Oh No! What do I do now?

If you burn sauce or gravy, pour it into a clean pan, add some sugar to it a little at a time to avoid the final result becoming too sweet – it takes the burnt flavour away.

TOO MUCH SALT!

• The recipe for the casserole said a teaspoon of salt but you used a desert spoon by mistake, don't throw it out and starve – peel a potato, cut into medium size pieces and add to the casserole. Simmer and when the potato is soft lift carefully out. The potato should have absorbed a lot of the saltiness.

• Other ways to disguise saltiness is by adding a small can of tomatoes, or a dash of sweet sherry or a little plain yoghurt, whichever is most suitable for the particular dish involved.

• These remedies also work well on stews, soups and curries.

Chatted too long on the telephone and your supper is burnt to the bottom of the pan – don't panic.

Don't stir the food as this will mix any burnt pieces into the rest of the food and contaminate it all. Plunge the bottom of the pan into cold water to cool it down and prevent further cooking. Carefully remove as much of the unburnt food as you can and put into a clean pan, being very careful not to include any burnt bits, add a little more liquid continue cooking. If it still tastes burnt the addition of something like Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, spice or herbs, usually disguises it.

YES, BUT NOW WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THE PAN?????

• Firstly remove as much of the burnt food as possible.

• If it is only slightly burnt on the bottom, put some water into the pan and add quite a lot of salt, soak for an hour, then wash in the usual way.

• If it is badly burnt, put some water into the pan, add salt, and bring to the boil and leave to soak for about twelve hours, bring to the boil again. The debris should wipe off. If this is not the case add more salt and bring to the boil again.

• Add hot water to the pan with a used fabric softener sheet from your laundry. Let soak and the burnt crust will lift right off.

If you burn a pot of rice, place a slice of white or "light" bread on the top of the rice. Let it sit for a few minutes (5-10). The burnt taste will be gone but be sure not to scrape the bottom of the pan!

• Sprinkle the burnt food with baking soda, add some water and then boil or simmer – this should remove it.

• To remove burnt on food from Pyrex dishes, soak them in Steradent Denture cleaner and hot water.

• To clean lime scale from kettles or glass vases, soak in hot water and 1/3 brown vinegar. Rinse kettle well, fill and boil water. Empty completely, rinse again.

Forgot to turn off the coffee pot and burnt it to the bottom of the pot? Don't ruin the jug by scrubbing with harsh abrasives; add a few teaspoons of salt and some crushed ice. Let it sit for a minute, then swirl the mixture for a minute. Most of the burnt beverage should come off; the rest will be loosened so that it will wipe out fairly easily.

We have all experienced mishaps in the kitchen and, over the years have found ingenious ways to retrieve the situation. Please don't keep it from us; we would love to hear from you with any useful tips on how to get out of trouble in the kitchen. Or anything else for that matter –

CONTACT US ON THE NUMBER 854-7022 OR FAX US ON THE NUMBER 854-7024 OR EMAIL ME @ SISTER AMMARAH @ RADIO ISLAM .CO.ZA.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.