Food

Chat with the Food section staff -- a chance for you to ask questions, offer suggestions and share information with other cooks and food lovers. It is a forum for discussion of food trends, ingredients, menus, gadgets and anything else food-related.

Each chat, we will focus on topics from the day's Food section. Do you have a question about a particular recipe or a food-related anecdote to share? Food talk is sizzling every Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

A transcript follows.

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Kalorama, Washington, D.C.: Help!! Where to find an Indian market in the D.C. area? I am trying to find lemon and lime pickle. Thanks!

Bonnie: Kalorama, our Sunday Source colleague Priya Phadke suggests that Patak's, an English brand of lemon and lime pickles, is a good one to try. You can find it at these stores in Northern Virginia: Delhi Bazaar on Little River Turnpike in Annandale or Patel Brothers on Lee Highway in Fairfax.

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Washington, D.C. : Dear Food Staff,

Thank you for continuing to produce such an entertaining Food Section. I know how hard it is to please everyone, and I commend you for doing your best.

My question is this: What makes the Linda Carucci, the chef/teacher featured in today's section different from any other chef coming out with a new cookbook? Is there a certain charm about her recipes that differentiates her from the hundreds of other chefs who cook for the "everyday cook"?

Thank you, and keep up the good work.

Bonnie: Thanks for your question about Linda Carucci. She knows her craft and she's an extremely good teacher. She's managed to combine those talents in her first cookbook. I think she manages to convey a lot of information that's accessible to cooks of different levels. The recipes are keepers. Browse through it in the book store...I bet you'll come across something that makes you emit a small "oh!"

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Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: I was excited to see the story on beets today. a young relative of mine who is temporarily living with me mentioned just the other day that she'd never tasted beets before. I am a big fan of the roasted beet, and wanted to make some for her, but who wants to roast anything in the summer, ya know? What are some other ways to prepare and serve beets, other than the recipes listed today (which are a little too out there for a first-timer).

Thanks!

Bonnie: Fear not the concept of roasting, Capitol Hill. You could wrap up a few beets in aluminum foil and pop them in the toaster oven if you were looking to avoid turning on your oven. Serve them on greens with a simple vinaigrette and you're good.

You also can drop beets that have been scrubbed (and their greens trimmed) into boiling water for 10 minutes or so, then drain and peel them when they're cool. Beets can be diced into tabbouleh. Throw cooked, chopped beets and their cooked, chopped greens into penne and top with pecans.

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Bethesda, Md.: I loved today's feature on new ice cream treats. Have you ever considered doing a tasting of bottled pasta sauces? There must be a jillion on the market, but at $7 a pop, I'm hesitant to try a new one in case it's just an expensive disappointment.

Walter: I have tried lots of pasta sauces but have never found one better than Rao's , the Southern Italian restaurant in Harlem. It's expensive, as much as $10 a jar, but worth it.

Judith: I second the recommendation for the Rao's sauces. They're worth the money. But if you really balk at spending a couple of extra dollars, or can't, you might as well try whatever sauce is on sale--BUT look at the ingredient list to see how much sugar/sweetener is used (remember the ingredients are listed in order of how much is used). Sugar can kill the flavor.

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Washington, D.C.: I have been looking at catalogs recently and have noticed the "new" doufeu oven by Le Cruset. It says "Fill the recessed lid cavity with ice and let dripping moisture gently baste foods much like a gentle rain makes a garden grow." What garden are they growing and which foods would be benefiting from a water only rain???? Please help with suggestions.

Judith: Maybe they've revived these "ovens," but they're certainly not new. It's a kind of double braising I think, making sure that whatever's in the pot doesn't dry out. I had one years ago, and think that the guidelines then suggested water in the well in the top rather than ice cubes. I have a feeling that I spilled too much water on the way to the real oven, and gave up after a while. Ice cubes would probably be much easier to handle. Instead of buying an entire dou feu arrangement, I'd love it (both for storage and cost considerations) if Le Creuset would sell pots with two lids--a normal one and one with an indentation.

