Chef Tinsley’s Braised Conwy Mussels

I recently read an article that had a recipe for deep-fried butter. (I know, it’s gross.) While I don’t necessarily want to fry globs of butter, I would like to learn how to fry other foods such as onion rings, french fries or fish. I’ve never deep-fried anything, and I don’t want to waste a bunch of expensive oil. Can you share a few basic tips for a deep-fry newbie? - Fry Daddy

Helene Boulet has generously agreed to share one of her recipes for duck casserole.

Chicken skewered with vegetables and grilled is far from a novel culinary idea. It’s a dish that makes a regular appearance on many summer dinner tables. In Japan, however, grilled chicken is elevated to new heights with the addition of a piquant, lightly sweetened, soy-based sauce. The Japanese refer to it as yakitori. “Yaki,“ which means grill and “tori,“ which means bird, is more of a cultural movement than simply a meal. Throughout the busy cities of Japan, as workers leave the offices of big, high-rise corporations, a quick stop for a couple of skewers of yakitori and a cold beer is almost always in order.

DEAR ACCIDENTAL CHEF: For the first time this summer, I am trying to grow red chili peppers. I’ve cooked with hot peppers in the past, but it’s always a challenge to not burn myself. Also, how hot are those little red chili peppers, anyhow?—Hot Head in Hanover DEAR HOT HEAD: I remember the first time I felt the sting of capsaicin (that lovely substance that makes a chili so darn hot). I was chopping up some Thai bird’s eye chilies for a Vietnamese dish I was making, and I had gotten lazy and not worn my plastic gloves. Big mistake. In a matter of minutes, I was burning from various parts of my body including my fingers (and underneath my fingernails—ouch!) as well as my lips and my eyes.