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Q: What is the best way to cook veal chops so that they do not come out hard? Is it best to prepare them as one would stew? I've tried simmering them only to have them come out as hard as shoe leather, or when cooking for a short interval, chops are chewy. I realize veal is not as tender as beef, but do not wish to use meat tenderizer because of the high sodium content. When preparing veal cutlets, I pound them out. I also realize the cut of meat is just as important since some are softer than others. -- Mrs. M.

A: Not only are meat tenderizers loaded with sodium, they can be packed with MSG, which if you're allergic like me can lead to some interesting migraines.

Try a marinade! Using a soak with some sort of mild acidity, with wine or even a flavored vinegar (in SMALL doses!) will partially break down the fibers in the meat and make it more tender when cooked. Don't overmarinate, though, or you'll end up with a gooey texture. For a veal chop, I'd recommend no longer than an eight-hour marinade.

Q: I recently made a trip to Florida, and went to the Golden Corral restaurant. Their pot roast was the greatest, with a really seared crust. I would love to know how they did that. I do not think it was just done by searing for quite awhile. But what do you think? -- Nana

A: Ah, the lure of the all-you-can-eat roast. I won't lie to you and say I never succumb, but once you make your own pot roast at home, you'll never be quite as satisfied with the buffet version.

The formation of crust on meat is a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. It's not the time so much as the heat that governs your crust formation. For my pot roast, I put my cast-iron skillet over high heat for about five minutes, then put my roast (which has been allowed to warm up a bit from refrigerator temperature and dusted with kosher salt) into the skillet. There will be a tremendous amount of noise and a marvelous aroma.

For a "flat" roast, give it about two minutes on each side. For a round one, just roll it a bit every 90 seconds or so until your desired crust is achieved.

You can then braise the roast with your choice of fixings and enjoy the results!

Q: How do I make chewy cookies as compared to crispy ones? I prefer crispy cookies, but my son prefers chewy. How do I adjust a recipe to make the cookies chewy? -- Lori Ann M.

A: You know, it is sorely tempting at this point to pontificate and appear wise, but I simply can't in good conscience completely co-opt knowledge that has been put in such brilliant form by someone else.

Alton Brown, on his Food Network show "Good Eats," gave a veritable tutorial on how to make whatever sort of chocolate chip cookie you prefer. Proteins and fats are the building blocks, and their amounts and forms are what makes the difference. Starting with the basic Toll House recipe we all know and love, and making small changes to the ingredients, you can make the Thin cookie, the Puffy, or my personal favorite, the Chewy.

Just for fun, print out all three recipes and compare them. The subtle differences in the ingredients will get you thinking about some of your own recipes, and how small changes might improve them or give you a different dish altogether.

Oh, and they're not in the recipe, but I've found that 1/3 c. of finely chopped pecans added to the Chewy recipe makes a great cookie into something beyond words.

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