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Washington, D.C.: A couple of weeks ago, you wrote about the bread "crisis" at Marvelous Market. The story made it sound like they had worked thing out. But the bread was still not great. Last week I noticed signs at the Conn. Ave. store saying The Breadline baguettes were there. I tried one, and they're like the "good" Marvelous Market baguettes. Do you know or can you find out what happened? And if they'll be there for a while. Thanks.

Judith: It's confusing, I agree. Both Marvelous Market and the Breadline folks confirm that all the MM stores are now getting Breadline baguettes. But the quantities are limited. If my experience is any indication, that means it's a good idea to get there early to get one. So far, no explanation from MM about the permanence or not of this arrangement. I've put in a call to see if Uptown is still working on a baguette, or for that matter what the status of the other breads is, and will post their answer if I get it in time. In the meantime, MM will have the "real" MM baguettes that Mark Furstenburg developed. F., incidentally, describes them as neither sour not sweet. They're "mixed" he says, with a tiny bit of sour and a tiny bit of yeast. A completely sourdough baguette, he says, means a tough crust.

Stay tuned for a comparative baguette tasting in the Food section, as well as a piece on parbaking,which may explain some of the difficulties in turning out good baguettes.

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Herndon, Va.: I loved the story and recipe about Panzanella, the tomato/bread salad. I first ate Panzanella in Florence while living with an Italian family and attending a language school. I couldn't figure out the secret ingredient, then watched as "mom" made the salad. I then found a terrific recipe in Cucina Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman. The key difference to your recipe is that the salad sits for several hours - so the bread can soak up all the vegetable juices and olive oil. In the end, the bread is barely discernable. Delicious!!!

Judith: Thanks for your input. We agree; panzanella is a great way to use full-flavored tomatoes (meaning "in season"--the ones that have started to come in now). And it's really better with stale bread than fresh.

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Washington, D.C.: I am desperately looking for Harissa - the spicy tasty sauce found in North Africa

Walter: Most Middle Eastern markets, such as Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria, carry flavorful harissa from Tunisia.

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Bethesda, Md.: Okay, croaker. I'll bite. How is it I've lived in this area all my life and never even seen it for sale in the supermarkets?

Walter: Natives who know and love croaker can find it at select supermarkets...but perhaps not in Bethesda..it's on ice at the Asian supermarkets and easy to find at Maine Ave. wharf.

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Kensington, Md.: For the person looking for a good sauce head to Trader Joe's and buy their brand of Sugo di Marinara. We bought it by accident thinking it was canned tomatoes and were pleasantly surprised by its complex and bright flavor and for $1.79 it is a steal.

Judy: Thanks for the tip.

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Appetizers: I'm throwing an appetizers and cocktails party this Saturday night. Any thoughts on possible items I could whip up? Looking for simple, easy to eat, but nice "hors d'oevre" style. I was thinking mini meatballs, skewered tortellini with various dips, and assorted cheeses. What else do you think?

Walter: I'm thinking, prosciutto-wrapped melon and papaya slices are so refreshing this time of year.

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Fairfax, Va.: I remember reading something in the Food section a few years back about potato mashers and what kind works best. Do you have any recollection? I think it said that the kind with a zigzag wire was best, not the kind with small holes that force the potato pulp through and turn it gummy. Do I have that correct? Any specific brand recommendations? Thanks for your help.

Candy: One of the best potato mashers we've tried is the i-series one by OXO--it has a padded handle and rubber-coated, rounded sides that don't scratch your pot. The bottom is a flat disc with square openings for the potatoes to squish through (that's the formal scientific term, of course) so that they don't get all gummy. You might try www.oxo.com to take a look at it (itis the i-series one for about $15). Happy mashing.

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Washington, D.C.: I love the section on staff favorite recipes. Can you print it more frequently?

Judy: Dear Washington,

Thanks, we will.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Beets are so underrated. Thank you for these recipes.

