I will be painting my kitchen cabinets (paint over an oak stain). Can I use a good quality latex paint or does it need to be an oil based paint?
This is a tough question to answer. Personally I like oil base paints for there hard finish but they take a long time to dry and cure to a hard finish. For this reason most will use acrylic paints. Acrylics dry faster and don't smell as bad as oil base paints.
Use a good acrylic interior trim paint, enamel. This will be a bit different from regular wall paints. It will have good hardness and easier application.
Also go to an actual paint store not a glorified hardware store to buy your paint. They will have different types of finishes that will better meet your needs.