Chef Ben Vaughn is a restaurant owner and acclaimed chef doing business in Memphis, Tennessee. Chef Ben Vaughn relies on varied forms of professional cooking knowledge. One of the most important bodies of knowledge in cooking, says Chef Ben Vaughn, are the facts pertaining to cooking oil. Different cooking oils, explains Chef Ben Vaughn, are more suited to different cooking situations.

Sesame oil for example, says Chef Ben Vaughn, has a very unique flavor and is probably not the right cooking oil for an Italian meal. When gathering supplies for a recipe, suggests Chef Ben Vaughn, read about and experiment with different cooking oils. Chef Ben Vaughn says that knowing the smoke point of different oils is key.

Smoke point, explains Chef Ben Vaughn, is the temperature at which certain oil begins smoking. At this temperature, says Chef Ben Vaughn, the oil will begin to burn and break down. When oil burns, the fats and nutritional components that make the oil unique begin to break apart. Chef Ben Vaughn says that cooking oil that has surpassed its smoke point loses the integrity of its flavor, commonly referred to as flavor degradation.

Flavor degradation is just the beginning, adds Chef Ben Vaughn.  If oil gets too hot, Chef Ben Vaughn explains that the burnt oil can actually yield carcinogens and become harmful to health. If oil has a low smoke point, it must only be cooked at low temperatures or not at all.

Oils with low smoke points, continues Chef Ben Vaughn, are well suited to salad dressings and flavoring already prepared meals. Examples of oils with low smoke points are walnut oil and extra virgin olive oil. If oil has a high smoke point, it is better for hotter cooking jobs like pan-frying.

Chef Ben Vaughn is often asked how to make scones that don’t turn out like stones. The secret, says Chef Ben Vaughn, is to avoid spending too much time on your scones. Traditionally, scones are a short order pastry made for tea and breakfast. This means that scones should be mixed and baked in a short period of time. If you handle your scone batter for too long, warns Chef Ben Vaughn, you increase the chances of the scones getting too hard.

Mix together the flour, butter, and milk for your scones while you turn on your oven. Beat the batter quickly in a Kitchen Aid or similar powerful mixer, says Chef Ben Vaughn. Once the milk is added, the batter should be ready, and quite moist. Cut the scone batter on a well-floured board and get the scones into the oven before the oven finishes preheating. Scones, says Chef Ben Vaughn, ought to be baked in a rising oven. This means that the oven temperature is still rising toward the correct temperature. The scones will bake by constantly getting hotter, but never burning.

Scones are intentionally simple, Chef Ben Vaughn reminds home cooks. People often treat scone baking with the same labor intensity as crepes or croissants. Chef Ben Vaughn explains that scones are in fact even simpler than cookies. If you give them their due, says Chef Ben Vaughn, they will turn out rather delicious. If scones are over handled, however, they become hard and unappetizing. One way to make sure you don’t spend too much time preparing your scones, suggests Chef Ben Vaughn, is to have some eager guests waiting while you bake. If you’ve got an audience waiting for your scones, you won’t waste time, and the results will be delightful.