Which is better, rock or sea salt?
Much of the salt (sodium chloride) consumed around the world is rock salt. It is mined from existing salt deposits that were laid down ages ago by now-extinct seas.
In contrast, sea salt is harvested from existing seas by trapping the saline water in tidal basin pools and taking advantage of free solar power to evaporate the water until only the salt remains. It has a stronger flavor and a more interesting character than rock salt. Sea salt's alleged nutritional superiority over rock salt, however, is nonsense. The amount of the extra trace minerals it contains is just too trifling to matter.


How do virgin and extra-virgin olive oils differ?
An extra-virgin olive has a maximum of 1 percent oleic acid because it comes solely from the first cold pressing of the olives.
Virgin olive oil has a moderately higher acidity level (between 1 and 4 percent). This occurs when the olives are pressed harder or more than once. This extra processing extracts more oil, but at the expense of drawing out more of the unwanted acids from the olive pits and skins.
Olive oils with acidity levels above 4 percent are often refined with heat or chemicals and cannot use the term "virgin", being simply labeled "olive oil".




Q & A ¨C COOKING TECHNIQUES

Should you cook vegetables in as little water as possible?
Water can leach water-soluble vitamins (B and C) out of food. So, the less water you use, the fewer vitamins you lose.
Many leafy vegetables, including spinach, need almost no water because the moisture that clings to the leaves after you have washed them is ample for the first minute of cooking. As the leaves cook, they contribute enough water of their own for the pot.
However, cooking in a generous pot of water is called for when you want to reduce the strong flavours of some vegetables.


Why corn should not be boiled in salted water?
Table salt is not pure sodium chloride. It contains traces of other substances, including calcium, an element that can toughen the skin of corn kernels during cooking. That is why it's generally a good idea to let your guests salt their corn on the cob at the table. Not only can they suit their individual preferences and taste, but the corn will also be more tender.
In any event, the toughening effect of table salt is not as pronounced today as in decades gone by. Modern salt-processing techniques remove much of the calcium before the product reaches the supermarket shelf.


Why does the inside of a whole onion sometimes pop out when boiled?
The force that pushes the inside section of the onion out through one of the polar openings is pent-up steam. To avoid this, give the steam one or more extra escape routes by piercing the onion with a thin skewer before you add it to the water or stew.
Another popular countermeasure is to make a 1/4 inch deep, X-shaped incision into the root end. Whatever technique you employ, simmer the onion, because boiling increases the chances of onion-pop by bouncing the bulb around the pot.


When sauteeing both onions and garlic, why must you add the garlic near the end of the sauteeing process?
If you saut¨Ĥe the garlic for as long as is required for the onions, you will certainly burn the garlic, producing a bitter flavor.
If you shorten the saut¨Ĥeing time of the onions to accommodate the garlic, your onions will be insufficiently cooked, giving your dish a raw, un-sweet, oniony flavor.




Q & A ¨C PRODUCE

What gives carrots and other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables their color?
Carotene. Besides adding a colorful excitement to foods, this chemical compound - unlike the other major fruit and vegetable pigments - is a valuable nutrient.
Because it is a provitamin A, it can be converted by your body into vitamin A.
If you've ever seen a vegetarian with a yellow skin tone, he may be suffering from hypercarotenum. It is often caused by consuming vast amounts of carrots or carrot juice. Some of the carotene overdose is deposited in the fatty tissue beneath the skin.