IF YOU’VE ever wondered about the difference between the two cuts of pork ribs we see advertised —- ‘“‘baby back’’ and ‘‘side’’ — it boils down to boiling down. Baby back ribs are tender enough to go directly on the barbecue. Side ribs need to be steamed for at least an hour or they’re apt to be tougher than old boots. Another difference is cost: baby back ribs, even on ‘‘special,”’ are nearly twice the price of side ribs. Also, there is much less meat on the back ribs so you need twice the weight of ribs to feed even average appetites. budget beaters Barbara McCreadie Therefore, budget conscious shoppers grab the side ribs, par- ticularly when they are featured at $1.99 Ib, as they are in many stores this week. ee Ribs and rice seem to be made for each other. When we cook ribs in the oven there’s always plenty of sauce to-pour over plain, steamed rice. Not so when we grill them on the barbecue. One solution is to buy a package of flavored rice — costing as much as $2 and providing enough for 3 or 4 people. Another solution is to make your own seasoned rice. Here are a couple of recipes I’ve used with ribs or chicken. Baked Rice Casserole 1 tablespoon batter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 cup long grain rice . 2 cups chicken broth (from a mix) Y, teaspoon salt 1 cup toasted almonds (any cut except whole) Gently saute the onion and pep- per in the butter until limp but not browned. Add the rice (uncooked) and stir until coated. Boil the chicken broth and add. Turn into a buttered casserole dish, cover and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Uncover, stir in al- monds and bake 10 minutes longer. The original recipe called for 4 cup sliced black olives, but the sight of certain members of my family attempting to pick them out was discouraging. I’ve also made this using a mix- ture of red, yellow and green pep- pers — using three very tiny pep- pers. Unfortunately, the cost of the red and yellow ones is outrageous. eee Any rice casserole recipe can be adapted for your slow cooker ~ just check your rule book for your individual model. This is true for microwave ovens as well. Both appliances should get a lot of use in weather like this — who needs more heat from a regu- lar oven? ze t This next recipe is an old classic. Because it contains tomatoes it is best served with ribs or chicken that have been basted with anything other than a tomato- based sauce. . Spanish Rice 4stices bacon 1 small onion, chopped 1 small green pepper, chopped 3 cups cooked rice (one cup, uncocked) 1 28-0z. tin tomatoes, drained, chopped and draincd again ¥% cup shredded cheddar Fry the bacon until crisp, taking care not to blacken the fat. Remove, crumble and set aside. Cook the onion and pepper in the bacon fat until limp. Combine the vegetables, rice and tomatoes in a greased casserole. Some people include the fat but I prefer not to. Bake until heated through — about 20 minutes at 350F. Top with cheese and crumbled bacon. Run under the broiler until cheese melts and browns a bit. se * A reader, armed with a British cookbook but no scale, has asked for some equivalents so she can try some of the recipes. As far as I know, Canada and the U.S. are the only countries in the world that rely on measuring instead of weighing for baking in- gredients such as flour and sugar. Commercial bakeries rely on the scales to ensure standard products. Here are a few conversions, but I can’t guarantec results. Cake recipes are ‘‘unstable’?’ — just a bit of inaccuracy can throw the whole formula out of whack. I'd suggest that she experiment - with something calling for inex- pensive ingredients before she gambles with a week’s grocery fund. Flour: All-Purpose: 1 lb. = 4 cups sifted Cake: 1 Ib. = 4% cups, sifted Sugar: Granulated: | Ib. = 2 cups Brown: | lb. == 24% cups, firmly packed Powdered: 1 Ib. = 2% cups eee BEST BUYS: Buy-Low: Fryers, 88¢ tb.; pork side ribs, $1.99 Ib.; grapefruit, 5/ $1; mushrooms, $1.88 Ib.; seediess grapes, 88¢ Ib. Woodward's: Shrimp, $5.99 Ib.; cod fillets, $2.49 ib.; large eggs, limit-2, 99¢; Sun Ray bread, 88¢; chicken thighs, 99¢ Ib.; pork side ribs, $1.99 Ib.; peaches, 49¢ Ib. Super Valu: Large cegs, 98¢, limit-2, with $25 order; SV sliced bread, 79¢; Niagara frozen orange juice, 88¢, limit-6; pork side ribs, $1.99; N-N bacon, $2.39; Coupons: Nabob coffee, $1.88, limit-2; Kraft cheese slices, 500 g, $2.99, limit-2. Safeway: Large eggs, 99¢, limit-2; boneless turkey thighs, $1.99 (flat- ten and use in piace of veal or cube and skewer for the grill); Sea Haul canned crab, flat, $1.99; cherries, 75¢ |lb.; green peppers, 69¢ Ib.; bulk wieners, $1.19 Ib. 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