Q: What olive oil should I use for salads or guacamole? Is there a different one for cooking? I get very confused by the different olive oils. -- Mark R.

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A: The most common olive oil is extra virgin. It has a green or yellow-green color, and the good ones will have a peppery flavor that stands on its own in salad dressings and recipes. If you're Mario Batali, you also deep-fry in extra-virgin oil.

For those of us on a normal budget, there is fine or "fino" olive oil. It's a mixture of extra-virgin and regular olive oil, and won't hit your wallet nearly as hard. It's a good choice for frying up to about 340 degrees. If you want to go higher than that, you'll want to get "light" olive oil, which is highly filtered to remove the color and flavor, raising the smoke point.

Q: Do I have to refrigerate my oil after I have fried with it? -- Unknown

A: As long as your pantry (or wherever you store your oil) stays dark and doesn't get above 75 degrees for any length of time, you can store your properly filtered used fry oil there.

You can get oil filter kits in the camping-supply section at your local sporting goods store, or at some kitchen stores. You can try to use a kitchen funnel and a standard coffee filter, but you might be waiting until the next ice age for the oil to drain through the fine paper.

Q: Could you tell me the best way to start the fire for a grill? -- Madelon

A: Years ago, my dad used to pile his charcoal briquets in a three-pound coffee can before putting the lighter fluid on and lighting it. He would use tin snips and cut open the bottom of the can, folding back some of the cut pieces to make legs to ventilate the bottom. The can allowed him to stack the briquets higher, concentrating the heat and making them light more quickly.

Now, you can go to your local megamart or grill store and get the next generation of that contraption (which is especially handy, since there's no such thing as a three-pound can of coffee anymore). It's a steel cylinder with top and bottom chambers separated by a layer of perforated metal. In the top chamber, you pile your charcoal. In the bottom, you stuff two or three sheets of wadded-up newspaper. Light the newspaper, and the heat is funneled into the charcoal, lighting it without any nasty petroleum products.

Tip: A couple of squirts of vegetable oil on the paper before you wad it up will make the charcoal light even faster.

I haven't used lighter fluid in years.

Q: I found a receipe for a salmon dish which calls for "creme fraiche" as one of the ingredients. What is this? Thanks! -- Patricia

A: Crème fraîche is common in France, where unpasteurized milk products are allowed for sale. In the United States, where our bacterial paranoia forces all milk products to be sterilized, it can be a bit more tricky.

You can get a facsimile of the real thing at gourmet markets, but you might have to choose between buying it and sending Junior to college. Instead, mix one cup of heavy whipping cream and two tablespoons of buttermilk and let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

That's right, I just told you to leave milk out for a full day. Trust me.

Refrigerate your pseudo-crème fraîche for up to 10 days. I'd recommend stocking up on berries and other fresh fruit and spooning a few dollops of cream over the top of parfait glasses full of fruit. You'll want to run out and get a passport so you can fly to Marseilles and get the real thing.

Q: I would like to know the best way to prepare fresh asparagus. In the old days my Mom would just serve it hot out of a can, but I really love the taste of fresh asparagus served at restaurants (buttery and garlic tasting) Can you help? -- Wanda

A: My favorite way to prepare fresh asparagus is by oven-roasting it. But before we get to that, a note on preparing your 'gus for cooking.

Do you usually eyeball your asparagus stalks and cut off the thick part to avoid getting a mouthful of tough fibers? There's an easier way. Take each stalk in your hands, grabbing at the top and bottom, and flex it sharply. It will split at the point where the tough stalk ends and the tender goodness begins. Save the tough ends to make cream of asparagus soup.

Peel and chop a LOT of garlic. I'm not going to tell you how much. You'll know when to stop.

Spray a baking pan with baking spray and lay your asparagus in it. Scatter your chopped garlic over the top and sprinkle with extra-virgin olive oil. Roast at 350 degrees until tender, about 10 minutes. If you like, sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese over the spears right when they come out of the oven.

This is one of those simple recipes that goes with just about anything, but especially well with a big hunk of steak.

Got a question for Ask The Cook? Just drop me a line, anytime!