Free Range on Food

Dish With the Experts

A chat with the Food section staff is 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? The Food section staff goes Free Range on Food every Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

The transcript follows.

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Bonnie: A happy fall afternoon to you all. Tons of questions already queued up, so we'll get right to them. For the chatter who sends the best tip on mail-order food (whether it's coffeecakes, cheese or something else), we have a choice:

Eating Well's "Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook" or

Julia Szabo's two slim volumes of "Hearty Recipes for Happy Dogs/Cats."

We'll post the winner near the end of the chat. As you're very good about doing, be sure to send us your mailing address info via food@washpost.com so we can send your prize.

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Takoma Park, Md.: I love pie and was glad to see pies featured in your foraging section. I live in DC and don't have time to drive to Galesville for pies and most of the time I don't have time to bake my own. I'm wondering if there are any places to buy great pies in DC?

Judith W.: This is a slightly off-beat suggestion, but the home-made pies brought into farmers markets in town (from South Central PA) by the New Morning Farm folks have been consistently wonderful. And inexpensive. They've changed the crust recipe recently (all-butter now) to avoid the trans-fats in shortening. And they're still terrific. Go to www.newmorningfarm.net for locations where they sell them in DC (and times).

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Washington, D.C.: I find it admirable that the food section added a section today about Ramadan. It's nice to see that they are talking about other festivals and celebrations other than Thanksgiving and Christmas. But why did you chose not to cover Diwali, the Hindu new year, which also falls on this week?

Judy H.: Washington seems to attract people (and their food) from almost every country on earth so we try to write about different holidays from year to year. That's aside from Thanksgiving, of course, which is mandatory every year! Maybe Diwali in 2006?

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Springfield, Va.: Does anybody know where you can buy panko? I thought I bought it at Giant or some other regular grocery store before, but now I've checked Giant, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Harris Teeter, Shopper's, and everyplace else I can think of that sells food. No panko anywhere. Help, please!

Marcia: You may have already done this, but did you look for it in the international food aisle? I was positive I had gotten some panko at Giant but when I ran out, I couldn't find it again. A helpful employee led me from the bread crumb/Shake 'n' Bake section to the Japanese food section, and there it was.

For any chatters unacquainted with panko, it's a Japanese-style bread crumb. It's more coarse than regular bread crumbs and therefore crunchier. Next time you're breading a boneless chicken breast, mix half panko and half grated parmesan (rub the chicken first in some flour, then beaten egg, then the panko-parmesan; the egg helps the breading adhere). You'll never go back to regular bread crumbs!

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Clifton, Va.: Excuse there pinot noirs from many fine VA vineyards which would have done very well if not won outright your tasting in today's food section. They are within your price points. You are doing VA a disservice by not including them in this taste comparison. There seems to be an institutional bias against VA wines in the WP Gourmet, Food and Wine etc. Instead we get articles about Long Island rot gut. Or maybe it just Ben's bias against VA wines.

Judy H.: Dear Clifton,

Ben likes Virginia wines. He thinks there are exciting things going on in wine making in Virginia--people like Dennis Horton and Pat Kluge are extremely innovative. However, he says he is unaware of great pinot noirs from Va. and would appreciate your suggestions.

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Larone, Maine: hello: I want to be a simple ingredients but wonderful flavor French cook. What is the 1st dish I should start with? merci

Judith W.: I'm sure we'll all have different opinions on this interesting question, but I'd start with mastering a basic vinaigrette with really good vinegar (not one you've had around for ages) and a good extra virgin olive oil (no more than a year old. With seasonal salad greens, you'll get both the flavor of the vinaigrette and the fresh ingredients.

Candy: And the other good thing about a great vinaigrette is that it can be used in other dishes--like on sauteed vegetables or even as a marinade. The other day in the supermarket, a woman told me she boils tiny new potatoes, then tosses them with vinaigrette while they're still warm. She told me this has been a big hit at her dinner parties.

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Washington, D.C.: I bought a pomegranate and a persimmon (the smallish, golden yellow kind) after reading about there health benefits and wanting to diversify my diet. But, to be honest, I don't know the first thing about picking good ones. How will I know if and when they are ready to eat. Thanks a bunch!

