What are the must-have utensils in a well-stocked kitchen?  What's the best knife I can buy?  What's the best way to roast a chicken?  And what can I do with all this extra eggplant?

Let us know what your kitchen puzzlers are, we'll investigate the answers, and then use them to feed you!  This is a food and wine-based great gathering, where you submit your culinary questions in advance: amateur (but experienced) cook David Pacheco will do the experiments in his kitchen/mad scientist lab, come up with the best answer, and show you the results.  Ask anything kitchen and cooking-related (except baking... no baking!), like:

- What's the purpose of letting roasts "rest" before serving, and can I avoid it?
- What's brining for, and how do I do it?
- How do I sharpen my knives safely?
- Does searing meat actually do anything?
- What the heck is a Santoku knife?
- What's the relationship between salt and the word "salary"?
- So what is a rat doing in the kitchen in that Ratatouille movie?
- What's the healthiest (and quickest) meal I can make with the three things I have left in the fridge (a jar of pickles, a packet of take-out soy sauce and... well, something wrapped in Saran Wrap that is no longer recognizable as food)
- How do I know if my wine is corked, without opening it?
- Which cuts of meat need quick, hot cooking, which ones need it slow and low?
- Can I get a good wine under $10 that doesn't taste like it costs under $10?

We'll show you the experiment results, use the results to have a fun evening of food, wine and interesting discussions on the history of culinary expression, and have a great meal to boot.

Someone else can bring the dessert.  No baking!