Below is a list of some common asked questions relating to the Chef industry. It's like the old saying goes, "there is no such thing as a stupid question... only stupid answers". If there is a food related question you have in mind, feel free to contact the Cyber Chef.

Question: How do I know when meat such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, etc. is cooked?

Answer: The rule of thumb is, the more firm the meat is the more it is cooked. There is a test for practice you can do. Hold your left hand out straight, with the fingers spread. With one of your other fingers, poke the flesh on the underside of your hand on the outside for rare. Poke the center of the underside of your hand for well done. Poke the flesh on the underside of your hand under the thumb for medium. You can feel the difference in the firmness of the hand.

Question: What should I be looking for in seafood, in terms of freshness?

Answer: There are a few things to remember that are plain old common sense. 1) Seafood should have little to no smell. It is when the product gets older when the odors start coming out. 2) Whole fish such as salmon, halibut, etc. should have firm flesh and spring back when pressed with the finger; clear eyes; fresh looking gills that are pink and clear; bones that are firmly attached that don't pull apart too easily and of course "no odor". 3) Properly stored, being refrigerated and, or iced at all times?

Question: What is the best way for preparing vegetables for freshness, nutrition, etc.

Answer: First of all, most of the food value in fruits and vegetables is found just under the skin. If you have to peel them for processing try to remove as little of skin as possible. When it come to cooking, steaming is one of the best forms, but can be less convenient at home. For boiling us enough water to just cover the product. Have that water boiling before placing the food in and return that boil back as quickly as possible. Cook until done, do not over cook, drain and serve. Most vegetables are more nutritious slightly cooked because your body can digest them better compared to raw.

Question: Is it save to freeze thing a second time?

Answer: Yes to a certain degree. It will take away from the quality because when water (moisture) freezes, it expands. When the moisture freezes in food it sort of distroys the grain of the fabric or texture. When thawing food, it should be done in the refrigerator, so that bacteria does not grow. This is why they say not to freeze thing twice. In my mind it is better than chucking it out, but maybe some foods can be cooked first before freezing it a second time.

Question: How long will food last in the refrigerator and how can I tell when it is bad?

Answer: Depending on the product, fresh foods should last a good 5 to 7 days or more, under the proper temperatures(34°F to 38°F). Air is one of the factors in the process of spoiling foods. So always keep food wrapped with plastic wrap and for best results use vacuumed sealed bags. It is not very difficult to distinguish spoiled or bad foods, look for the following sings. 1) Smell, usually foul, sour, or just not right, you will know. 2) Bad taste with as small sample, use as a last resort. 3) Visual test, look for unfresh signs such as discolouring, wilting and other sad looking sites

Question: The Boys and I are having deep fried fish tonight back at the camp, any suggestions?

Answer: That stuff will kill you, but the best info I can tell you is "don't burn the camp down", use a proper deep frier. When it come to deep frying it's the same as frying or sautéing, so get your oil up to temperature (hot) first. Dip your fish into the batter and when placing it into the oil, don't just drop it in. Hold the piece of fish as close to being submerged as possible, until it wants to float on its own, then release it so that it does not sink to the bottom and get stuck.

Question: Why is it when some recipes call for flour they ask for amounts in a certain range, example 2 to 3 cups?

Answer: Well it's like this, flour is very exceptable to retaining moisture from the atmosphere (humidity). So the more humid the conditions are the more damp the flour will be and the more flour will have to be added. Recipes rely on the experience of the chef to know when enough flour has been added. You will have to look for certain signs such as consistency to know when enough flour has been added.

Question: I had heard that there is a special way to slice roasts such as "roast beef", true or false?

Answer: True, you want to slice roasts such as beef in what they call "against the grain". If you were to slice the roast "with the grain" it would be stringy and tough. Slicing the roast against the grain will help to promote tenderness. Slice the roast in half and look for the directions of the grains. If you are already going against the grain you will see diamond shaped holes on the exposed sides of the roast. If not you will see the grains running along the sliced sides, slice accordingly.

Question: It would seems that I am having a difficult time cooking rice. It is always sticky, under cooked, etc, do you have any suggestions?

Answer: First of all, I always use "converted" rice. When cooking rice they say to use 2 parts stock (or water) to 1 part rice. I find an easy way to judge the amount of liquid to rice, no matter the volume being cook, is to dip your index finger into the liquid until you have reached the rice and the liquid should come up to your first knuckle. Now bring to a boil, cover and remove from the heat and let stand until fully cooked.

Question: Is there an easy way to know what temperature to cook meats at?

Answer: Yes there is, remember this rule of thumb. "The leaner the meat the hotter the oven". If you have a fatty roast you would want to cook it a lower temperature (275°F to 300°F), so that the fat cooks and melts off before the meat is done.

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