Bonnie: You are on the cutting edge, DC. Pomegranate juice/molasses shows up in lots of really good recipes. Peak pomegranate season ends in December. Choose ruby red pomegranates that feel heavy for their size; the bright red skin might be flecked with brown but should not be cracked or wrinkled. They'll keep in the fridge for several weeks. The seeds, red pulp/goop that surrounds them and the juice are what you're after here. A single pomegranate contains about 100 calories and relatively high amounts of potassium and Vitamin C.

Persimmons get a little trickier. They're around till December. A Hachiya, or Japanese persimmon, should be soft but not mushy. It's tart and bigger than the Fuyu variety, whose flesh should be firm. Its flesh is sweet. The skin on both should be smooth, glossy and brightly colored. If there are no labels on the ones you've got, try this standard: The Hachiya has seeds, while the Fuyu might not.

They will both ripen at room temperature. Once ripe, they should be eaten immediately or place in an unclosed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. To store, spoon out the flesh and place in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use. Persimmons contain vitamins A, B and C, beta carotene, potassium and trace amounts of protein.

Stain alert: Both are pretty potent in that category.

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Coffee Cake suggestion: Regarding your article on mail order coffee cakes, I would suggest that you check out Sandy's sour cream coffee cake from SWEET STREET BAKERY, Reading PA. It is the greatest. I should know, I have over 50 years

experience in food service. Their web address is SweetStreet.com. Thank you.

Judith W.: Thanks for the recommendation.

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Arlington, Va.: My question concerns insulated lunch bags/boxes. Is there any reason to put your insulated lunch container inside a refrigerator? It is getting harder and harder to find a little space for my soda in my office fridge because so many people bring in their huge insulated bags. Don't insulated bags insulate the contents from the outside temperature, whether warm or cold? Really, do these people think their PBJ and Fritos will spoil if they leave it out of the fridge for 3 hours?

Candy: Ah, ye olde office fridge wars. In our office, it's over the leftovers that are growing their own civilizations. It does seem silly to put the whole insulated bag in the fridge--the whole point of the bags is to keep food cool in warm environments. By putting their lunchboxes in the fridge, they're insulating them from...the cold! But I guess people find it easier to keep their food together (and away from prying eyes and rumbling tummies) if they just stash the lunchbox. Or they're lazy. Maybe posting a nicely worded little note about people with SUV-sized lunchboxes making room for the rest of the lunchers would help.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I'd rather make my own coffee cake than buy one by mail, although the ones you picked did look wonderful. I've been looking for a terrific sour cream coffee cake recipe. Do you have one you'd recommend?

Judith W.: Glad you're a committed baker. WE haven't tested this recipe in the new Tate's Bakeshop Cookbook, but we have tasted the company's fabulous sour cream coffee cake that you can get on-line. (We didn't include it in the tasting because it wasn't available in any catalogs). So here goes:

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups pecans, chopped

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup salted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups sour cream

1 tbsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Set it aside.

Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar till they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing well. Add the sour cream and vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.

Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the batter with half the pecan mixture. Add the remaining cake batter and spread it evenly over the top of the pecan mixture. Sprinkle the remaining pecan mixture evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Potomac falls, Va.: Hello,

I make a wonderful blended gazpacho during the summer months with veggies from the Farmer's Market. Of course right now isn't tomato season, but I am DYING for that gazpacho taste! Is there a way to make it in cold (non-tomato season) months or is it just something I have to enjoy during the summer?

Also, I am looking for a good butternut squash side dish recipe(s). Any ideas?

Thanks!!!

Judith W.: Sure, you can make do with high quality canned or boxed tomatoes and vegetables that are out of season here, but available from Chile or somewhere where they are in season. But it will never be quite as good. Why not think of using the wonderful squashes available in the fall as the basis for soup. I promise you you'll get the same "fresh" kick from them that you would from summer gazpacho.

Candy: I agree with Judith, but if you do want to try your recipe with tomatoes, I've been buying these baby Romas that come in plastic boxes at the supermarket. They're expensive, but their flavor has been really amazing for out-of-season tomatoes.

