A quick reminder: if you're asking about a recipe you saw on-air, please don't forget to include the station and/or Web site in your e-mail. If you're asking about a Mr. Food recipe, it can most likely be found at www.mrfood.com.

Q: I want to make a juicy hamburger, but the meats at the grocery store have too much fat. What part of the cow do they use for the best burger? -- Justin L.

A: Funny you should mention hamburgers, as that's what's on the menu here at Chez Wilson tonight.

First off, quit buying your ground meat at the grocery store. If you don't have a neighborhood butcher shop that grinds to order, buy your steaks whole and make your ground beef at home!

You don't need a meat grinder to make ground beef. Your food processor will do the job quite nicely. I generally use equal amounts of sirloin and round (chuck can substitute for sirloin), cut into cubes. Load a few ounces at a time into your food processor and grind, pulsing about 2 seconds at a time, for 7-10 pulses. Check it by hand (WATCH THE BLADES!) for desired grind.

Mold your burgers by hand, adding a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper for seasoning, and enjoy!

Q: I read sometime ago that there is no difference between white and brown eggs other than color. Is this true? -- Clarence P.

A: Ah, another culinary Urban Legend laid to rest! According to the Egg Nutrition Insitute (and every other reputable source I could find) there is no difference in either taste OR nutrition between brown and white eggs. The colors of the eggs are related to the colors of the chickens that produce them. That's all!

Q: I used a recipe that called for dry sherry. After opening the bottle, do I need to refrigerate it? The recipe uses very little sherry, so there is a lot left in the bottle. Will the sherry spoil if not used up very soon? -- Sue M.

A: Kept tightly capped and refrigerated, sherry will last nine months to a year. If you splurged and got the corked kind, your liquor store should have available a wine "keeper" designed to seal the bottle for storage.

Q: What is "bench flour?" --Marlene

A: I used this term in a "Short Orders" recipe and failed to explain it properly. Bench flour is flour not intended to be a major part of the cooked item, simply used to help keep dough from sticking to your kneading surface. It's generally intended to be all-purpose flour, although anything but self-rising can be used.

Q: I really enjoy your tips, along with your recipes. When the Chart House Restaurant was located in the French Quarter, I would sometimes get Coconut Shrimp. I have attempted several recipes for this, but have not been very successful. However, it's the dipping sauce that I can not find a recipe for. Do you have a recipe for the Dipping Sauce for Coconut Shrimp? -- Lyman R.

A: The best dipping sauce I've come up with for Coconut Shrimp is a simple mixture of equal parts of pina colada mix and crushed pineapple (undrained), with a healthy handful of toasted coconut thrown in for texture. It takes all of three minutes to make, and has that "restaurant" taste.

Q: What can you do to take the can/metal taste out of canned tomatoes and tomato sauce? --Gwendolyn E.

A: A teaspoon of sugar per can of tomatoes will generally neutralize that "canned" taste. If you're of a mind, a splash of white wine will do the trick also. There are flavor compounds in tomatoes that only come out when mixed with alcohol, and you'll be surprised at how the taste will "bloom" with a dose of vino!

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