A quick reminder: if you're asking about a recipe you saw on-air, please don't forget to include the station and/or Web site in your e-mail. If you're asking about a Mr. Food recipe, it can most likely be found at www.mrfood.com.

I've received a ton of mail in the recent Beer Can Chicken recipe. Apparently, the very idea of a chicken on such a perch left some folks in a tizzy. To the rescue comes alert reader Victor Captain, who sent in the picture at left of three fine birds preparing to meet their fate.

As you can see, they've all got their legs set so as to make a tripod with the can forming the third leg. Now, Victor doesn't set his in a pan. To be completely honest, I usually don't either if I'm cooking over charcoal. It DOES lead to a bit of a mess in the bottom of the grill, but meat cooking, like so many other things in life, is supposed to be messy if you're doing it right.

And here, at right, you can see the three birds, properly cooked and huddled together awaiting their grisly fate at the hands of ravenous carnivores. Look at how perfectly done the skin is! I'm not responsible for any hunger pangs you may be feeling right now. Go make your own chicken. And stop licking your monitor, people will wonder about you.

And now, on to business!

Q: What is Marsala wine and where can you get it? --Lois K.

A: Marsala is a Sicilian wine with a wonderful smoky flavor that can range from sweet to dry. It should be readily available at any liquor store.

Q: Sometimes when I cook turnips, they turn out bitter. Is it the cook or the turnips? --Donnette C.

A: I'm pleased to say it's not you, Donnette, it's those pesky tubers. Turnips are bitter by nature, and most folks who enjoy them just sort of learn to enjoy that. One way you can try to ameliorate the bitterness is by sautéing them until they just begin to brown a bit. That browning is the sugars in the turnips caramelizing, and it will make them about as sweet as they can get.

What's the best way to cook corn-on-the cob? I've heard putting sugar in the water is good, but how much? --Charleen

A: I haven't boiled corn in years, since I first tasted corn roasted on a grill. It's amazingly simple! Just soak the corn, in the shuck, for 30 minutes in salted water. Remove the corn from the water and shake the excess moisture out, then put it on the grill. Turn every few minutes until the outer shucks are blackened and you start to strongly smell the sugars in the corn cooking. I usually eat mine with butter, a shake of parmesan cheese, and a dose of chili powder.

If you MUST boil it, though, ¼ c. of sugar per gallon of water will add a bit to the sweetness, although it's really not necessary. The natural sugars of the corn should be plenty.

Q: When cooking in a slow cooker, does alcohol (as in beer) cook out? --Lori S.

A: First off, a harsh truth: ALL the alcohol will NEVER cook out of whatever dish you're making. You will, with a prolonged cook time, reduce the amount of alcohol to where it would only be detectable by laboratory instruments, but there will be some in there.

That said, yes, you will evaporate a substantial amount of the alcohol out of your slow-cooked dish. You can get rid of even more if you're careful to pour off the condensate on the inside of the lid. The alcohol content of beer is so low, though, that unless it's the main ingredient in whatever you're making, I wouldn't worry too much unless you have a diner who must steer clear of alcohol completely.

Reading the "crab" article in Short Orders, you mentioned clarified butter. Can this be done at home and if so, how? If not, where do I buy it? I have never seen it on store shelves. --C.A. Cook

A: Clarified, or drawn, butter is to easy to make you'll never use anything else! Just melt unsalted butter over low heat until a white froth forms on top. Pour that off and the clear yellow that's left is clarified butter. There will be some solids on the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to disturb them when you pour off the clarified product. This can be stored in the refrigerator for a month. Be sure it's VERY tightly covered, as it will pick up flavors from other refrigerator inhabitants at the drop of a hat.

Q: My question is how can I make a good batter? What I mean by that is I love breaded cauliflower, onion rings, chicken and things like that but I can't ever put anything together that will stick to the food. I know some of the stuff you can buy or get in a restaurant but I wouldn't mind making them myself and experimenting with other veggies and things like that. Thanks! --Christy S.

A: The batter type you're looking for, for the fried veggies, is a tempura batter. Below, excerpted from my Short Orders column "Deep-Fried Fun" is my recipe for fried mushrooms, which will work for any veggie you care to toss in the hot oil! You can vary seasonings to your liking.

As for your fried chicken? That's a whole different creature. I use flour, not batter, to coat my bird chunks. Soak the chicken pieces in buttermilk overnight, then season the meat directly, flour and cook. Give the chicken a few minutes between breading and frying for the crust to set.

Fried Veggies

Ingredients

1 c. cold water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 egg yolk

1 c. sifted flour

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. Hungarian paprika

1 tsp. salt

Preparation

Heat oil to 350° F.

In one bowl, mix all liquid ingredients. In another, mix dry ingredients. Slowly stir wet into dry, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl frequently for stray clumps.

Put a half-dozen (or whatevever your fryer can handle) mushrooms at a time into the batter bowl. Make sure they are thoroughly coated. Using tongs, transfer mushrooms to the hot oil and cook until golden brown. Drain, cool, and enjoy!

Variation: If you've got some stray fresh asparagus spears about, cut the top 3 inches or so off, batter and fry them. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping as a truly incredible appetizer before your next Thai or other Asian cuisine meal.

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