Q: What is the difference between waffles and Belgian waffles?

A: Belgian waffles have deeper pockets than American-style waffles, which makes them great for holding lots of little pools of syrup. The texture is also lighter and crispier.

To make a Belgian waffle, you need a waffle iron with a deeper, larger grid pattern. Most Belgian waffle recipes are yeast-based, to get that crispy texture. But you also can use a waffle batter that uses beaten egg whites for lightness.

Q: I’ve always added dried baby lima beans when I roast brisket. But lately, they won’t soften, no matter how long I cook them. Soaking them first doesn’t help. The only change is that I’ve been using a friend’s brisket recipe, which calls for chili sauce.

A: The idea that salting beans makes them tough has been overturned by a number of studies. But there are several other things that can cause beans to stay hard.

The most common is age. Dried beans keep a long time, but they don’t keep forever.

Your culprit sounds like acidity. Ingredients like tomatoes can keep beans from getting soft when they cook. That chili sauce you started adding is probably what’s causing the trouble.