Judy: Dear Silver Spring,

There are a lot of beet lovers out there, us among them.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I would love it if The Post would change it's web format so that each recipe could be printed on a separate page. That would make it so much easier for me to file in my, admittedly esoteric, file system.

Judy: Dear Silver Spring, We get this request a lot and will pass it on to our colleagues who run the Web site.

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Crystal City, Va.: Hi, I submitted a question last week about when a new supermarket will be opening in Crystal City to replace the Safeway that closed in March. You said to check back with you this week. Any updates? Thanks very much.

Judy: Dear Crystal City, I checked, but the news is not good. One chain apparently looked at the site, I am not clear how seriously, but decided against putting a store there. As far as we know right now, there is no supermarket planning on going into that spot.

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The District: I read all the coverage of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and decided to go see some of those famous chefs. What a disappointment! It was hot, you couldn't sample their recipes and the food served at the refreshment stands was overpriced and mediocre. I just don't get what the big deal was. Anyone else out there make it down to the Mall for this?

Candy: You're right, it was hot. You couldn't sample the chefs' food because of food safety laws. And the food sold at the stands wasn't worth the price, except for the bottled water which I was desperate for after 15 minutes wandering around in that heat. I also think the festival organizers could have done a much better job with signs letting people know who the chefs were. There were some amazingly talented people there doing demos and unless you were a foodie (or had a copy of our section) you wouldn't know who the heck they were. On the positive side, it was great to see food given so much emphasis and the festival did pull in a wide range of experts to share their knowledge in a very up-close forum.

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Harrisonburg, Va.: My husband and I are really into creative foods and cooking--and although we really like to eat and cook healthy, it's hard to buy good-quality ingredients (be it fresh produce or whatever) on a newlywed budget. Do you or any of the readers have any suggestions for cookbooks or perhaps web-resources for healthy, creative, but frugal cooking? Thanks!

Judith: Don't be intimidated by thinking you have to spend a lot of money to produce good, healthy--even creative--food. Some of what we now think of as classic "gourmet" foods started out as dishes that European peasant families put together with what they already had. Coq Au Vin, for example, was made with an old rooster (maybe past its prime), bacon that particularly farm families cured from their pigs, the onions and garlic that most non-urban poor families had in their gardens, and sometimes potatoes and mushrooms too. That general category of cooking is usually referred to as cucina povera, the cooking of the poor, and includes things like polenta, risotto, the delicious slow-cooked braised meats made from tougher cuts, even bouillabaisse, which comes from the stews French fisherman put together from the broken or torn or otherwise imperfect pieces of fish from their catch. Stir-fry cooking is also a good way to go--with bits of meat, chicken or fish and lots of vegetables. You don't need expensive vegetables either. The cookbook author who's written the most about fine cooking on a budget is Jeff Smith; his Frugal Gourmet series (and tv show) was full of information. You can still get his books.

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Not in Washington, D.C.: Is this chat just for the D.C.-area folks?

Judy: Dear Not in Washington, Everybody is welcome.

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Chantilly, Va.: I was fascinated by last week's story about dinner assembly places. Where is the Ashburn place going to be located? This is definitely something I want to try.

Candy: The Let's Dish opening this month in Ashburn will be right across from AOL off Rt. 28, near the Wegman's supermarket.

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Arlington, Va.: I wrote in last week for suggestions on how to use my springform pan. Encouraged to use it for just about anything, I decided to give it a go. The result?? The best (and most affordable) ice cream cake EVER!! With the help my my friend "Duncan Heinz" and some store bought ice cream, I wowed the socks off my boyfriend's family!

Just bake the cake in the springform (it takes about 40 minutes), cool, then cut in half. Put about 1 inch of soft ice cream in the center and cap it off!! It doesn't need icing, but it didn't hurt to add it! I used chocolate cake and cookies and cream ice cream!

Thanks again for the tip!