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D.C. wine question: I'd like a recommendation from your wine guy, Giliberti. Our dinner group is getting together for a big Italian feast--antipasti, soup, wild mushroom lasagna, osso bucco, salad, tiramisu--the works. What big red wine would he recommend that I serve?

Candy: Ben says there are so many great choices--he'd recommend a Piedmont area Italian wine, either a Barbera or a Dolcetto. They should run $15 to $20. They're both rich reds with great structure and bold fruit that will stand up to the osso bucco and other full-flavored foods.

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Washington, D.C.: Help! Party to celebrate engagement of my kid brother. About 20 people coming for tapas (filled dumplings, prosciutto and melon, mini pizzas, shrimp, cheese, etc.). Need some help on wines to serve.

Candy: Sounds like a great party. Our wine whiz Ben Giliberti has several recommendations: First, look into dry sherries to go with your tapas. They're fortified wines from Spain--his fave is Manzanilla. Another great choice would be a Spanish Cava which is a sparkling wine much like champagne with great frothy bubbles and nice acidity. And then he'd also suggest a nice, modern Tempranillo--it's a Rioja, but the new ones are fruity and a good choice with tapas. Ask for a specific Tempranillo recommendation at a good wine store that would know the best modern ones.

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Free Range: I do the free range thing, too, and I find that the meat doesn't spoil as quickly or smell as badly as meat that has been injected with drugs and whatnot. Frankly, it doesn't cost that much more and I think I feel better when I don't get the supersteroid chicken wings in my local Giant.

Judith W.: I agree. Ordinary Chicken in particular is a big problem. That said, it does cost more, and I can understand why many family budgets might not stretch far enough. One of my strategies is to use less of the higher quality meat or chicken (than you'd need for a main course) in a big pot of vegetable soup. That way you get the flavor of the protein, the freshness of the vegetables, and you can throw in a whole grain (like barley or wild rice) for good measure.

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Slow Cooker Novice: When cooking meat or beans in a slow cooker when would you add tomatoes and salt? If you add them in the beginning would it prevent the food from cooking?

Bonnie: Pretty savvy questions for a novice, actually. Salt: We like to follow the advice in "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann (Harvard Common Press, 2005), which says it's best to taste for seasoning an hour before serving, and make salt and pepper your final adjustments in the cooking process.

As for tomatoes in meat/bean dishes, as long as you sear/brown the meat before adding it to the pot (it could be seasoned with S&P before browning) or use beans that are canned or have been pre-boiled, you shouldn't have a problem. You'll find lots of recipes that toss dried beans in with meat that has been pre-soaked or browned in some way.

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Takoma Park, Md.: I love Colorado Kitchen and was excited to see it featured in your worth the trip section. I don't think that the Lilliputian Chicken Dinner is their best thing, though and I just wanted to say that the garlic cheese grits on their breakfast menu is what keeps me coming back weekend after weekend.

Walter: At Colorado Kitchen there are so many good choices that it's hard to pick the best. But the garlic cheese grits are exceptional.

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Takoma Park, Md.: I always make the same apple pie for Thanksgiving and am looking for some new recipes, both for apple pie and others. Do you have any suggestions? I would love to see people's favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes in the issue before thanksgiving.

Judith W.: Thanks for the question. We're directing much of our Thanksgiving coverage to what readers really want. We'll see what we can come up with.

And please everybody, if you have a great Thanksgiving recipe you'd like to share send it to food@washpost.com asap.

Candy: To whet your appetite, here are a couple of suggestions. Instead of a pie, how about a tart? In Nancy Baggett's new dessert cookbook, she has a cranberry-pear tart that just shouts Thanksgiving. Pumpkin cheesecake is always nice. And I would be kicked out of the chocoholics club if I didn't suggest a lovely fudge pie topped with whipped cream. It's not exactly autumnal, but heck--it's chocolate!

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Tampa, FL: What happened to the Gilberti/Franz wine columns? I look forward to them every Wednesday. They write the best, most useful, wine column of any major daily.

Judy H.: Our senior wine critic, Ben Giliberti, is still giving advice about wines every week of the month save one--when we have Dick Rosano, who teaches wine pairing at L'Academie de Cuisine, writing. Michael Franz has left The Post to start an on-line wine column. If you would like to check it out, the address is http://winereviewonline.com/.

