Due to the space limitations of a text message, please note that it is particularly important to read carefully, pay close attention to the context of the question, and use the answers as a springboard for further study.
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Q: Does it matter what order I eat foods with different brachot?
A: If you want to eat a particular one first, then you do so no matter which bracha it is, and you have in mind that the bracha should apply to all of the foods you plan to eat with that same bracha. On the remaining foods if one has no preference, (or if one has no preference initially), one should follow this order: Hamotzee on bread; mezonot on cake/other foods made by baking flour; mezonot on cooked grains/flour (pasta, oatmeal); mezonot on rice; Haeitz on 7 species fruit; Haeitz on other fruits; Haadama on vegetables (or fruits that require Haadama like strawberries or bananas); Shehakol on liquids; Shehakol on beverages. So for example if you are eating mushrooms and drinking snapple, and you don’t have a preference, you make Shehakol on the mushrooms with intention that it should cover the Snapple rather than vice versa. If you want to eat pineapple (Haadama) and blueberries (Haeitz), you would make the Haeitz first on the blueberries and then Haadama on the pineapple. This is all summarized very well in Guide to Halachos by Nachman Schachter.
Q: Is singing zemirot mandatory on Shabbos?
A: It is part of enjoyment of Shabbos which is a Mitzvah but the way you choose to fulfill that Mitzvah is your personal choice
Q: Someone told me that dried figs must be cut open and checked for insects individually. Is that true, it seems like a lot of work?
A: They just need to be examined to make sure they are not obviously infested (cRc).
Source: Rabbi Isaacs Blog