Judy: Thanks, Arlington. You did all the work. I rarely use any other kind of pan for baking cakes unless I am making a Bundt cake.

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Alexandria, Va.: While I've sung about paw paws and read about paw paws and seen pictures of paw paws, I've never tasted one or even seen one.

Why ? And...Have you ?

Judith: The pawpaw season is early fall, so you probably weren't looking for them then. And you might not have realized that the only places you're likely to find them are farmers' markets or fine restaurants. They're fragile, and don't survive shipping very well. The pawpaw, incidentally, is the largest edible fruit native to North America. Both native Americans and early settlers liked them. And now chefs like to play with their smooth, custardy texture. Kids like them too. So be on the lookout for them in a couple of months.

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Steubenville, Ohio: RE: Beets

It has been my experience that if you want to "boil" beets to cook them. Leave on about an inch or so of stem. (This keeps them from "bleeding" so much of their color into the water and making the vegetable pale). When they are tender, you then can "slip" the skin off the beet and use it as you desire. (This comment comes from an old farm kid who still cooks fresh most of the time),

Bonnie: A good tip. Thanks, Steubenville.

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Boston, Mass.: Is there a dutch oven that's less pricey than the Le Creuset one, but still wonderful? I'm young & broke, but I refuse to go through another Boston winter without the stews & casseroles that can be made in a good dutch oven. Any bargains, or should I make a pathetic birthday plea to my parents?

Walter: What you need is a good, old fashioned Dutch oven made by Lodge Manufacturing..www.lodgemfg.com.

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Anonymous: My compliments to the whole food staff on your excellent work -- the Post's food section is just marvelous. I particularly enjoy the occasional articles featuring recipes staff turn to "time and time again." I also loved a particular article that ran around Valentine's Day a year or two ago. It was called "50 ways to feed your lover," and featured a list of 50 food items from around the DC region that the writer thought were exceptional. Please do more of these types of articles -- they are so entertaining! Thank you!

Judy: Dear Anonymous,

Thanks. We will do more. I was fond of the story that Stephanie Sedgwick did recently for Father's Day: a compilation of Dad's stories and recipes, nominated by their kids.

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Boston, Mass.: As a result of eating in an student-run vegan coop for two years, I've been a little traumatized by badly cooked whole grains. Any ideas on how I can start working on this? Any good recipes including (gulp) quinoa, or brown rice? I'd like to be more healthy, but I'm unwilling to eat icky- tasting foods.

Bonnie: try making quinoa this way, from Food's archives:

To reduce the bitterness, place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse it under a faucet until the water runs clear before cooking. Then add a cup to a large pot of salted boiling water, reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently until the grains are translucent, about 10 minutes. Drain, discarding the cooking liquid.

Cooked quinoa can be used as one would rice, bulgur or couscous. Serve it as a side dish drizzled with olive oil or toss with vegetables, herbs and a vinaigrette and chill through before serving.

Bonnie: Using vegetable broth or chicken broth instead of water might add more flavor, too.

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Washington, D.C.: I enjoyed your article on croaker in today's section. As someone who grew up in the area, it's nice to know that croaker is getting the recognition it deserves. Yet I am concerned by how many more fish are being caught today than when I was growing up. I know that the Fisheries Service says that the croaker fish stock is "looking good domestically" but that's right now. In my experience, most governmental organizations have a difficult time foreseeing future trends and I am wondering whether, if the rates of catching croaker continue to rise as fast as they have been, the croaker fishery will experience a shortage sooner than we think. I would hate to see one of the most important fish in this area suffer because of poor management. I wonder if this, and other local fishery management issues, could be possible topics for future articles?

Walter: What the Fisheries Service says is that the croaker fishery tends to be cyclical and that since 1996 its been at the high end of the cycle. Currently, the first Atlantic coast stock assessment is underway to evaluate the management plan.

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Bethesda, Md.: Just a little note that Philly Swirl Stix are also available sugar free and only 10 calories- wonderful treat that helps me on diet.

