Dear Heloise: My sister and I are considering opening a small restaurant in an industrial park where there are a considerable number of companies. We plan to open for breakfast and lunch but not dinner, and close up around 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We’ve taken business classes and spoken to other people who have restaurants, but one of our biggest problems has been coming up with a menu.

One of featured items will be soups. I know there are several types of soups, but we are a little foggy about what soups people like and want to order. Can you tell us what kinds there are, and what ingredients are in them? — Donna and Diana, in Houston

Donna and Diana, soup is a popular dish to serve. Especially in the winter, people love a bowl of homemade soup. Here is the list you requested:

— Bisque: A rich and creamy shellfish-based soup.

— Bouillabaisse: A seasoned soup containing a variety of fresh fish and shellfish. It’s sometime referred to as “fisherman’s stew.”

— Bouillon: A clear soup made with strong beef or chicken broth.

— Chowder: A creamy soup that has potatoes, onions, vegetables, meat or fish. It’s prepared with a milk base.

— Consomme: A broth made with double-strength brown stock, with all the fat removed.

— Gazpacho: A cold Spanish soup made with tomatoes and other fresh vegetables.

— Minestrone: A thick Italian vegetable soup.

Best wishes to the both of you in your new endeavor. — Heloise

A HELOISE QUIZ

Dear Readers: Do you know which pie is America’s favorite dessert?

A) Lemon

B) Cherry

C) Apple

D) Banana cream

E) Key lime

If you guessed C, you’re correct. There are about 186 million apple pies sold in grocery stores annually, with more than 30% of Americans enjoying apple pie more than any other flavor. The average slice of apple pie has about 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. Add a scoop of ice cream to that pie, and you’ll have about 500 calories. — Heloise

CONDENSED OR ­EVAPORATED MILK?

Dear Heloise: I was wondering if condensed milk can be substituted for evaporated milk in recipes. — Lenore J., Aberdeen, South Dakota

Lenore, no, they can’t, and here is why: While both are produced by beating milk until 60% of the water evaporates, sweetened condensed milk has a bunch of sugar added, so it would only work when making candy, homemade ice cream or other desserts.

Evaporated milk can be diluted with an equal amount of water and substituted for fresh milk in recipes. Undiluted, it’s as thick and rich as heavy cream, but without as much fat or calories. — Heloise

GRADUATION GIFT

Dear Heloise: For about 23 years, I’ve been saving quarters and placing them in paper rolls provided by my bank. Each roll contains $5 worth of quarters. I then store the rolls in a dresser. You might wonder why, but I wanted to help my grandson, who is my only grandchild, with college. He is an honor student and will be attending college this coming fall.

I took the rolls to the bank, had them cashed in, and discovered that I had nearly $9,000 in quarters! I know college is expensive, but this will help somewhat and is his high school graduation gift. — A Reader, via email

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.