MoonFisher's advice column | MoonFisher's Advice About Cooking

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Q: I heard that atkins is better for men than women, is this true?

Atkins is actually a healthier diet than what most americans eat, but only if followed correctly. So many people think it's all about eating steak and chicken. Most of the Atkins diet consists of vegetables. It is probably true that men are not affected as badly by a high protein diet as women because their BMI is lower and they have more lean muscle. The truth is, the healthiest thing you can do is cut out crap, eat lots of fruit and vegetable, and drink plenty of water. There, I just invented a new fad diet.

Q: I'm making "Day of the Dead Bread" for Spanish class, and it's due tomorrow. I was just wondering, is it ok to let the bread rise for more than the allotted time (it says about 1 -1/2 hours)? My mom and my aunt think it's ok if you go a little over, as long as you don't go under the rising time. Just wanting to know, as it's handy information.

You should be fine, just make sure you don't leave it TOO long or you'll end up with some puffy-ass bread.

Q: Hello guys,
I'm in the habit of baking sugar cookies for most major holidays, and this Yuletide, I was given the suggestion that, for the benefit of all my geeky gamer friends, I make D&D shaped cookies. This instantly sparked my interest. I'm already thinking about elfcookies with sparkly tunics, unicorn cookies with white frosting, pretzel sticks with a doubleheaded axe... but my friend wants Orc cookies. Typical. How am i supposed to make an Orc with a gingerbread man shaped cutter? I can figure out how to make an orc shape and trace around each one, but here are my problems:

1.How can I make brown or dark frosting that isn't molasses (too sticky) and will stay put, or dry hard so I can stack the cookies without mooshing them? I usually use a milk and powdered sugar mix that dries hard, but how to dye it brown or black?
2. What sort of edible decorations can I use for armor? Chex? m&m's? I can't think of anything good!

Anyone have any good ideas?

My mother is a professional cake decorator and she manages to find all the food colours she needs at a decorating shop. You should be able to get some basic colours at the grocery store to make brown or black frosting, though black tastes icky and you're better off going for a light blue (silverish) colour. For the armour, you can use laffy taffy! Roll it out flat and then cut the armor shapes from it, lol. Just an idea! Or, you can be REALLY daring and make a little cardboard cutout of the armor shape. Then buy some chocolate chips or meltable dipping chocolate, melt it, and pour it into the armour moulds to make it shape and cool into armor pieces. Have fun, from one D&D nerd to another!

Q: does anyone know a really good recipe for a dinner [preferably vegatarian, but if it's not that's OK] that could feed a family of 5 or 6?

Eggplant Parmesian is good if you eat dairy.

You will need:

an eggplant
bread crumbs (lipton garlic herb is best, plain will do fine, or just blend some bread slices)
Vegetable or Olive oil
3-4 eggs
Your favorite tomatoe or spaghetti sauce
Mozzerella cheese
Parmesian cheese

Peel an eggplant, slice it into coins. Mix together three or four eggs and dip the eggplant in the eggs, covering it thoroughly. Then dip the egg covered eggplant coin into the bread crumbs and completely cover it. Heat the oil in a pan until a drop of water sizzles in it. Put mixture-covered eggplant slices into the oil and fry until golden. Put all these golden fried coins into a pan, cover with tomato or spaghetti sauce and grated mozzerella cheese and parmisian. Heat in oven at 350 until cheese is melted.

Q: Perhaps I'm just the stupidest person in the world, but I have this difficulty in making cookies.Normally it's that I add too much of one ingridient, or too little of another, or that I set the oven to the wrong time. My whole family is mad, because we were having a party, and Mom told me to make cookies, except they were quite horrible, and one guest threw-up. Is there anything I can do to fix this problematic situation!

Only one thing to do:

Slow your booty down and READ THE DAMN INTRUCTIONS.

If you can't read the instructions in the recipe, then how can you expect us to believe that you would follow the advice in this column. You seem literate enough. Quit psyching yourself out over it and just follow the directions,

Q: does anyone know how to make the salsa dip not as spicy cause we bought extra spicy on accident and its wayy to hott!! do you think its ok to put sugar in it? ok well i hope someone knows how cause my mouth is on fire!!!!!

Don't add sugar. I would just go buy mild and mix it together, or chop up some tomatoes and fry them and add them to it. I always make my own salsa.

Q: what do u put in potatoe salad and how do u make it?

To make it easier, I peel and then dice the potatoes BEFORE boiling them. Boil them until soft and then run them under cool water in a strainer. I add some sliced up hard boiled egg, chopped celery, relish, dill pickle, green onion, black or green olives, pimentos if you like them and then add mayo until I get the right consistency. Then add a little squirt of mustard and stir until the color looks just right. Then I add some pepper and garlic salt, and some folks sprinkle red pepper or paprika on top.

Q: Anyone know some good cookie recipies- only give me ur favorites. Thanx

I can give you the best peanut butter cookie recipe in the world! I hate peanut butter cookies that don't taste like peanut butter! They taste like someone just waved the pb jar over the dough for a sec and made sugar cookies. These are REALLY peanut-buttery, yummy, and ridiculously easy.

Ingredients:

One cup peanut butter (crunchy is best, but creamy will work)
One cup granulated (normal) sugar
One egg

Mix these three things together, heat oven to 350. Refrigerate dough for about an hour. Drop onto GREASED cookie sheet in tablespoons and flatten with a fork. Maybe sprinkle some sugar on top for fun. Cook for about 10 minutes or until brown. DO NOT TOUCH THEM until completely cool or they will fall apart. For fun, you can add some chocolate chips. Is that easy or what? Makes a nice, chewy cookie.