We are trying new wine formats. The idea is to continue to write authoritatively, while trying to make our coverage a little more accessible to readers who are not wine experts.

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Washington, D.C.: Is there a difference in taste for a free range chicken and a chicken that says it is organic. Or is there a such thing as an organic chicken. I got a chicken from a Quaker family and swear by all that was holy that fresh chicken had a taste I have never tasted before. Where might the big chain of stores be that sell chickens like that. That chicken was just so tasty.

Judith W.: It can be confusing. The free-range designation has to do with how the chickens are housed or caged or not. Organic standards, in so far as chickens are concerned, have to do with what the birds are fed, or injected with (actually, with what they're NOT injected with, like hormones). It's quite a contentious issue. One of the places to keep up with organic developments is the Organic Trade Association (www.ota.com). Whole Foods sells high quality chickens, but some of the other chains may as well. Call whichever one is near you or look on its web site to check.

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Arlington, Va.: Do you know of anyplace in No. Va. where you can buy goats milk? preferably organic but not mandatory. Thanks!

Walter: Get your goat's milk at Whole Foods stores.

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Washington, D.C.: Just a comment: It seems that each week, someone attacks you for not including enough Virginia wines. They are often downright mean. I am beginning to suspect that it all comes from the same person.

I admire that you print these attacks. While it is fortunate that Virginia has developed a wine industry, it seems to do readers a disservice to recommend Virginia wines if they are not the ideal selection. That is favoritism. I don't care in which state my wine originated: I want a strong recommendation about a wine that will suit me.

Judy H.: We know that people have vastly different opinions about every feature in our section, because we get a ton of e-mail every week, often with people loving and loathing the same article. Actually, we are glad that people read us and care enough to fire off opinions.

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Washington, D.C.: Zingerman's, a deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan, mails exceptional breads, cakes, oils, vinegars, cheeses, cured meats - you name it. You can basically get everything a la carte or in baskets. The breads are the highlight. They'll overnight them to you so they get to fresh, and they're much better than any bakery I've found near here.

Judith W.: The Zingerman's catalog and web site are terrific. And I've ordered high quality products from them. Their service is excellent too, and their phone reps are knowledgeable and pleasant. Toll-free number is 888 636 8162. Web address is www.zingermans.com.

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Panko: At Whole Foods Panko is usually sold in those big buckets,

near the granola...

Judy H.: Thanks Panko.

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Clifton, Va.: Wegman's in Fairfax has Panko bread crumbs.

The Giant at Union Mill has then too. Both are located in the International foods sections. Makes great Veal Parmesan and fried oysters.

Judy H.: More on Panko.

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Mail Order Gift: The Artisinal Bacon Sampler from the Grateful Palate is a great gift.

Judy H.: Thanks Mail order.

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Boston, Mass.: Hey Foodies,I'm thinking of making some sort of savory pie for the vegetarians who are coming to Thanksgiving. Do you have any suggestions?

Judith W.: What about spinach quiche? Highly delicious, very filling. And would go nicely with many of the standard Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes.

Judy H.: We are going to publish a corn pudding recipe in our Thanksgiving issue (Nov. 16) that is fabulous. Is that too late? It's not vegan, but it is vegetarian.

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Washington, D.C.: I have a question about slow-cookers - now that cooler weather is here, I want to use my new one often! If I plan to cook a whole chicken, can I put it in the pot straight from the freezer? Or does it need to be completely refrosted? What about other meats? Any simple, favorite slow-cooker recipes you'd like to share?!

Bonnie: Boy, I'd say that unless it's a whiz-bang, certified, guaranteed recipe you've got your hands on, the chances of a frozen bird getting to the proper, safe cooking temperature are slim. Defrosting's no big deal--just put the still-packaged whole chicken on a plate in the refrigerator to thaw (figure on 5 pounds, about 24 hours.) I'd want to wash/pat dry that chicken, anyway. Smaller pieces cook more efficiently in a slow cooker.

For other meats, see the previous slow-cooker exchange about browning/searing.

