Home & Garden briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2000

FOR THE PROUD COLLECTOR: Whether you're a kitsch junkie who harbors garden gnomes and old beer bottles or a minimalist who collects bare surfaces, there's something in your life you have to have more of. Mary Engelbreit, doyenne of classy camp, offers suggestions for displaying your acquisitions, from old buttons to Bakelite clocks to sock monkeys to maps, in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion: Collections (Andrews MacNeil Publishing, 2000, $12.95). Included are tips on collecting and a history of popular collectibles. Available at booksellers.

NON-STICK ANSWER: To prevent baked items from sticking to a tray or pan, grease the inside of the pan as usual, then cut a piece of waxed paper, fit it into the pan and grease the top surface of the waxed paper. Once the baked item has cooled, simply invert the tray onto a plate and remove the waxed paper.

ART OBJECT: To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the instrument's birth, renowned piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons commissioned furniture designer Dakota Jackson to create a limited-edition grand piano. Jackson, who plays the piano, made several structural changes, including moving the front and back legs forward in respect to the case, and changing the shape of the stick that supports the lid from the traditional straight line to a sinuous curve. Lower edges at the ends of the keyboard make the artist's hands more visible to the audience. The piano, priced at $79,700, can be ordered anywhere Steinway products are sold. Only a few are on display at shops around the country.

BOIL AND GRILL: Before cooking potatoes on a grill, boil them until they are soft to the touch but still whole. This method will enhance the flavor of the potatoes and will also prevent the outsides from burning.

JUST A SLIVER: To enhance the flavor of grilled steak or other meat, cut pockets into the meat and add slivers of garlic before grilling.

COOL FRUITS: To preserve the flavor of fresh tomatoes and other fruits, keep them out of the refrigerator whenever possible. Simply make sure the temperature in the room where they are stored is 60 degrees or higher.

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