Ask the Expert: Cuisine

Question: I want to plan a romantic dinner for my husband. Can you recommend a menu that is special yet quick and easy to prepare? Gracie M., Johnson City, TN

Answer: There are as many different romantic menus as there are couples. Of course, your final choice has to meet the taste preferences of both you and your husband. That said, lobster tails are one of the most classically romantic dinners you can serve. If you have never prepared a lobster tail, rest assured it is very easy! Purchase two lobster tails from your local market. If frozen, thaw the lobster tails the night before in your refrigerator.

To prepare them, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; next, use cooking shears to cut down the center of the shell. Do not cut into the fan-tailed portion of the shell. Gently separate the shell and lift out the meat without detaching it from the shell. Season the meat to taste with salt, fresh lemon juice and little dabs of butter. Place the lobster tails in a shallow pan (meat side up) and place in the oven to bake. A 4 – 6 ounce lobster tail takes about 5 –7 minutes to cook while a 10 –12 ounce tail takes about 8 – 10 minutes to cook. For the last minute or two, place the oven on broil to brown the tops of the lobster tails. Keep your eye on the lobsters so they don’t burn. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and melted butter. Round out your meal with a baked potato, fresh green beans, a tossed salad and your favorite bottle of wine and romance is in the air.

Question: I have a recipe that calls for lemon zest but I am not sure what this is. Will the recipe come out the same if I leave out this ingredient? Veronica F., Newtown, CT

Answer: The outermost part of the rind of lemons and other citrus fruits are often used to flavor recipes. What most people call the “skin” of the fruit consists of the zest, which is the yellow part in a lemon, and the pith, which is the white membrane below the yellow. The zest has an intense flavor without being bitter. Since the pith may have a bitter taste recipes usually call for only the zest.

In order to add this to your recipe, you will need to have a fresh lemon on hand. One medium-sized lemon yields about 2 –3 teaspoons of zest. The easiest way to obtain the zest is to use a tool called a lemon zester. When you run the zester over the skin, it will produce long, fine strings of zest. If you don’t have a zester you can use a microplane grater or even a sharp knife. The object is to obtain only the outmost part of the rind in very fine pieces. If you leave this ingredient out of your recipe, you might find that it has a less intense flavor than intended. Add the zest to add some zing to your recipes!

Question: I just bought a new oven and everything I cook is getting burnt even though I am setting the temperature according to the recipe directions. Help! Jessica M., Las Vegas, NV

Answer: Take heart - you are experiencing a very common problem. All ovens do not heat equally and your ruined recipes may have nothing to do with how you are following the directions. Oven knob or digital readings have been reported as high as 100 degrees F (Fahrenheit) different than the actual internal temperature of the oven. There are two possible solutions to this problem. The first is to calibrate your oven. Every manufacturer has a slightly different way in which to do this. You might be able to find information about your particular oven in the owner’s manual or on a Web site such as www.appliance411.com. Alternatively, you can call a professional.

The second solution is to use an oven thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of your oven. Oven thermometers are inexpensive and designed to hang inside your oven. You can easily check the thermometer periodically to determine if your oven is getting too hot.

And finally, you might want to adjust your shelves to make sure your bottom rack is not too close to the heating element.

Question: How do I know when pasta is done? Danielle T., Dallas, TX

Answer: The worst thing you can do to pasta is over cook it so it becomes mushy. Pasta should be cooked ‘al dente’. Literally, this means ‘to the tooth’. This phrase implies that tasting the pasta every few minutes while you are cooking it is the best way to determine when it is done. You will know it when you taste it! You want the pasta to be tender but firm ‘to the tooth’. Once the pasta is done to your liking, drain immediately or it will keep cooking.

Question: What is a Vidalia onion? Can it be used in recipes the same way as a regular onion? Colette O., Bayside, NY

Answer: Most people define a “regular” onion as the yellow onion but there are actually several varieties of onions including the Vidalia. The Vidalia onion is a sweeter onion than most. In order to use the trademarked name of Vidalia, the onion must be grown in one of twenty approved counties within the state of Georgia. This geographical region produces sweeter onions due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil. Georgia is so proud of its Vidalia onions, they made them the state vegetable in 1990. There is even a Vidalia onion museum.

Vidalia onions can be used in most recipes in place of yellow onions. It is really a matter of personal taste. Keep in mind that the Vidalia onion is sweeter and has higher water content than a yellow onion. For the best flavor of any type of onion, store them in cool, dry, open places away from light and moisture.