As for a simple recipe (are you still there, DC?) try this one, also from Hensperger's book. The poached meat can be picked off the bone and served with rice and beans or soft tacos. Here's hoping you're not an anti-cilantro person:

MEXICAN-STYLE LIME AND CILANTRO WHOLE CHICKEN

4 to 6 servings

One 3 to 4-pound whole broiler/fryer chicken

3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 small or 1/2 large lime

1/2 cup cilantro sprigs

2 cloves garlic, peeled

Wash and dry chicken thoroughly, reserving the giblets and neck for another use. Remove any lumps of fat. Season inside and out with salt and pepper, and place in the cooker, breast side up. Squeeze the juice of the lime over the chicken and stuff the cavity with the lime rind, cilantro and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a separate container, cover and refrigerate. Skim off the fat when it congeals. When the chicken's cool enough to handle, discard the skin and shred the meat from the carcass.

Whew. Simple. There you go.

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Arlington, Va.: I want to do something (simple) with sweet potatoes tonight. I was thinking either roasting them, or maybe making potato pancakes. After years of making latkes out of regular spuds I was wondering if there's anything to know about doing it with a sweet potato. For some reason I just don't feel the onions and garlic would go that well.. any thoughts?

Marcia: Yeah, onion and garlic just don't seem like a good fit for sweet potatoes.

Here's a recipe for sweet potato latkes from "Kosher by Design Entertains," by Susie Fishbein. We haven't made it, but her recipes are very good. She calls these "fabulous funky latkes."

Cajun Sweet Potato Latkes

Makes 14-18 latkes

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

3 eggs

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Cajun spice blend

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

peanut oil

sour cream or nondairy sour cream

Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely (can use coarse grating disc of a food processor for this). Transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Sprinkle the Cajun spice blend into the eggs and whisk. Mix in the cilantro. Add the egg mixture to the grated sweet potatoes.

In a large skillet, heat the peanut oil until very hot but not smoking (if using a thermometer, bring the oil to 375 degrees). Add the sweet potato mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Fry until golden, flip and fry until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the potatoes are used. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

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Lorton, Va.: Where can I buy Israeli couscous? The usual suspects, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, don't carry it.

Walter: Middle Eastern markets are your best bet. A good choice is Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria.

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Reston, Va.: You can get panko at Balducci's in McLean, and probably the other locations as well.

Walter: Thanks Reston...another source is the Asian supermarkets such as Grand Mart and Super H.

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Athens, Geo.: I just recently moved from DC to Georgia and of the many things I miss, the food I miss the most from DC are the vegetarian dumplings from Meiwah's on M and New Hampshire. I would love to try and replicate them at home or try and order a similar product on-line. These dumplings, if you have not had them, are stuffed with tofu, spinach, scallions and toasted sesame oil, and the wrapper is tender and moist. Do you have a recipe that sounds similar to these or do you know of an on-line place I could order them from? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!!

Judy H.: Just called Meiwah's, and of course it is the lunch hour, so couldn't get through. We will try to check it out after the chat and get back to you next week. They sound great.

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Coffeecake, USA: The most amazing coffee cakes can be ordered from Boston Coffee Cake. They are seriously amazing. The cinnamon walnut should win a prize.

www.bostoncoffeecake.com

Judith W.: Thanks. Happy customers are the best recommendation.

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Arlington, Va.: I have a Lebanese cookbook that insists you can't make tabouleh with bulgur wheat -- that you must use something called crushed wheat (which the cookbook states is DIFFERENT than bulgur wheat). Do you have any ideas where I might find something like this? Have checked, Harris Teeter, Safeway & Trader Joes. Thanks!

Walter: A natural choice would be Lebanese Taverna Market in Arlington or Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church.

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Clifton, Va.: If you aren't buying organic free range chicken then you are spending money on chickens that only have to have a view outside to be called free range. Organic free range means they really spent time outside.

Judy H.: Interesting.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: So glad you added these chats!

With family all over the country who are all foodies, we send a lot of edible holiday gifts.

Zingerman's deli in Michigan may have been the biggest hit. We've been hooked since we got a package of amazing rye breads from them when we lived in Oregon (no Jews = no rye! or pumpernickel!) They also have a great bread-of-the-month club and tasty (if pricey) coffeecakes, plus a whole array of cheeses and gourmet treats.