Judy: Thanks, Bethesda.

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Miami, Fl.: Excellent story today on fish. What's the Food staff's best advice on cooking fish in aluminum foil?

Candy: Cooking fish is foil is really simple. And no clean-up! Some suggestions: Slather on a herbal butter. Or top with some veggies. Or drizzle with oil and some seasoned salt or spice rub. Wrap up tight with foil (use two layers or heavy-duty foil if you're worried about it ripping) and place right on grill over medium-low flames. Time it just as you do cooking fish directly on the grill, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. I recently made a 2-pound piece of salmon spread with lemon-dill butter that had been wrapped in foil and frozen. I took the frozen foil packet directly out of the freezer and put it on the grill and it was done perfectly in 30 minutes.

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Appetizers: For a twist, try prosciutto-wrapped -peaches-.

Judy: Sounds very good. Thanks.

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Comus, Md.: Hello-

I just have returned from a several year trip to France and am already missing the wonderful duck breasts I enjoyed so much.

Is there any place in the metro area to find duck as good as in France?

Thanks

Walter: I've had great luck with the duck breasts from Whole Foods...

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Arlington, Va.: I'm planning a cocktail party for friends who just got engaged. I remember a Food section story on hiring bartenders. I'm trying to decide whether to hire someone, or just offer two or three kinds of alcohol for a make-it-yourself bar. What would you suggest?

Candy: Our colleague Terri Sapienza did the rent-a-bartender story and here's her advice: It's a lot less expensive than people think to hire a bartender. Also, if you put out liquor for people to do it themselves, you may end up using up a lot more alcohol (meaning more $$$) because people may over-pour or not like their drink and discard it and start over. Bartenders also can offer a variety of drinks because they know what to make, while people can be intimidated to try and do it themselves. It also lets you enjoy the party because bartenders can keep an eye out for people over-indulging, as well as replenishing food and keeping the ice bucket stocked. Bottom line: A bartender helps a party run smoothly--a boon to you and your guests.

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Jarred Sauces: I too would send that chatter to Trader Joe's (could that place BE any cooler?) and pick up a jar or two of the Mario Batali sauces. He makes a fantastic Sugo di Puglia, which geographically is from the "heel" of the Italian boot and includes flavors of fennel and fragrant olive oil. Very good quality, and quite tasty! I almost always make my own sauce (first generation Italian here), but when I want a shortcut, that's the only sauce I will use.

Judy: Thanks.

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Wilsonburg, Md.: Can you print more articles by talented non-chefs who try out the professional world? Like the articles by a local woman who worked at an Alaskan resort a few summers ago, or the woman who wanted to see what it was like to work for a high-pressure catering firm and just showed up and asked for work.

Also I'd be interested in reading about people who combine food and travel, like a week in the South of France going to local markets and cooking.

I like the way you focus on what's currently in season and give the best recipes. I love the Food section!

Judy: Dear Wilsonburg, We will keep looking for articles along these lines. No shortage of volunteers to write the South of France story!

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Washington, D.C.: I am really trying to get more Whole Grains in my diet and I have to come to realize that there really are no current standards about how much whole grain has to be in a product for the manufacturer to yell out "Whole Grain". Do you know of any breads that actually have a significant amount of whole grains?

Judith: You're right. It's incredibly frustrating. The ingredient list is always a helpful clue. And if there's flour in that list that doesn't say whole grain wheat or rye or whatever, that bread is not a reliable source of whole grains. Whole grain pita is pretty good. You might think about relying on the cereals that proclaim whole grains--they're not a totally satisfactory source, and they often have extra sugar. It's really more useful to cook actual whole grains--oatmeal isn't hard to work in your diet; barley works in soups; corn works too. The mypyramid.gov site will have other whole grain guidelines. Take a look.

