Questions & Answers from the Food Network

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Published April 1, 2008 at 3 p.m.

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My boyfriend insists that a good pie crust must be made with shortening and not with butter. I prefer real butter. What is your verdict? - Rhonda Moody, Lexington, Ohio

The butter-vs.-shortening debate is a lively one, and not without merit on either side. The goal, when you're making pie crust, is to coat the flour with fat to keep it from binding with liquid. That coating needs to be done as gently as possible to create a tender dough without developing the gluten that leads to toughness.

Shortening, due to its solid-even-when-heated nature, is much easier to work with than butter is, and it makes for an extra-flaky crust, since it has no extra liquid to bind with (butter is part water). Butter crusts, though more difficult, have an extra payoff in flavor.

When you're using butter, the butter needs to be as cold as possible, ideally remaining solid. The bits of cold butter melt and create steam in the oven, forcing the dough into flaky layers. When you're making a butter dough, try to touch the butter as little as possible, and do so only with your fingertips (the coldest part of your hands). The food processor (on "pulse") is also great for incorporating butter without heating it too much.

What is the best way to brew coffee in a French press? Amanda Hiteshew, Vallejo, Calif.

The major secret to getting great coffee from a French press is to make sure you have a coarse, even grind. (Coffee obsessives will say the only way to get a proper grind is to use a burr grinder. Because of the evenness, blade grinders tend to give you chunks and dust, which is fine for drip but problematic for French press, due to the way it's filtered.) Then add a heaping tablespoon per cup to the carafe. Add just-boiled (slightly cooler than boiling) water to the carafe, making sure to saturate all the grounds. Stir quickly until a "bloom" (a light brown foam) forms, then cover and let steep for two to four minutes, depending on the size of your carafe. Then press the filter straight down and pour.

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