For a gift this Christmas, I need to track down that Bacon-of-the-Month club. Anyone have a web site for it?

Judith W.: Another Zingerman's fan. It's a great resource.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi there! Love the chats -- they're my saving grace every week. I have about a 1/2 dozen persimmons that are quickly ripening. Do yall have any good recipes with them (of course you do!)

Thanks!

Candy: Funny you should ask about persimmons. Our garden writer just brought over a ripe persimmon from his garden. In fact, we're still licking our sticky fingers. Yum. But you wanted a recipe. You don't say which kind of persimmons you have--Hachiya or Fuyu. The Hachiya are taller, with a fat acorn shape, and ca be eaten only when their flesh is custard-soft. Fuyu is smaller, tomato-shaped, and can be eaten when crisp as well as ripe. You might check on the epicurious.com web site for a lemon-glazed persimmon bar recipe from Gourmet that calls for Hachiya persimmons.

In the meantime, here is a recipe from the chef of Primo in Portland, Me., in which you can use either kind. It's a refreshing salad, easy to make, and a different way of using persimmons:

Melissa Kelly's

Fennel and Prosciutto Salad with Persimmon Vinaigrette

Serves 8

1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 very ripe persimmon, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, with its juice

1 small shallot, minced

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 pound frisee or curly chicory or baby greens, washed, dried, torn into pieces

Arrange the prosciutto around the edge of a platter and drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the persimmon, shallot, and vinegar. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the pears, fennel and frisee (or greens) and toss well.

Mound the salad in the middle of the platter and serve.

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Best mail order: Cheryl & Co. out of Ohio makes the best cookies. The customer service team is wonderful, always polite, courteous, and helpful. The cookies are fabulous. They taste so good it makes me want to give up making cookies. Each cookie comes individually wrapped. And the box comes with instructions to freeze any cookies you don't think will make it past three days. They want you to enjoy them at the peak of freshness. And the frosted ones are so good esp. the lemon ones. And if you want to ship to multiple addresses, it's no problem. They rule! They also other things besides the cookies. All of the people who've been given these cookies have been pleased and delighted.

Judy H.: Thanks for the tip. Good customer service from some sites is not the first thing that springs to mind.

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Israeli cous cous and sweet potatoes: The Clarendon/courthouse Whole Foods has Israeli cous cous in bulk.

I love to roast sweet potatoes with garlic and fresh thyme, blend them with chipotle, and another fave is a sweet potato, arugula, and haloumi cheese salad with a lime vinaigrette.

Judy H.: Thanks.

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Candy: For the chatter looking for Israeli couscous, I've seen it at Wegman's, as well.

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panko mania!: Local Korean grocery stores like Han Ah Rheum and Lotte have it as well as other delicacies.

Judy H.: Good to hear from so many panko fans.

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Re: Turkeys: This month Real Simple Magazine had a really helpful article on distinguishing the different types of turkeys, Kosher, Free Range, organic, etc. They include pros, cons, buying tips and brand names. I just did a quick search on their web site for turkey and I found it there as well.

Candy: Yes it was helpful. They just hired a former Food section assistant editor, which probably explains the excellent idea.

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Zingerman's: Zingerman's is the best deli ever. Their corned beef and various ryes make one of the best corned beef sandwiches I've ever eaten. Their matzo ball soup is also perfect when the weather gets cold.

Candy: Stop! You're making us hungry!

But you're right. This former Ann Arborite agrees that Zing's is great.

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College Park, Md.: Loved the cheese Shopping Cart today, because cheese is an amazing food. But, I'm curious to know why the Food Section staff encouraged the mail order route exclusively. Cheesetique has the Jasper Hill and Sweet Grass cheeses listed on their current cheeses page. Why not highlight a local resource?

Bonnie: We're in favor of your finding great American cheeses wherever you can, CP. The Shopping Cart today was about a winning combo of good products and good information that, like those coffeecakes, can come right to your door. Cheesetique (in Alexandria, 703-706-5300) currently has in stock the Bayley Hazen and Thomasville Tomme, 2 of the 5 we listed. Most other weeks, we're big on highlighting local resources.

