Q: After I drain cooked spaghetti, I rinse under cold water, then drain well.  However, when I put the pasta in a bowl or on a plate with the sauce, everything seems to water out...and I end up pouring off excess liquid.  What am I doing wrong?

Nikki D.

Q: I used your recipe to make Southern Soda Bread - directions said to shield it using aluminum foil. I did what I thought shield meant, covered the loaf pan. The batter rose to the top and stuck. The bread is fine but what did you mean by 'shield"? 

From the recipe: "2. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Rotate pans in oven, and shield with aluminum foil." 
Dr. Lew Jury.,  Manheim, PA

A: Dr. Jury,  Thanks so much for the email.  By shield, we mean to loosely cover with foil to prevent the bread (or pastry, or pound cake) from overbrowning.  This is usually done after the bread is turning golden on the  outside, but isn’t completely done on the inside. From our testing, it should have been cooked enough after 45 minutes to not stick when shielded. Best regards, Scott Jones

Barbecue is serious business.  I've always felt it was akin to the martial arts -- whether it's a shack in the Carolina's or a city affair in Memphis or Kansas City, everyone's convinced they're practicing the purest form.  And Texans are no exception.  A fact which comes through loud and clear on every page of TEXAS BBQ by photographer Wyatt McSpadden.

Ok, lets face it, our readers look to us to have a pretty discerning palate. If you asked the Food staff to gather around our giant Test Kitchen table (which we do at least once a day, usually two, to analyze each and every recipe in our magazine) to comment on a box cake mix, processed cheese food, powdered gravy mix, or frozen meal kits, you'd probably get a few cutting glances and unhappy smiles. You, the readers, have high expectations from the entire Food staff each month and hey, I don’t blame you. 

We’re a “motley crew” of foodies--culinary school grads, professional caterers, real moms with hungry families, professional food writers, and even a food scientist, so we should know what we are talking about, right? We love to deliver honest, wholesome recipes to you each month and we walk the walk 99% of the time.

The March issue of Southern Living features a few of the Food staff's favorite Spring soups.  Unfortunately, due to space, we had to leave one of the story's best ideas on the cutting room floor: super-cool, easy-to-make ice bowls.

Q: I have a recipe for Chocolate Turtle Cake, but I'm having a hard time finding two of the recipe's ingredients: chocolate extract and dulce de leche ice cream topping?  Any advice on where I can find them? Jasmine D., Poole, KY

  Very cool!  A few weeks back I was invited to judge the "Food Magicians" episode of the Food Network's hit show "Challenge."

Marian Cairns, Southern Living Test Kitchen Specialist and all-around national ambassador for the magazine, will appear on the CBS Early Show tomorrow morning (Fat Tuesday!) around 8:30 (EST).

This past week, a few members of the Southern Living Food team hung out with Ree Drummond, known in the blogosphere as The Pioneer Woman.  Ree chronicled the experience on her super-popular website.  Read on.

Q: I'm throwing a surprise party with 20 guests.  Is it possible to convert your classic Hummingbird Cake to a sheet cake? Andrea M., South Dennis, MA