Any questions plaguing your mind?
Just e-mail me and I'll post the answers right here on this page.


Dear L,

I loved your list of top 10 favorite spices! I think I'll be a little more daring when I want to spice up my meals. But, how do the dried spices compare to fresh herbs? What do I need to know about them?


Sincerely,
Jessica
Atlanta, Georgia



Hi Jessica,


Great question! Dried spices differ from fresh in the fact that they have a much more concentrated flavor. Approximately 1 teaspoon of dried herbs equals the flavor of 3 teaspoons of fresh. Dried herbs are great because they will last a lot longer but nothing beats the taste of fresh herbs, so save them for special occasions! Thanks for writing!


Best,

L

Dear Lauren,

I will be moving into an apartment in Sept 2007 with three other girls. How do you suggest that we share food expenses that will be fair for all of us? We all have different eating habits and styles.


Thanks for your advice,
Courtney
Gainesville, Florida



Courtney-

Your best bet is to divvy up the refrigerator and pantry into assigned shelves or areas. I live with three other girls and we each have our own section of food. For the freezer, this is tougher. We have a permanent marker in the kitchen and put our initials on whatever is ours. This is a good way to make sure you only use what is yours. Also, talk to your roommates about sharing items such as milk and eggs so that you do not have 4 of each in the refrigerator. The first few weeks of living together will be a little confusing but with time you will get in the grove of knowing who eats what.


Congrats on your apartment!

L



Lauren,

I'm going to be a college freshman in a couple months, what types of cooking supplies do you suggest I buy?

Thanks!
Simone, Boca Raton, Fl., Age 18

Hi Simone:

Well if you are living in the dorms, space is an issue so you really want to buy only what you need and shouldn’t spend too much money in case something happens to your cookware. I would also recommend talking to your future roommate and find out what you can share with each other. From experience, I have found out that those kitchen sets in a box are of very poor quality and don’t last too long. You are better off searching around and finding a sale even if it means having mismatched pieces. Here are the things I can’t live without:

Non-stick frying pan
Medium sized pot with lid
Grill pan (I cook so many different things on my grill pan, it offers great flavor without a bar-b-que. There are some good deals on Amazon.com, so check those out.)
Small rice cooker
Decent pair of tongs
Wooden mixing spoon
Rubber spatula
Sharp knife
Small cutting board
Medium sized plastic bowl
Medium sized baking sheet



I hope this helps!


L


Dear Lauren-


My dorm room fridge is small and has an even smaller freezer. It can only hold one breast of frozen chicken. How do you suggest I store chicken without having to go to the grocery store often to get more?


-Frantic without a freezer



Dear Frantic without a freezer:


I remember those mini refrigerators that hardly hold anything quite well! My freezer was tiny and it didn’t work, I had to find this out the hard way though. I bought popsicles and opened the refrigerator to find them melted all over the place, it was a sticky mess! What I would suggest is to buy a package of chicken and precook it the day or two after you buy it, such as grilling, baking or sautéing it. Then store it well in an air tight container and heat it up the night you want to eat it. Cooked foods last a while when it’s stored well and refrigerated, don’t be afraid to save leftovers and not eat them for a few days.

Good Luck-
L