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Springfield, Va.: I really look forward to reading the Food Section of the Post. I have never seen my problem written up, anywhere, so maybe it's not common - I used a bread mix (package mix)from a well known, Gluten-Free company. I followed instructions precisely. It said a hand held beater would be fine for the mix. The batter ran straight up my mixer - I kept scraping it back down, and it kept running back up. What did I do wrong? Must I have a deluxe mixer, like a KitchenAid? Thanks for any help you can offer.

Bonnie: The dough is probably too stiff competition for a hand-held mixer. Some mixes include slightly different directions for the different mixers you'd use. Next time you make gluten-free bread from a mix, try combining ingredients at a low speed, spend less time in the medium-speed step and compensate with extra minutes at the kneading board.

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Baltimore, Md.: Hello:

I just visited my brother in Cincinnati, we went to this really great grocery store called Jungle, Jim's. They had food stuffs from every corner of the world. Where in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Md. area can I find a grocery with that broad spectrum of items.

Thanks

Candy: We're not really sure exactly what Jungle Jim's has (except for a cute name), but Trader Joe's in this area comes to mind. Also, have you tried Wegman's? It has a huge selection of foods, with separate aisles devoted to ethnic foods from India, Asia, Mexico, etc. And while you're there, you can buy dishes, patio furniture, novels, pots and pans, kosher meat and out-of-town newspapers.

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Harrisonburg, Va. again...: Thanks for taking my cheap-eats question earlier. Now I'm curious--do you have a recipe/technique for the "slow-cooked, braised" meat you mentioned? Thanks again!

Judith: Generally speaking,the meat is browned first, and then cooked over low heat in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid (as opposed to a large amount, which would be stewing. The process tenderizes and breaks down connective tissue. Ossobucco recipes (many on the web for you)are a good example of this process.

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The best jarred pasta sauce: For the chatter looking for a great bottled pasta sauce--Rao's is awesome. Just the regular, original flavor is what my family loves. Every time I've seen something else on sale and tried to sneak it in, they could tell and I ended up throwing it out. Stick with Rao's. It's around $7 a bottle, but it often goes on sale. Harris Teeter charges the least I've seen for it.

Walter: I would have to agree with you that the original marinara flavor is the best...I don't care for the others.

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Brooklyn, NY: Is it too late to start growing herbs on my porch? I'd love to have fresh herbs on hand, but I know it's late in the season...

Judy: Some herbs take forever to grow from seed, but if you bought little plants, you should still get many weeks of fresh herbs. I haven't checked lately to see how available the plants are, but I went out to the big Behnke's in Beltsville a week ago and didn't see any vegetables for sale at all. Herbs may be different.

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Farragut West, Washington, D.C.: With this horrible heat we have been having, can you suggest a few dishes that can be made without heating up the kitchen? I have done salads to death. Thanks.

Judith: I like the combination of white beans and tuna fish, with grated lemon, a little lemon juice, a little good olive oil (especially if you're using tuna packed in water, which I have to admit I don't--I drain the oil off an oil-packed can), maybe some chopped red onion. You have to let it sit for a while to let the flavors merge. I think it's also worth roasting a chicken--sure the oven is on for a little while, but a roasted chicken generally works for more than one meal.

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Cleveland, Ohio: Any good ideas for what to do with blueberries besides eating them raw or with yogurt? I overbought at the grocery store's sale.

Candy: There's no such thing as too many blueberries. You might consider freezing some for the dark, dank days of winter. Otherwise, bake into in coffee cake, make a salsa with them (we had several blueberry recipes in our 6/22 section), use them in a salad with roast chicken and almonds, or how about blueberry pancakes? The best way to do that is to ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle, then drop in the blueberries. That way, you don't turn the batter gray by stirring them in ahead of time.

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Kensington, Md.: For the lime pickle question: Most Giant stores have an Indian section and carry lime pickle. There are lots of Indian stores in Maryland too. There's a great one in Langley Park at University and New Hampshire. Right next to the Woodlands restaurant, a good Indian restaurant if you don't want to do your own cooking. Also nearby are Tiffin and Udapi Palace, which are great Indian restaurants

Judy: Dear Kensington,

Another fan of Woodlands here. That area seems like a good shopping spot for Indian food.

