Q: I have an old dirty oven, but I don't like using harsh cleaning products and I don't feel like scrubbing on my knees all weekend! Can an oven without a self-cleaning function still clean itself, maybe by leaving it on 500 degrees for a day? Any advice would be appreciated!

Sent by Kate

Q: I recently purchased Indian black salt (kala namak) to use in some vegan breakfast recipes as a replacement for eggy taste. I have a lot of this unusual salt, and I would love to use it more often. Do your readers have any suggested recipes? I'm not vegan, so I'm open to any type of recipe.

Q: I came across an Instagram photo of a hard boiled egg where the outer side was fried. I can't figure out what the technique is. How do I make this fried hard boiled egg?!

Sent by Vy

Q: I need ideas for a breakfast that I can mail to a dear friend as a surprise. The only idea I have is for a "cake in a jar" which, once baked in the jar, is nicely sealed and will survive the trip without a problem. Are there any other possible breakfast ideas? 

Q: I recently bought a bag of peri peri spice at my local farmers market. It smells amazing, but the taste is so strong and unique that I'm having trouble working into recipes. Other than dry rubs for chicken, what can I do with it?

Sent by Meghan

Q: I baked a sweet potato on a cookie sheet and some of the sugar leached out and burned leaving me with a few black spots that are not coming off. I've tried Bar Keeper's Friend and soap/water, the black spots are still there. Any tips on getting the cookie sheet clean?

Sent by Amy

Q: I live in a 1950's ranch with knotty pine cabinetry. We just got new dishes and they're much heavier than our old dishes. It got me wondering — how much weight can these old cabinets hold? Is there a rule of thumb? The cabinets are one long unit with three shelves and a wooden back. 

Sent by Jen

Q: Help! I'm looking for ways to dress up a gluten-free vanilla cake. My girlfriend's birthday is this weekend and I picked up a package of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free vanilla cake mix (per great reviews), but need some help to dress it up a bit and make it beautiful and birthday-worthy. 

Q: I have a silly fear of frying foods. I would love some occasional fried foods in my life, but the thought of heating up oil to an exact temperature on my glass top stove scares me. How exact does the temperature need to be for frying? Will I burn everything if I go too high? Will my food just sit and soak in the oil if too low? 

Q: Given the latest news on the benefits on the Mediterranean diet, I'm looking for a cookbook with both healthful yet elevated Mediterranean recipes. Most of the book titles I could find on Amazon end with "for dummies," but I am definitely looking for something with more interesting, complex recipes.