Q: Hello! Thank you for your column and advice on the different oils. I am so happy to get this information! My question is: Why would frying be still bad for you when you use vegetable oils which are supposed to be good for you? -- Sharon C.

A: There are basically two camps when it comes to deep-frying. On one side, you have the non-fryers, the folks who regard a vat of 350-degree oil as the doorway to dietary hell, a simmering pot of caloric iniquity that will destroy the arteries and quality of life of any who come near. On the other side, we have the Fry Hard crew, the folks who have never met a food they couldn't batter, and whose favorite green vegetable is something fried to a golden brown.

The non-fryers would have you believe that the fat content of anything you immerse in oil reaches the stratosphere, and the Fry Harders will point to tests of dubious scientific accuracy proving that mere teaspoons of oil are absorbed in any fry session.

They're each just about half right, as you might well expect.

Singapore Polytechnic School of Chemical and Life Sciences did an experiment that, of those I've evaluated, most closely approximates the frying conditions in the average home kitchen, using a retail-purchased countertop deep fryer. They chemically (with a list of processes that made my head swim just reading the names) analyzed the foods before and after frying and determined the increase or decrease in fat content resulting from the cooking.

The results, while not great news for the Fry Hard bunch, are at least not as catastrophic as the food police might have you believe.

Chicken wings, for example, unbreaded, absorbed 2.75 grams of fat per 100 grams of uncooked weight. Breaded wings, like my beloved Hooters wings, sucked up 5.8 grams. Potato chips absorbed 2.55 grams, and battered fish, as for fish and chips, absorbed 4.33 grams. How these amounts fit in with your own diet are for you to decide. I'm just providing you the information.

From my own kitchen experience, I can tell you that the temperature at which you fry bears a tremendous relation to how much fat you soak up. Put a breaded item in oil that's not yet to optimum frying temperature and it will soak up oil like a sponge. The whole idea is to "cauterize" your coating and seal it up to prevent oil penetration. This will not only decrease the absorption but give you a better-tasting, higher-quality end product.

As for the types of oil you use, there is endless debate over "healthy" oils. I'm not a doctor, and I'm not about to wade into that deep water. What is plain to anyone who can read, however, is that canola and peanut are your best bets from a price and durability standpoint. They are both neutral oils, imparting no flavor to the food cooked in them. My one exception is fried chicken, where I use melted vegetable shortening to help give the chicken a light crust.

In short, frying is not a low-fat alternative. However, it is and should be a part of every kitchen cook's repertoire in moderation.

Besides, "baked" Twinkies are just weird.

Q: I have noticed that by reading a lot of different recipes they suggest using waxed paper. I have always thought that when baking you were supposed to use parchment paper to line pans. But now I notice that you can use wax paper also. Is there a rule about which kind of paper to use when baking? -- Tina H.

A: Waxed paper can't handle the exposure to high temperatures that parchment can. You will find cake recipes that call for the pans to be lined with waxed paper, and that's fine. The cake batter will insulate the paper from the extreme heat, and the wax will help the cakes slide out with ease. Of course, if you get some of that snazzy new silicone bakeware you won't have to worry about such things.

Waxed paper is far cheaper than parchment paper, so I recommend keeping a roll of it on hand for situations that allow it.

If you're lining cookie sheets or laying out candy, parchment is your best option. I've used a single sheet of parchment 8 or 9 times in the course of a cookie-baking session. If one side starts looking a bit worn out, just flip it over. You'll pay far more for parchment, but for applications like this it's invaluable.

Q: Could you let me know how to make my chicken crispy in the oven and not soft or mushy? -- Marilyn

A: Oven-frying doesn't involve the high contact heat you get with pan- or deep-frying, so you need to give it a little help. Rather than using flour, coat your chicken with cornflake or cracker crumbs to give it a head start on crispiness. Years ago, there was a wicked good recipe for oven-fried chicken on the back of boxes of cornflake crumbs. You might take a look!

Q: I make a "killer" salsa for every holiday and get together (last Easter I made 11 pounds, it was gone way too quickly.) I am wondering what is the best way to freeze any leftovers? The "salsa" does include avocados, in large chunks. I also add lemon juice, and all the other salsa basics. Thanks for your help. -- Cristi

A: I hate to break the news to you, but those chunks of avocado are just what will keep your salsa from freezing successfully. Avocados aren't terribly freezer-friendly, except pureed with the addition of ascorbic acid. You could always make the salsa without the avocados, and add them as you unfreeze batches.

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