Judith W.: We absolutely like local resources. And the Cheesetique site looks wonderful; I'll make it my business to go there. The thing about cheese, though, is that care is quite complicated if you're trying to sell it (or buy it) at the ideal degree of ripeness. Sometimes a mail-order resource has a capacity to stock more cheeses at different degrees of ripeness than a retail shop can, aiming for total customer satisfaction.

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Boston, Mass.: Is it always the same crank who posts, mad, every week on Wednesday that your wine editor isn't doing enough to talk up Virginia wine? How much demand is there for Virginia wine anyway? Wouldn't one article shut her/him up for six months, at least?

Judy H.: Actually, the Virginia wine lover is pretty tame in comparison to some of our correspondents. Virginia wines are good and getting better and there is a big demand for them here. We will do columns on Virginia wines, but probably not enough for this reader's taste.

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Burke, Va.: I made the Tequila Lime Chicken Fun recipe (including lots of garlic) that was submitted last week. It was fantastic! A definite keeper/repeater!

Bonnie: I meant to try that. Thanks for the reminder, and feedback. We love feedback, here at the Food section.

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Charlottesville, Va.: I'll agree with Ben and disagree with Clifton (again, I think) about the quality of Virginia Pinot Noirs specifically and many Virginia wines generally. Virginia wines on the whole are still about a decade behind Long Island and upstate NY wines and still further behind Pinots from Oregon (love Archery Summit) and California. Also, did Ben work at the Justice Department in the mid-90s?

Judy H.: Thanks. Yes, Ben did work at Justice.

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Madison, Wisc.: Thanks for the interesting wine tasting article! I really like the graphic we get online as well. Anyway, when do you all plan to do a more affordable wine tasting? Not that these wines are super-expensive but on my grad student budget I tend to buy wines in the $8-12 range. My local wine store is really excellent but I'm always interested in others' opinions.

Judy H.: Dear Madison,

We will do affordable (but maybe after Virginia, see earlier suggestion from reader!) Pinots are expensive. Between the time that Ben picked the list of pinots for this week's tasting and the time we picked up the wines about 10 days later, the price had gone up. We originally had more under $20 bottles on the list. We know that $20 is a lot on a grad student budget (or a family with four kids, like mine.)

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College Park, Md.: Can you recommend a good green salsa recipe? Is it necessary to simmer or broil the tomatillos? I love Baja California's salsa verde, but I can't make a decent tasting one of my own to save my life. Thanks!

Bonnie: With this one, you only need to remove the tomatillos' papery husks. This one's a little soupy but very good and very easy:

SALSA CRUDA

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 quarts

Serve with tortilla chips. Adapted from the "Creme de Colorado Cookbook" (Junior League of Denver, 1987):

6 to 8 medium tomatoes or 8 or 10 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

12 firm-skinned tomatillos, large ones with their husks removed and quartered

1 small bunch scallions, roughly chopped (white and all green parts)

Juice of 1 lime

1 bunch cilantro, most of the stems removed

3 Anaheim (hotter) or Cubanel (milder) chili peppers, stems removed

1 small jalapeo pepper, stem removed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

In a food processor, add the ingredients one at a time pulsing after each addition until you get the salsa consistency you're after. You can serve it right away, but the salsa tastes even better if it sits overnight in the refrigerator. The salsa can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Per 1/4-cup serving: 12 calories, trace protein, 3 gm carbohydrates, trace fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 149 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber

Marcia: Here's a green salsa recipe from Steve Raichlen's "Healthy Latin Cooking." He pan-roasts the tomatillos.

Salsa Verde

Makes 2 cups

1 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 small onion, quartered

1 to 3 serrano or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded (wear plastic gloves when handling) -- for extra spice, leaves the seeds in

1 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

12 teaspoon sugar or honey (optional)

1/3 to 1/2 cup chicken broth or water

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, onions, chile peppers and garlic. Cook, turning as needed, for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly browned. (You may wish to wear oven mitts to protect your hands and arms because the tomatillos may split, releasing hot juices.) Don't worry if the vegetables char in a few spots.

Transfer the vegetables to a blender or food processor. Puree to a smooth paste. Add the cilantro, sugar or honey, if desired, and 1/3 cup of the broth or water. Add salt and pepper to taste. The salsa should be pourable; add more broth or water if needed.

