Jon asks: What is panko? You always refer to it as “Japanese Bread Crumbs” in your recipes, but what is it exactly?

Panko originated (sort of) in Japan and is made from specially baked, crustless white bread. The coarsely ground crumbs are larger and more delicate because the crumb itself is slivered and oblong, instead of rounded like traditional breadcrumbs.

This light and airy crumb shape coats the food instead of compressing on to it. This keeps fried or baked food from absorbing oil so it stays at its crunchy best. Food tastes lighter and less heavy.

Many larger supermarkets have panko in the “ethnic” aisle. You can almost always find it in Asian markets, as well.

Oh, and when I say panko “sort of” originated in Japan, it’s because the Portuguese introduced bread to Japan. The word panko comes from the Portuguese word for bread (pão) and –ko, the Japanese suffix for crumb: pão + ko = panko.

Sorry… Mama’s gone all Tracy Flick again. I’m working on it.

Blanca asks: What is the difference between regular salt and kosher salt? If I don’t have kosher salt, can I just use regular salt in my recipe?

There’s something so flamboyantly romantic and artistic when a chef reaches into a crock for a pinch of salt and throws it into the food with a flourish (and, no, Mama doesn’t find it the least bit show-offish). It just wouldn’t have the same effect if the chef stood there with a saltshaker… shaking, shaking, shaking… would it?

Anyhow, that’s kosher salt the chef is using… not table salt.

Chefs love kosher salt because the large grains make it easy to season with and because it dissolves slowly in cooking. It’s also chemical free, so it tastes better.

Unlike kosher salt, anti-caking chemicals are added to table salt to help it flow freely out of the saltshaker. Iodine is also in there, and has been since 1924, when the government asked the Morton Salt Co. to add it to its product. (People weren’t getting enough iodine in their diets, so the government stepped i… hard to imagine that happening today without an uproar, huh?).

Table salt also weighs more than kosher salt, so that’s another reason why you can’t substitute it equally.

So to answer your question, there is a difference: texture, taste and weight.

Oh, one other thing… and as long as no organic ingredient is introduced into it, salt, kosher or table, keeps forever. For more info about different kinds of salt, click here.

Jay asks: What’s the difference between a Yam and a Sweet Potato? Can I use them interchangeably?

Yams and sweet potatoes are both fleshy, orange tubers, that’s true, but you’d be hard pressed to find a REAL YAM in a regular supermarket. For years, food companies have been putting sweet potatoes into cans and mislabeling them “yams.”

The confusion between yams and sweet potatoes probably began in the early 1950’s when Louisiana sweet potato growers started using the term “yam” as a marketing tool. The Food and Drug Administration requires that canned yams also have “sweet potato” on the label.

Yams are a starchy tuberous tropical vegetable native to Asia and Africa. They are very bland and very, very dry when cooked. Occasionally, you’ll find yams (sometimes) in Latin American, Japanese or African grocery stores, but more often than not, they are actually sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes come in several sizes and colors (yellow, orange, red, brown, purple and beige). Darker sweet potatoes tend to be more flavorful.

• Louisiana: The standard supermarket sweet potato. Moist and delicately sweet.
• Garnet and Jewel: Smaller, with deep orange-red skins and flesh.
• Jersey: Light in color and a bit drier than other sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes may look hearty, but they’re actually quite perishable. Look for smooth, bruise-free skins with pointed ends. Use them within a week of buying and store them in a cool, dry place.

To (finally!) answer your question, Mama wouldn’t use real yams (if you find them) and sweet potatoes interchangeably because yams are so dry and basically flavorless. You can fry yams into chips, but they are better suited for stews or soups that have a lot of liquid.

Here’s a terrific sweet potato recipe… enjoy!

Florence asks: I’ve started baking gluten-free and a lot of recipes (including yours!) call for something called Xanthan gum. What is it and why do I need it… I don’t want more chemicals in my food!

No one wants more chemicals in their food, so I totally hear you. But Florence, Xanthan gum is not a chemical! It’s made by fermenting corn sugar with a tiny bacterial microorganism called (are you ready?) Xanthomonas campestris. It’s a completely natural carbohydrate.

Xanthan gum adds volume and viscosity to your gluten-free baking… in other words, it makes your dough sticky. Big food companies have been using it for years as an emulsifier and thickener.

I’m sure you’ve considered leaving it out, since it doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy to find in the supermarket. Well, if you are going to start baking gluten-free, and you want great results… find it and use it.

Actually, it is a lot easier to get these days than it was even a year ago. Bob’s Red Mill has it in half-pound bags… more than enough for a month’s worth of baking because a little bit goes a long way! You can usually find it on the ever-expanding gluten-free aisle or with the speciality flours.

One thing to keep in mind… Xanthan gum can be made from fermenting wheat and soy (as well as corn), so if you’re trying to be Gluten-Free… read the label!