Q: What can you use cocoa nibs for?
Galin, via e-mail
A: Cocoa nibs are simply roasted cocoa beans separated from their husks and broken into small bits. The nibs are a new favorite and can be used in place of nuts on top of ice cream or in cookies and even eaten as a snack.

Q: What is BHA or BHT, and why is it in shortening?
K.V., Covina, Calif.
A: Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are phenolic compounds that are often added to foods to preserve fats. BHA and BHT are antioxidants. Oxygen reacts preferentially with BHA or BHT rather than oxidizing fats or oils, thereby protecting them from spoilage.

Q: We use ripe bananas to make banana bread, but the bread always turns out heavy. What are we doing wrong?
C.L., Laramie, Wyo.
A: Bakers often relegate bananas that are too ripe for eating to banana bread. They are sweet and full of flavor, but just too mushy to sell as a snack or used for pastries. The trouble is that as bananas ripen, their acidity decreases, so their reaction with baking soda weakens. A good banana bread formula ensures adequate leavening by using both baking powder and baking soda.

Q: When baking with waxed paper, the paper smokes and chars. Is waxed paper not the same as parchment paper?
W.A., High Point, N.C.
A: Parchment paper and waxed paper are not the same. Waxed paper is paraffin-coated tissue paper. The wax melts at low temperatures, the paper smokes and chars, and liquid breaks it down easily. Parchment paper, on the other hand, is made by running sheets of paper through a sulfuric acid bath, a process that makes the paper strong enough to withstand to heat and moisture. The surface of parchment is hard, smooth and impermeable, so it doesn’t soak up grease or moisture. Many manufacturers also apply a silicone coating, making the paper entirely nonstick.