The famed Sydney Rock oyster (Saccostrea commercialis), has a smaller, rougher, longer shell than the Pacific or Japanese oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Both varieties, which are farmed commercially, are available and are good to eat all year round. A third variety, becoming increasingly available, is the Native Flat oyster (Ostrea angasi) which is also grown commercially.

Oyster from natural oyster beds, found along Australian sea shores and estuaries, have the best flavor in the cooler months. Pacific oysters breed differently, so they taste agreeable all year round.

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Electric stoves that have sealed hotplates with the electric element embedded in them are easier to clean than radiant rings, but you may not be able to tell at a glance when the plate is hot. Ceramic tops, which hold the radiant elements under glass, often have 'hot' signals which stay on until it is safe to touch the rings.

Some hotplates have halogen areas which heat up and cool rapidly, but they must be used with saucepans that have dull, flat bases because shiny bases reflect the light back into the hotplate. Another type, the induction hotplate, can heat the contents of a steel or iron pan while the plate itself stays cool to the touch.

Most gas hotplates still have the traditional burners, but with different sizes and innovations such as a revolving oval burner that produces a gentle, simmering heat. And several manufacturers offer a special wok ring which produces the very high heat needed to stir-fry. Some gas hotplates also have a long central plate, which is used mainly for cooking in a fish kettle.

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Gas produces heat quickest and is easiest to control: when you turn down the flame on the gas jet there is an instant reduction in temperature. Gas ovens are hotter at the top than the bottom, which is preferable when it is convenient to bake several dishes in the oven at the same time but at slightly different temperatures. The central shelf is usually closest to the temperature the oven is set at, while the top shelf is a few degrees cooler.

Electric ovens and hotplates create no fumes, and ceramic halogen hotplates are almost as quick to heat and easy to control as gas hotplates are. Some electric hotplates can be set at a hand-hot temperature for long periods of time. Like gas ovens, conventional electric ovens do not provide an even heat, but the difference is less acute than with gas. Some electric ovens also offer the option of an automatic timer, which can be set to turn the oven on and off when you are away from the kitchen.

Fan-forced ovens give perfectly even heat throughout an electric oven by means of a fan mounted on the back wall of the oven (which is not practical with gas). This makes the transfer of heat to the food more efficient, so it is cooking at a higher temperature than a conventional oven. Take this into account when setting the oven temperature.

Solid fuel stoves such as Agas and Rayburns use fuel such as wood or coal. They are usually left on all day, ready for use.

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After deciding on the fuel to use, the choice is between a traditional, free-standing stove or a separate hotplate and oven. An all-in-one stove is often cheapest. The advantage of separate units is that you can install them in different parts of the kitchen; the oven can be positioned higher than it is in a free-standing stove to eliminate stooping; and you also have the option of using different fuels, possibly gas for the hotplates and electricity for the oven.

With a separate oven, the grill may be placed either above the hotplate at eye-level, below it or inside the oven itself. Decide how much grilling you do and how inconvenient it would be if the grill were inside the oven. If you have only one oven, it cannot be used for any other cooking, such as baking, while you are using the grill.

There are useful extras which are worth considering. You might want a self-cleaning or stay-clean oven, a motorized rotisserie or an integral charcoal-style grill. There are also built-in wok stands, or deep-fryers connected to extraction units to eliminate smells. Some ovens have optional bread or pizza stones which fit exactly into the oven, heat up with it and provide an ideal surface on which to bake breads and pizza.

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Yes, Red onions and big, sweet golden Spanish onions have the mildest taste and can be sliced raw into salads or gently fried. Spring bulb or salad onions, are also excellent raw, or cooked quickly in stir-fries so that they do not collapse. Medium-sized brown onions, which have a stronger flavor, are delicious peeled and roasted whole, and basted as they cook. This will transform their flavor into a mellow sweetness. Shallots are usually fried briefly and then finished in wine or stock.

For braising, choose pickling or small, evenly sized white onions no larger than a golf ball, so that they all cook at the same rate, as they do in some of the recipes.

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'Ladies fingers' does refer to the tapering shape of okra's seed pods. Inside the pods, the seeds are set in sticky juices and this is what thickens the soups and stews that are part of southern American cuisine. In the Cajun dishes of Louisiana okra is usually sliced up so the sticky juices are released, and it is often smothered in a peppery tomato sauce. Lard would probably be used instead of olive oil. Choose okra that is bright green and velvety, with no brown tinge along the outside ridges. Serve this dish as a hot accompaniment to grilled meat or oily fish. Or, for a vegetarian meal, offer it with bean dishes and cornbread or corn muffins made with green chilies.

