Archive: Chat Leftovers
Chat Leftovers: Breakfast Tea Party, Snap Bean Nibbling
Breakfast tea: If you were hosting a little breakfast get together, for say 10 women, what would you serve? Keep in mind if people are coming over around 9:30 a.m., you would either want something easy to prepare (so you have time for a shower) or it's something that can be done the night before. Do you have recipes for a stuffed baked French toast and/or a German pancake (filled with berries)? At this time of year, local in-season fruit is a no-brainer, and your guests will love you for having something easy to digest at an early hour. You could cut up cantaloupe the night before, then in the morning toss with an assortment of summer berries. Leave the banana behind (gets brown) and the grapes too. Instead, focus on what you can get from your own neck of the woods. Slice up a few peaches -- or even...
By Kim ODonnel | July 23, 2008; 09:35 AM ET | Comments (12)
Chat Leftovers: Buckle Topping, Relationship Menu Planning
Morristown, N.J.: Whenever I make a blueberry buckle (like last night) the crumbly topping is less crumbly and more hard and sort of cracks when you press a fork against it. It tastes good, it is just not the right texture. Am I adding too much/too little flour and/or sugar? When I first discovered buckle a few years back, I too had issues with the topping, as did many MA readers. In this case, the topping was too soft (too much fat, not enough flour) and would sink into the buckle batter rather than sit on top and behave crumbly, as a buckle topping should. After several rounds of kitchen tinkering, here's what I've come up with: a buckle topping that yields plenty of crumb with just the right amount of fat to keep it from becoming cement. Buckle Topping, Take 68 1/2 cup granulated sugar or light brown sugar...
By Kim ODonnel | July 16, 2008; 08:23 AM ET | Comments (6)
Chat Leftovers: Fourth of July Vittles
We're going to the beach Friday! I'm excited, and wanted to make a picnic for lunch. What do you suggest would be a good, but cheap main course. I was thinking of baking chicken wings with a sweet soy glaze of some sort. Any other ideas? You'd get more bird for your buck if you roasted an entire chicken, quarter it and pack it in foil for the cooler. You'll have more variety of nibbles and a cut-up bird should prove to be less messy than a mountain of glazed wings. Here are the details for my naked chicken, a whole skinless bird infused with a curry-style rub. Bring along a baguette and you can make sandwiches. Getting into the Fourth spirit, circa 1970. (Family photo) Speaking of sandwiches, I've got cold meatloaf on the brain. Make the meatloaf the night before, but refrain from slicing it until the next...
By Kim ODonnel | July 2, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (23)
Chat Leftovers: Homesick for Comfort Food in Taipei
Taipei, Taiwan: Before I relocated here I was a regular reader; however, with a small and vocal new addition to the family, I've fallen off the radar. It's Monday, rainy, gloomy, I'm far away from girl friends and Mom(!!)...basically I'm exhausted and really low and in desperate need of comfort food. In fact I had been trawling the web fruitlessly when I remembered where to get some sane, veg-based comfort food ideas. Today's a goner, but will be very obliged if you can suggest something for the next time I'm in urgent need of comforting...which so far looks like tomorrow! P.S. - I can cook but I don't have an oven here so can't bake; also I don't relish Chinese food. Okay, let's break this down: We've got a down-in-the-dumps vegetarian expat in Taiwan looking for stove-top comfort food, and no Chinese, please. It's hard to tell from the reader's...
By Kim ODonnel | May 28, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (9)
Chat Leftovers: College Kid Cookbooks, Heart-Smart Apps
Bethesda Mom: Do you or any of the clicksters have a recommendation for a good super basic cookbook for college students -- i.e. people cooking on a budget and without fancy equipment? My son will be in his first apartment next year after two years of dorm living (at your old alma mater, Penn), and I don't want him living exclusively on cheesesteaks and deli from Koch's. I have not done a good job in teaching him up to this point and I want to make August "Cooking Boot Camp" for him and his younger brother. (I plan to have younger brother cook dinner at least one night a week next school year). Hey Mom, the first title that springs to mind is "Now You're Cooking" by Elaine Corn. I much prefer the optimistic tone of Corn's cover copy ("Everything a Beginner Needs to Know to Start Cooking Today") than...
