This chocolate chip banana bread is a delicious variation on my basic banana bread recipe. If you're looking for a slightly more decadent banana bread, this is the recipe for you.

The key to good banana breads is not overmixing the batter. Once the liquid ingredients are added to the dry, mix the batter by hand just until the flour is moistened, for no more than about ten seconds. Too much mixing can cause the final product to be dry, tough or misshapen.

Try this tasty recipe for chocolate chip banana bread. You might ask yourself afterward, shouldn't all banana breads have chocolate chips?

Cooking methods in the culinary arts are divided into two categories:

1. Dry heat cooking, such as roasting, broiling or sautéing.
2. Moist heat cooking, like braising, steaming or poaching.

Using the appropriate cooking method for the type of food being prepared is a major part of the culinary arts. Tough cuts of meat like brisket or shank need to be cooked slowly, at low heats, for a long time, and with plenty of moisture. Prepared properly, these cuts can be incredibly tender and delicious.

Read more about the basic cooking techniques, like how deep-frying is actually considered a form of dry-heat cooking.

Caramelization is a chemical change that makes carbohydrates (e.g. sugars) turn brown when heated to temperatures of 310°F or higher. The best onions for caramelizing are the so-called "sweet" onion varieties, like Vidalias, Walla Wallas or Mauis.

The first step is to heat some oil or butter in a pan — clarified butter is best, since it won't burn as easily as ordinary butter.

It might take 30 minutes or so, but it's definitely worth it. Here's a simple tutorial that will show you how to make caramelized onions step by step. Your burgers will thank you.

A reader named Rick writes in with a question about cooked hamburgers left out on the counter:

"Hi, I cooked 4 hamburger patties well done and forgot about them. They remained on the kitchen counter for 7 hours and I eventually put them in the freezer, are they OK to eat?"

The answer: No! Cooked burgers left out on the counter for seven hours are not okay to eat. Perishable foods should not be left in the Food Temperature Danger Zone (otherwise known as room temperature) for more than two hours. On a hot day, the limit is one hour. So unless your kitchen is colder than 40°F, those burgers are compost.

Yes, freezing will stop bacteria from multiplying, but it won't kill the ones that are already there. And after seven hours at room temperature, there'll be plenty. Check out these ground beef safety tips. Finally, it can't be repeated too many times: When in doubt, throw it out.