mgs of sodium per day. That's equal to about 2/3 to 1 teaspoon of salt, which isn't much. Most of the sodium comes from processed foods, so eating out becomes a challenge.

This is a story about how thanks to another guy's high school girlfriend, the meals at my house are much spicier.It is a roundabout tale that ends up with me holding a bottle of a soy sauce called Ketjap Manis, and giving one of those all-over-the-lot, soy-sauce testimonials.The kind where I point to this bottle of soy sauce and proclaim that it makes meat taste better, fish taste better, even rice taste better. I don't claim it removes unsightly facial hair, but I come real close.I testify that the sweet, clean finish of this soy sauce is unlike any other soy sauce I have tasted.

On first glance, chicharrones de pollo might just look like garden-variety chicken nuggets. Don't be fooled. This recipe with Dominican roots calls for the chicken to be marinated in a mix of rum, lime juice, soy sauce and sugar, making it full of flavor. And if you're dubious about how these would work at a tailgating event, fret not: They're crunchy, not sticky, after being fried up, making them the perfect finger food. And thanks to the flavorful marinade, they don't even need sauce.

Each week a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center provides a post on nutrition topics for The Baltimore Sun's Picture of Health blog (baltimoresun.com/pictureofhealth). This week, Faith Hicks weighs in on encouraging kids to eat their vegetables. Most of us realize we aren't eating the recommended number of fruits and vegetables per day. Our kids' plates are falling short, too. Less than 25 percent of American kids are regularly eating the recommended number of vegetables.

Each week a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center provides a guest post to The Baltimore Sun's health blog Picture of Health (baltimoresun.com/pictureofhealth). This week, Ellen Loreck weighs in on sodium. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people should consume between 1,500 and 2,300 mgs of sodium per day. That's equal to about 2/3 to 1 teaspoon of salt, which isn't much. Most of the sodium comes from processed foods, so eating out becomes a challenge.

Most every home cook has a particular approach to the weeknight meal. Some of us are really into doing ahead. Slow cookers are their thing. On the other hand, unless we're whipping up goodies for a dinner party, others of us can't bear the thoughts of starting supper in the wee hours of the workaday morning so it'll be ready at dinner time. (And we certainly don't want to deal with it the night before.) Indeed, the only challenge we're willing to take on in the morning is figuring out what to remove from the freezer to thaw for later.

Anita Charles of Greensboro, N.C., was looking for a marinade recipe for flank steak that contained orange juice, garlic and possibly soy sauce. Donald Van Ostrand from Sykesville sent in a recipe that he first used on tuna but that he says works equally well for grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin or chicken. Now that grilling season has arrived, this seemed like a recipe worth trying. I tested his marinade on a 2-pound piece of flank steak, since that was what Anita Charles was looking for, and it gave the meat a wonderful flavor.

Question: : I learned in Colombia that inhaling the steam of strong, freshly brewed coffee (not instant) is beneficial for nasal and sinus irritation. The steam soothes and heals the mucus membranes. This remedy has worked wonderfully for me. Answer:: This is the first we have heard of coffee steam being beneficial for sinus irritation, but ordinary steam has long been recommended to ease nasal congestion. Since coffee is such an important crop in Colombia, it probably makes sense that people there have experimented with it as a remedy.

Honey, ginger and soy sauce lend a sweet-savory flavor to this quick-cooked chicken. A coating of sesame seeds brightens the dish and adds crunch. Toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil have a rich flavor. Instead of toasting the seeds, I buy a jar of them already toasted in the sushi section of the supermarket. Toasted sesame oil, found in the Asian section, is good to keep on hand for flavoring vegetables and salads. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs; cook to 170 degrees.

WATCHING YOUR DIET couldn't be easier with this delicious recipe.Be sure to use a reduced sodium soy sauce. This lowers the sodium count from 1,265 milligrams -- what you would get with a regular soy sauce -- to 984 milligrams.This recipe is from "Weight Watchers Quick and Easy Menu Cookbook" published by the New American Library -- 1987, $17.95Oriental Chicken and Green Beans1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided1 teaspoon cornstarch1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided1/2 cup diced onion2 garlic cloves, minced2 1/2 cups cut green beans, blanched1 cup sliced mushrooms1/2 cup water1 packet instant chicken broth and seasoning mix1/8 teaspoon each ground ginger and pepper2 teaspoons sesame seedsIn small bowl, combine two teaspoons soy sauce with the cornstarch, stirring to dissolve cornstarch; add chicken and toss to coat.

Anna Pitt of Fallston was looking for a recipe for what she thought was called a Smearcase Cheesecake. It was made with cottage cheese and had a thin layer of crust on the bottom. She thinks that the recipe came from a free recipe booklet put out by the Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. some years ago. Carole Wagner of Middle River still had a copy of the cookbook published by BGE called Maryland Classics, which had the recipe that Pitt was looking for in it. (The book calls it smierkase cake; in German, schmierkase means smeared cheese.

Some time ago, I heard an unusual home remedy on your radio show: using Elmer's glue to prevent blistering on a burned hand. I burned myself last night and initially iced my hand. Since I've never had much luck with icing burns, I decided to try the glue method, which consists of spreading glue over the burned area and letting it harden. I repeated this covering a couple of times to form something like a second skin over the burn. Eight hours later, as I write, the skin is a little tender, but there are no blisters.

The economy is so bad that even pretty cheap Chinese takeout food has become a luxury. This adaptation of a recipe from Fine Cooking's latest annual cookbook lets you make a great version of Orange Chicken at home. You'll save money by buying a bulk package of bone-in chicken thighs and removing the skin yourself. SHOPPING LIST Orange : 89 cents Soy sauce: 20 cents Rice vinegar: 20 cents Brown sugar: 7 cents Red-pepper flakes : 15 cents Chicken thighs: $3.18 Eggs: 37 cents Cornstarch: 21 cents Canola oil: 32 cents Scallions: 89 cents Rice: 25 cents TOTAL*: $6.73 *Prices are calculated based on the amount used in the recipe.