There are buttercreams made with butter and powdered sugar, and there are buttercreams made with butter and egg whites. But for the most silky, decadent buttercream of all, you must try this French buttercream made with egg yolks.

Q: I have been sticking to my New Year's resolution to eat healthier, but I'm about to have out-patient surgery. I won't be able to exercise, do much grocery shopping or spend a lot of time preparing meals for a few weeks. Any recommendations for food items to keep on hand in my pantry and fridge or recipes to keep me nourished but not overfed?

Q: I buy a fantastic lemon blueberry granola from a store nearby, but I've been making my own granola lately and want to recreate it. This granola is SOOOO lemony, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. I've tried some other recipes online but you can hardly taste the lemon! Any ideas?

Sent by Zipporah

Yesterday I 'fessed up to something you may be able to relate to: I've spent years in an uneasy relationship with my cast iron skillet. It is so delicate, for all its brawny heft, demanding to be seasoned, kept away from tomatoes, and cleaned just right; if soap or vinegar comes near start all over again! Who needs that kind of fuss in the kitchen? Not me. But I just hadn't learned yet to love my cast iron skillet. 

Given proper loving care — and less of it than you might think — the cast iron skillet can be your friend with benefits in the kitchen. Here are 35 ways to love your skillet more; it will love you back — I promise. 

Q: My blender is on its way out — literally one smoothie away from never working again. I know Vitamix is the ultimate, but it's out of my budget. Any suggestions for alternatives that are cheaper yet still reliable?

Sent by Katherine

Q: I've never cooked with saffron before because of the cost. What would be the best recommendation for a first-timer?

Sent by Meghan

While our party line, here at The Kitchn, is that the cast iron skillet is one of your best friends in the kitchen, I've always been a little intimidated by mine. It just seemed so demanding, so finicky. I'd season it and carefully wash it (wait — was I supposed to use soap? Yes or no?) and dry it, but it would still develop spots of rust. And then I found a better way of drying it, and this pan rose once again in my estimation. 

Q: I'm having issues with my icing colors for cookies and cakes. When using red gel coloring, my icing always turns out pink. How do I achieve richer colors?

Sent by April

Normally, I'm all for minimizing the number of bowls needed for a single task. But when it comes to separating eggs and ensuring that nary a wisp of yolk touches those pristine egg whites, three is the magic number.

Q: I see recipes for peanut sauce, but no matter what combination of ingredients is listed, they all end up tasting flat! Each time I tinker, but it never tastes anything like the peanut sauce you get in decent Thai restaurants. What's their secret? 

Sent by Christine