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Goin' to the Chapel: I'm getting married soon and need to register for cookware. What is the latest thinking on non-stick pans versus "sticky" pans? I've heard vague rumblings about cancer and nonstick surfaces, but I always burn food when I'm sauteing or stir-frying or making eggs without that Teflon coating. What should I register for?

Candy: Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, first off. As for what to register for, I would try and avoid pans with Teflon coating. Despite supposed improvements, there are still questions about the cancer-causing properties of a substance in Teflon called PF0A that is released during cooking. A class action suit has been filed against Dupont for not warning consumers; the company says PF0A is not released by cooking. Blah, blah, blah. If you use a high-quality, heavy anodized pot that spreads out the heat evenly and you heat oil properly before cooking, you shouldn't have problems. (And there's always nonstick spray like Pam). As for the registry, Farberware Millennium is a very good moderately priced line; for more money, either All-Clad or Calphalon are good bets. If you must, get one small nonstick skillet for making fried or scrambled eggs,which are notorious pan-stickers.

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East Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: Should I be excited about the fact that a Harris Teeter grocery store is opening a half-block from me, when the only other local option is a woefully understocked Safeway? I've never been to a Harris Teeter, but people seem to be excited about it. Thanks!

Candy: I have a Harris Teeter near me and I think you should be excited. They have a great inventory of different foods but even better, their staff is known for its customer service.

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Steubenville, Ohio (again): I have 2 daughters and 4 grandkids who are ciliac and use all gluten free foods.

The one daughter buys most of her baked stuff by mail and says there are stores in the N Va. area (she lives there) who carry gluten free baked goods/breads, etc.

The other daughter bakes all from "scratch" says the batters are too stiff and heavy for a hand mixer or economy stand mixer. Recently, she bought a Kitchen Aid, and it breezes through the batters/doughs.

Judith: That's a tough situation. I admire your daughter for the work involved in finding the appropriate grains and turning them into bread. The Whole Foods stores seem to have gluten-free bread, at least from time to time. And I'm sure your family is onto rice cakes as well.

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Need Ideas for Teen Snacks: Help! My eldest is turning 13 and wants more and more to hang out/have sleepovers with friends. Of course, they want to eat. And eat. I want to offer good stuff but not a steady diet of junk. Any ideas for easy snacks/meal fixings to keep on hand that would meet these needs? Thanks!

Bonnie: Keep quesadilla fixings in the fridge -- packaged flour tortillas, shredded Monterey Jack, a variety of chopped vegetables or cooked, cutup chicken. Your eldest and pals could easily put them together in a dry pan on the stove or on a baking sheet that's popped in the oven. Trader Joe's prepared pizza doughs are good to have on hand, too, and offer more create-your-own opportunities.

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Arlington, Va.: I was thinking about making a Lemon Meringue Pie for my lucky boyfriend tonight. I love my old family recipe for this treat and have never had problems baking it before. However, the weather is never like this in beautiful Seattle where the fam is from. Will I run into problems getting the meringue to peak in this weather? I'm in an A/Ced apartment, but words of wisdom from Mom say to prepared for a weepy pie...

Please say it isn't so...

Candy: Sorry, but mom is probably right. Just be sure that the filling is completely cooled before you add the meringue topping. And be sure your A/C is turned up. Don't let it hang around the hot kitchen too long, but frankly--your boyfriend is not even gonna notice it if it does weep. He'll just be thrilled to have homemade pie. I would.

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Washington, D.C.: What are the sweet cherries that are grown locally and sold at farmer's markets? They look like Bings, but I thought Bings didn't grow here?

Judith: When I asked, at the Arlington Farmers Market last weekend, I was told they are bings. (The farmers are great at answering questions). But "here" tends to mean Pennsylvania, which is where many of those farmers actually farm.