By Kim ODonnel | May 21, 2008; 09:50 AM ET | Comments (29)
Chat Leftovers: Powdered Vanilla, Ham Surplus and Food Blogs
As promised, I'm following up with a batch of questions left in this week's What's Cooking queue. Your contributions are vital to the mix, so please don't be bashful in the comments area below. Alexandria, Va.: Where in the D.C. area can one buy powdered vanilla? For those who don't know, powdered vanilla is the ground-up version of a dried vanilla bean. It contains no alcohol, but likely would include the addition of some kind of sugar or dextrose base. Alexandria, you need not go out of your neighborhood for your powdery pursuit; head straight for independent cookware oasis La Cuisine. The powder is available via its Web site, so I'm betting if you give them a call, you'll have the stuff pronto. My second choice would be Sur La Table's Pentagon City store, which carries a well-stocked selection of cake and candy supplies. Web sites/blogs: Kim -- what are...
By Kim ODonnel | March 26, 2008; 08:05 AM ET | Comments (20)
Chat Leftovers: Easter Feasting
This week's What's Cooking prompted several questions about serving suggestions for Easter supper, which takes place this Sunday, March 23. Whether or not you observe Easter, the ideas below should get you in the spring swing of things. As always, your contributions are vital to the mix. And check out today's Food section for Easter mushroom lasagna and holiday hams. Easter egg radishes, Mother Nature's eye candy. (Kim O'Donnel) Easter dinner: I only do three big meals a year, and I like to make it season-specific (unlike MIL, who makes pumpkin pie for the 4th of July) and I like to try something new. But everything on my menu is traditional (except cabrito for the main dish). Any ideas, especially for sides that would be pseudo-traditional (scalloped potatoes) but with a twist to go along with the cabrito? First off, for those who don't know, cabrito is roasted kid (aka...
By Kim ODonnel | March 19, 2008; 10:06 AM ET | Comments (5)
Chat Leftovers: Andouille Redux, Lollipop Molds, Naked Chicken
The What's Cooking queue was still full after this week's gabfest; below, a handful of questions that caught my eye and whetted my whistle. As per usual, I invite you to weigh in and add salt when necessary. What to douille?: I have half a pound of andouille leftover (frozen at the moment) from jambalaya a few weeks ago. I'm thinking of using it in an empanada-style stuffing... cutting it up to blend with some onions, peppers... AND what? What goes well with andouille? What complements it nicely and will hold up to a little baking? Or am I on completely a wrong track here? Open to suggestions to make good use of the andouille and break a bit of a dinner rut. I've had chorizo-stuffed empanadas, sure. But I think ground meat generally performs better as a savory pastry filling (I'm drooling over the idea of Jamaican meat patties...
By Kim ODonnel | February 27, 2008; 09:38 AM ET | Comments (8)
Veggie Chat Leftovers: Teen Carbotarian, Mashed Mates, Provencal Veggie Feast
As promised in yesterday's What's Cooking Vegetarian chat, I've answered a handful of leftover questions worth chewing on for further discussion. Please weigh in as you see fit in the comments area below, and have a safe, delicious weekend! Virginia:A friend of mine's teenaged daughter has become vegetarian. But she doesn't like vegetables (and neither does he really -- just vegetable soup). So far, they eat a lot of cheese sandwiches and cheese pizza when she visits. Any suggestions for a non-cook for his teenaged daughter on weekends? I've suggested omelets and using fake eggs but that's about it. So you've got a noncook and a young, impressionable carbotarian. The cheese marathon has got to stop! This is actually a great opportunity, not a dilemma. Both Dad and daughter could use some kitchen time together in form of a few cooking lessons, using her new diet as a springboard for...