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Oil that is frequently reheated in a deep-fryer is likely to become rancid in time. Its vitamin content also reduces, the flavor may become unpleasant, and it is possible for harmful substances to be produced if the oil is overheated. Discard any frying oil that smells unpleasant, produces too much foam when heated, creates smoke easily and has become dark in color.

In general, you should reheat oil two or three times only before discarding it. Each time it is used, the oil should be allowed to cool completely, then be filtered through a fine sieve. Once you have cooked a specific type of food in a batch of oil, re-use the oil for that food only.

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It covers all edible, internal parts of animals, such as kidneys and liver, also brains, cheeks, ears, stomachs, sweetbreads, tripe and tongue. Offal must be absolutely fresh before freezing. Look for moist, shiny meat, and avoid buying any that has a greenish color, slimy surface or an unpleasant smell.

Liver can be frozen either in large pieces or sliced. Calf's kidneys should be chopped up, but lamb's kidneys can be frozen either whole or halved. Sweetbreads are best frozen whole, after blanching.

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Generally speaking, oat grains are a highly nutritious food: they contain carbohydrates, protein and fat as well as iron, potassium and most B-group vitamins. Oats also contain soluble fibers that turn into a jelly-like consistency when cooked; these have been connected in various studies to cholesterol-lowering activity in the body. Though there is not enough firm evidence to confirm this, oats are regarded as very beneficial in the diet.

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The flavor of walnuts can vary depending on their freshness and country of origin. If you have bought some which you find bitter, their flavor can be mellowed by blanching them. Crack open the nuts and put the kernels in a small saucepan of boiling water. Boil gently for a minute, then drain and dry before using.

For the best flavor, make sure that walnuts are absolutely fresh. To test the freshness of shell-on nuts, weigh them in your hand individually - each one should feel heavy and not rattle when shaken. If the nut rattles, the kernel inside will have dried and shriveled. If, after blanching, you still find the flavor too bitter, you could use mellower pecan nuts instead, which are from the same family.

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Irradiation involves exposing food to a source of radioactivity that inhibits the continued growth or ripening of the food. This makes it an effective preservation process, but it does cause chemical changes in the food, and some destruction of vitamins may occur. The irradiation process can form new compounds called 'radiolytic products' in the food. Even though these may be present in very small amounts (only one or two parts per million), questions have still been raised about the possible harmful effects.

The flavor and texture of foods can also be adversely affected by irradiation; for instance, vegetables may become soft and spongy, and irradiated meats have often been described as having an unpleasant 'goaty' or 'wet dog' flavor.

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Yes. Only a small amount of the iron in the foods we eat is absorbed and it varies according to the type of food, and whether other factors help or hinder its absorption. For example, about 20-40 percent of the iron in red meat is absorbed, compared with only 5 percent from some vegetable sources.

Vitamin C improves the body's absorption of iron while the tannins in tea and, to a lesser extent, coffee interfere with this process. So to boost iron absorption, a glass or orange juice is a better accompaniment to a meal than tea or coffee.

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Trans fatty acids have been linked to heart disease because, like saturated fats, they raise blood cholesterol levels. They are created when polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils are hydrogenated, either naturally or industrially. Trans fatty acids occur in butter (5 percent) and in some margarines and spreads (0-10 percent). However, about half the margarines and spreads on the market are now virtually free of trans fatty acids. If you are concerned about heart disease and your blood cholesterol level, choose food products that are low in trans fatty acids.

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Butter and traditional margarine contain the same number of kilojoules. However, many vegetable oil-based spreads now contain less far than previously. Butter naturally contains vitamins A and D and, by law, these vitamins are added to margarines and spreads. But they differ in other ways. Butter contains more saturates (54 percent) and less polyunsaturates (5 percent) than soft margarines and spreads (which contain 16-26 percent saturates and more than 40 percent polyunsaturates). As most people need to limit their consumption of saturated fats while increasing their intake of polyunsaturates, margarine is the healthier choice.

However, cooking margarines can contain up to 35 percent saturated fat and only a small amount of polyunsaturates. The differing cholesterol contents of butter and margarine may also be important to people concerned about heart disease. Most spreads made form vegetable oils are almost cholesterol-free.

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Although we need to avoid eating too much fat, cutting all the fat from the diet is not very wise. We need fat because it gives us energy, provides the essential fatty acids which enable the body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, and makes foods more palatable.

Fats are particularly important for children under the age of five, who need to have sufficient energy and nutrients for rapid growth. If very young children are given the bulky, low-fat diets recommended for adults, their small stomachs are quickly filled without providing them with the amount of energy and nutrients they need.

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