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Beets: My favorite part of beets is wilting the beet greens--it may sound odd, but it is a much more complex flavor than any other wilted green I have had.

Judy: We didn't offer any greens recipes today, partly because they have to be cooked so promptly. Sounds like we should have.

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Burke, Va.: I was dismayed to see Tom Sietsema say in his earlier chat that it's not only OK but basically expected that restaurants would take leftover bread that's been served to one customer, and reuse it to make other foods (say, croutons).

Is this really standard practice in your experience?

Yuck!

Judy: If Tom says it is, we believe him. At least it is cooked when it is used for croutons.

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Bethesda, Md.: Let's say I have a variety of truly amazing international products that I would like to see appear in gourmet/ethnic food stores in the area. How can I show these products off to buyers and convince them to put them in their stores?

Judy: We are researching a story on how entrepreneurs succeed in doing this. We don't think it is easy.

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Re: Paw paw : There are paw paw trees along the C&O canal towpath, and although their season isn't until early fall, they have already started to bear some fruit. A coworker picked one up yesterday on his run along the towpath and it was the first time I had ever seen one.

Judy: Interesting. Thanks.

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Brooklyn, NY: Could you suggest some non-salad, non-oven recipes for vegetarians?

Candy: How about hummus and pita bread? Or black bean dip (or refried beans) spread on a tortilla or pita, topped with shredded cheese and either nuked or run under the broiler really quickly. A wrap might be another way to use salad ingredients without make it a salad. My vegetarian friends make a cold pasta salad with tofu-filled ravioli they boiled (in the early morning before it gets too hot), then let it chill in the fridge for dinner.

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Pentagon City, Va.: re: Harris Teeter vs Safeway. Teeter tends to have higher regular prices for many of their packaged products, but great produce. I live near the Teeter in Pentagon Row, and tend to buy produce, meat, seafood, and the sale items at Teeter and more of the basic packaged stuff at Safeway or Giant, where those tend to be cheaper.

Judy: Dear Pentagon City, Thanks for the comparison shopping.

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Springform: I have a large springform tart pan that my Mom gave me for Christmas. I bake pies all the time, but don't know which recipes would be ok to use while baking in my beautiful new tin. Do you have easy recipes ideas? Can I bake cakes or brownies in it too?

Judy: Dear Springform, It depends on how deep your pan is. Maybe we can talk more next week. Thanks.

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Alexandria, Va.: Where can I get "real" buffalo mozzarella in the Virginia (or D.C.) area?

Walter: Find it at Balducci's stores.

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Cherries Jubilee: I've picked sweet (and tart) cherries at Larilland Farm in Howard County so they do grow in Maryland.

Judy: Dear Cherries,

Me, too, (and in Virginia in the mountains and in Mount Airy) but I don't know the variety.

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Allergies: My nephew is 3 and has severe dairy allergies - he can't even touch it without breaking out. Do you have any suggestions for birthday cake/cookies I can make for him without ice cream or butter?

Candy: The Indian snack place called Hot Breads in Chantilly offers nondairy cakes. Also, if he likes chocolate, there's the 1940s-era cake made with cocoa, vinegar and eggs that contains no dairy. It's in many all-purpose cookbooks like Fannie Farmer and Joy. You also might consider angel food cake--it usually has no dairy ingredients. For ice cream, check out the soy ice creams. They come in lots of flavor and are vegan. Same goes for vegan cookies and brownies--Whole Foods has several--that are dairy-free.

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Vienna, Va.: You suggested quesadilla-fixings for someone -- may I add that the whole wheat flour tortillas at Trader Joe's are by far the tastiest I have ever found?

Now a question, is there anywhere in this area that I can get rose hip soup mix from Sweden?

Candy: This is a stumper. You might try calling Swedish Fish in Arlington at 703-527-7100 (we tried but they're closed right now)and they might know where to find it. Also, try Ikea.

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Terri: Thanks for chatting. Hope to see you next week.

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