By Kim ODonnel | February 22, 2008; 11:03 AM ET | Comments (12)
Chat Leftovers: Gearing Up for Valentine's Day
It's still a week away, but some What's Cooking lovebirds are already putting together their Valentine's Day menus. Below, a few unanswered questions from yesterday's chat, with next week's lovefest in mind. In the coming days, I promise more ideas for romance from the stove. Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: I'm thinking of doing a comforting mac and cheese at home for Valentine's Day next week. Any ideas what to pair with that? I'm assuming a salad, but what about a protein? I know people often put meat in mac and cheese but I also feel like it ends up being too much. Also, any ideas for dessert? With such a heavy entree it's hard coming up with suitable accompanying courses. Just a few weeks ago, I whipped up a batch of mac and cheese for a buffet-style dinner party, and paired it with stewed tomatoes (recipe guidelines below the mac...
By Kim ODonnel | February 6, 2008; 09:40 AM ET | Comments (7)
Veggie Chat Leftovers: Soy Sauce, Winter Dessert and No-Meat Lent
Yesterday's vegetarian edition of What's Cooking ended too soon, with many unanswered questions idling in the queue. Here are a few to chew on over the weekend. Dessert?: I'm taking dessert to a friend's house this weekend, for after a kind of heavy meal. Any suggestions for a dessert? We aren't vegetarians, but the friend has some cholesterol concerns, so I'd love some ideas for desserts without eggs, cream, dairy... It's too cold for sorbet! Bake a fruit crisp, dear -- and instead of butter in the topping, use heart-healthier Earth Balance spread. I've been using it in cakes, cookies and my Dark 'n' Stormy pear crisp with great success, and no one can tell the difference. Oats and cinnamon are powerful anti-cholesterol warriors, so adding them into your topping ups the healthy ante. Meringue makes for a festive ending to a meal -- and without the yolks becomes a...
By Kim ODonnel | January 25, 2008; 08:44 AM ET | Comments (9)
Chat Leftovers: Peeling Ginger and "Lost" Cuisine
As is often the case, there are too many questions and not enough time to answer all the questions in the What's Cooking queue. Below, a few that grabbed my attention after this week's show. Arlington, Va.: What's the deal with peeling ginger? Is it for aesthetic purposes? I usually take off any loose bits that I can find in under five seconds, but otherwise the skin is left intact. It doesn't have a texture, and as far as I can tell it doesn't have a taste, so why bother? Although it may be flavorless, I don't entirely agree with your argument that ginger skin is without texture issues. Sometimes you get a thin-skinned piece, smooth and easy-going down the hatch; other times, luck fails and your hunky chunk is sealed with an impenetrable armor that requires an engineering degree for successful removal. Those who grew up in places where...
By Kim ODonnel | January 23, 2008; 10:43 AM ET | Comments (12)
Chat Leftovers: Cookbooks for Meatless Reasons
During yesterday's What's Cooking , a reader from New Orleans, La., with a few holiday gift cards burning a hole in her pocket expressed an interest in vegetarian cookbooks. In response, I asked for more information about her cooking habits and interests, and here's what I found in the queue after the live hour: We cook three to four times a week, eating leftovers otherwise. Not vegan -- but looking to reduce meat consumption for environmental and budgetary reasons. We like ethnic food, we dig hippie grains, etc, we are adventurous, and we're looking to expand the number of foods we eat per week. I also found this post from "Midwest," who writes: Can you recommend a Web site or book that offers recipes for relatively simple, hearty (but not high fat or calorie) vegetarian main dishes? Hubby has agreed to try a vegetarian night once every couple weeks, but...
By Kim ODonnel | January 16, 2008; 09:50 AM ET | Comments (34)
Chat Leftovers: Let the Holiday Projects Begin
You're getting busy in the kitchen, or at least that's what the queue from this week's What's Cooking indicates. Below, a few leftover questions to whet your whistle as you gear up for those holiday baking and entertaining extravaganzas. Just remember, have fun and don't forget to breathe! And if you've got tips to add to the mix, please do so in the comments area below. San Jose, Costa Rica: Greetings from rainy, but warm Costa Rica I'd like to try using whole wheat flour in my holiday baking this year. Do I just substitute it entirely or do a mixture of white and wheat flour and by what ratio? Also, I've read a lot about whole wheat pastry flour. Is that what I should use? Gracias! Hey, Costa Rica. We just had snow yesterday in Washington, so rainy but warm sounds pretty good! Re: your pursuit of more whole...
