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I’m not very good at making pie crusts. Any hints?
When a recipe calls for mint, is it peppermint or spearmint?
Should you use shortening or butter when making cookies?
What is the best way to store onions? Mine get soggy quickly in the refrigerator.
Question: I’m not very good at making pie crusts. Any hints?
-Adrienne, LaSalle, LA
Answer: Make sure your fat and liquids are cold, add only just enough liquid to make the dough come together and, don't overwork the dough. Pie crusts are a challenge for many people—and prepared crusts available in the stores are a great way around that problem!
Question: If the recipe calls to use butter but does not indicate unsalted or salted, does it matter which one I use?
--Gerry, Anderson, TX
Answer: Unsalted butter in a recipe allows you to control the salt, since the amount can vary from brand to brand. Salt is added to butter for two reasons: for flavor and to preserve it. Most chefs prefer to work with unsalted butter so that they can exactly control the saltiness. For everyday cooking, the difference is often not great enough to matter, so any type of butter will work fine.
Question: When a recipe calls for mint, is it peppermint or spearmint?
--Joy, Baton Rouge, LA
Answer: Mints vary greatly, so it’s surprising that so few recipes are specific about which type to use. Peppermint is hot and spicy and spearmint is mild and sweet. Spearmint is a good all-purpose choice, because it’s much milder and more likely to go with more foods. It’s also very widely available. If you enjoy stronger mint flavors, though, go with the ones you prefer!
Question: Should you use shortening or butter when making cookies?
--Mary Ann, Chester, AR
Answer: Shortening will give you a chewier cookies and butter will give you a crispier cookie.
Question: What is the best way to store onions? Mine get soggy quickly in the refrigerator.
--Donata, Hot Springs, AR
Answer: Don't keep them in the fridge. There's too much moisture in the fridge which is why they get soggy. Onions like to be in a well-ventilated cool place, away from sunlight. So put them in a basket and keep them somewhere in your kitchen away from sun. A basket on the pantry floor works. The same goes for potatoes—don’t refrigerate them. And don’t mix potatoes and onions in the same basket, either. Both vegetables give off gases that promote spoiling in the other one!