By Kim ODonnel | December 6, 2007; 09:39 AM ET | Comments (2)
A Hearty Helping of Thanksgiving Chat Leftovers
As promised in yesterday's What's Cooking Thanksgiving special, I'm serving up a little extra chat luv on the side, as there were just too many leftover questions in the queue begging for attention. And as always, weigh in with Thanksgiving tips and suggestions that have worked for you in the past. Have a delicious, mindful weekend -- and let's get busy! Iowa City, Iowa: I used to get this fantastic raw (I think) cranberry sauce/relish from a deli back in my hometown, but this year I'm not able to go back for Thanksgiving. I've been looking for months for a similar recipe online, but no success. The relish was all sweet -- besides cranberries, it had mandarin oranges, walnuts, maybe other berries. I would love to make something similar for my dinner on Thursday, but don't know where to start. Do you have a recipe or any guidelines to make...
By Kim ODonnel | November 16, 2007; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (8)
Chat Leftovers: Let the Thanksgiving Prep Jitters Begin
Based on the leftover questions from yesterday's What's Cooking, it's fair to say that the annual ritual of planning (and often fretting over) Thanksgiving dinner has begun. Feast day is just two weeks from tomorrow, so fire up those ovens, ladies and gents. It's time to start cooking! Today's batch of questions are turkey-centric; I promise a vegetarian equivalent in the coming days, and tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 5 at 1 ET, I'm hosting my What's Cooking Vegetarian Thanksgiving Special. Tucson, Ariz.: I have a Thanksgiving juggling dilemma. I have a great simple recipe for roasted root veggies (cubed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash etc. tossed with rosemary, thyme, olive oil, s&p) that I want to make for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, they need to roast in the oven for about an hour at a much higher temp than the turkey and it takes less than an hour to carve the bird after it...
By Kim ODonnel | November 7, 2007; 07:59 AM ET | Comments (30)
Chat Leftovers: Cast Iron Cleaning, Restaurant Supply Shops
Some real goodies leftover from this week's What's Cooking chat inspired today's post that covers cast iron, pumpkin-centric partying and public-access restaurant supply shops. Here's the lowdown: Charlotte, N.C.: I'm wondering about maintaining my cast iron skillet. My wife scolded me for scrubbing it with dish detergent. I try to spray it with oil after I use it. Any suggestions on the proper way to care for cast iron cookware? Well, you're both right, kinda sorta. There are lots of schools of thought on how to clean cast iron cookware; some argue that even a drop of detergent will ruin the seasoning. Most veteran cast-iron enthusiasts, however, agree that long soaks in water will ruin the sought-after nonstick layer, which means starting over from scratch and re-seasoning the pan. My thoughts on cleaning both my cast-iron skillet and wok is that a small amount of soap (a few drops) applied...
By Kim ODonnel | October 4, 2007; 10:43 AM ET | Comments (10)
Chat Leftovers: Barley, Date Night Menu and Party Drink Planning
There were too many good questions left hanging in the What's Cooking queue yesterday; below, a few for the road that bear consideration and your feedback, of course: Silver Spring, Md.: What is the difference between pearl barley and whole barley. I bought whole rather than pearl. Will it need more cooking time or more liquid to substitute? Whole barley (aka hulled barley, and on occasion, pot barley) is the more nutritious of the two, with only the outer husk removed, whereas pearl parley is "pearled" - which means steamed, polished and stripped of its bran coating. Thing is, pearl barley cooks much faster; a one-cup portion takes about 35 minutes to cook, about half the time it takes to cook the same amount of hulled barley. In "A New Way to Cook," Sally Schneider recommends that hulled barley, like other chewy whole grains, benefit from being soaked for several...
By Kim ODonnel | September 26, 2007; 07:19 AM ET | Comments (4)
Chat Leftovers: Purple Cabbage, Cheesy Grits and Meatless Meal Planning
There's never enough time to answer all of the questions that arrive in my What's Cooking queue each week; below, a few leftovers worth chewing on. Feel free to add your thoughts and kitchen insight in the comments area below. Alexandria, Va: My husband and I have decided to try and go meatless a little bit more and are attempting to make two dinners a week meat-free. We love beans and lentils, but don't want to make the foray into meat substitutes. This week's line-up includes a chickpea curry and your Syrian-style lentils. I'm thinking that eggplant parmesan and ratatouille are in our future. Other than those, I'm at a bit of a loss. What would you suggest to increase our menu horizons? You're off to a good start, Alexandria, but you're right, it's a good idea to have a stable of menu ideas to keep the meatless lineup diverse...
By Kim ODonnel | September 12, 2007; 10:01 AM ET | Comments (9)
Veggie Lunchbox and Shrimp 'Veins' With a Side of Hot Fudge
There were too many good questions left undone from this week's What's Cooking jamboree. Below, a few to chew on, with an invitation to weigh in on any or all of the topics -- vegetarian workday lunches, deveining shrimp and the search for a true-blue hot fudge sauce. Have a delicious and safe weekend. Vienna, Va.: Kim, do you have any ideas for a healthy, satisfying vegetarian lunch that I could easily pack in a lunchbox at 6 a.m.? I've tried the old standby of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it doesn't seem to fill me; I've tried packing leftovers, but my supply of leftovers is inconsistent. Vienna, you're a prime candidate for Jamaican patties, veggie style. (Scroll past the meat filling details and you'll see what I'm talking about.) Spend an afternoon on the weekend whipping up a batch, then you can freeze them individually, pack it...
By Kim ODonnel | August 10, 2007; 10:06 AM ET | Comments (9)
Veal Cheeks, Soy Sauce and Cheap Choppers
There were lots of extra unanswered questions from yesterday's What's Cooking discussion. Below, a sampler, plus a lil' extra sumpin' from a cherry-loving reader... Silver Spring, Md.: Are veal cheeks exactly what they say they are? I always assumed so (though I've never ordered them, nor do I plan to), but others told me recently that they were a different cut of meat. If the word cheeks is a facial reference rather than a posterior, one then yes, you're on the right track. Just like human mammals, cows (baby cows) have two cheeks on each side of the face, a muscle responsible for controlling the action of the mouth. Because it is a muscle, the cheek requires slow cooking on low heat (also known as braising) to coax it into rich, tender meat. Usually, you'll find them on menus during colder menus, when people are hankering for stews. Arlington, Va.:...
By Kim ODonnel | August 1, 2007; 08:34 AM ET | Comments (7)
Extra Helping of Meat-Free Assistance
Yesterday's vegetarian edition of What's Cooking covered a lot of ground, from dairy-free fats to a veggie-omnivore sex appeal debate. In response to one reader's query about meatless cooking classes in the Washington area, I mentioned Mimi Clark, of Fairfax, Va., who's been offering her Veggie Gourmet vegan cooking classes for the past 18 years. In a note that arrived after the chat, Mimi shared a few extra tidbits to add the conversation. Below, some of her thoughts: To the person who has a gluten sensitivity, tofu is not the only sub. There is also TVP, a defatted soy product that comes dehydrated (Bob's Red Mill is one of the manufacturers), and tempeh which you mentioned earlier. Tempeh is more of a whole food than tofu because it is made from whole soybeans, unlike tofu which is made from cracked, coagulated soybeans. In addition, tempeh is a fermented food which...
By Kim ODonnel | June 29, 2007; 10:08 AM ET | Comments (2)
Chat Leftovers Make Good Lunch
A bunch of questions from yesterday's What's Cooking chat was left remaining at the bottom of the pot, begging for attention. Below, a few to whet your appetite for leftovers. Silver Spring, Md.: I have two different friends who recently had babies, and I'd like to bring them a dish they can eat now or freeze and have later. It's not really lasagna weather, so I'm a little stumped. I'm looking for something without red meat or (lots of) mushrooms. Upon reading this question, I immediately wondered, "How would the Fonzes respond?" Aka Sarah and Alfonso, the Fonzes are our former neighbors who became parents for the first time in February. True warriors though they are, they were grateful for any crumbs I sent their way during the first few months, when baby Aaron woke up at all hours of the night (We know first hand; the walls are that...
By Kim ODonnel | June 20, 2007; 10:07 AM ET | Comments (16)