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Washington, D.C.: Several years ago the Post had an article on how to bone a whole chicken (without cutting it into pieces). I've lost the article and can't remember what the technique is called. Can you help me out?

Judith W.: Sorry--we can't find it in our electronic archives. Do you remember anything else about the piece?

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Side dish: The Mexican chicken recipe sounds great. What would be a good side dish to go along with it?

Bonnie: Rice and beans, a quick homemade salsa with some chunks of avocados, grilled onions...be advised that this slow-cooker chicken comes out pretty pale in the end. For me, it removes the temptation to snack on the skin.

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Washington, D.C.: A number of weeks ago, I went to the Arts On Foot Festival in Penn Quarter. Chef Geoff taught the audience how to make homemade mozzarella, and I really want to give it a go. However, the only place he knew of to get mozzarella curd is in Alexandria, and I just can't get there easily. Do you know of anywhere else, preferably DC or Montgomery County, where I could find it?

Walter: You could ask the Mozzarella Man, Paul Stephan, who sells his cheese every Sunday morning at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market.

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Potomac Falls, Va.: I would like a good butternut squash side dish recipe. I bought one the other day, but am clueless what to do with it. I don't want to do as I have in the past where I just roasted with olive oil and salt and pepper. Thanks!!!

Judith W.: You can use peel, cut them up and roast them, or use them as the main ingredient in a fall soup, or just about anything you do with other autumn squash. You can also slice off the top in order to use them as a great container for stuffing, or for squash mashed like potatoes. Try microwaving them for five minutes in order to ease that slicing process.

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Free Range story: Okay, not sure if this is appropriate, but had to share since the title of the chat today is "Free Range"...

My stepsister was a vegetarian from a very young age, and at about 11 was in a grocery with her mom (my stepmom) and saw a sign for Free Range Turkeys. "What's free range?" she asked.

"Uh, those are turkeys that turn themselves in when they are ready," answers my stepmom.

"Really? So I can eat them and not feel bad!" responds my stepsister.

My stepmom got a cashier in on it, so when my stepsister asked her, the cashier had the same answer. Evil, but funny. And yes, the rest of us told her the truth before she ate any...

Judy H.: Our chat can always benefit from humor. Sometimes we are pretty somber here in the Food section, despite having the best jobs in the world.

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Kind of a food question . . . : But really more of a restaurant question! I asked Tom earlier but he couldn't get to my question in his chat. Can you please give me a suggestion for brunch in Arlington? Group includes five adults and three children (6, 4, and 8 months), and two of the adults are vegetarians. (Usually less of an issue at breakfast!) Any thoughts? Thanks!

Candy: How about a dim sum brunch? Good Fortune in Falls Church does a huge brunch biz with dim sum (you know, those carts wheeled around table to table with all kinds of little plates of food to choose from). Vegetarians would be happy, little kids could get finger food (noodles, dumplings) and even squalling babies won't disturb the hub-bub in the big family-friendly restaurant.

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Arlington, Va.: I joined the chat late, but wanted to thank you for writing an article of Ramadan food. I really enjoyed reading it and it made me even more excited about Eid-Ul-Fitr. Of course, since I'm fasting, it made me hungry as well! Keep up the great work.

Judy H.: Thanks Arlington. The Maamoul cookies were amazing, but they were also labor intensive.

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Boston, Mass.: Are slow cookers just used for meat, or are there veggie dishes that go with them, as well?

Judith W.: I'm sure you can make vegetable stews, but you'd need to be very careful about the timing.

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Brown Bagging: Most of the insulated lunch bags don't keep food at a safe temperature for more than a couple of hours. Icepacks will extend the length of safe time, but I don't like to take my chances.

Candy: Good point, but once you get to work, you could take out the perishable stuff and put them in the fridge and leave the big, honkin' lunch bag at your desk.

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Washington, D.C. : Sorry for the late submission, but I was wondering if anyone has a pumpkin cake recipe that works well in a bundt pan? Thanks!

Judith W.: Maida Heatter has a fabulous pumpkin spice cake in (I think) her first dessert book. Even if you don't like pumpkin.

Judith W.: Maida Heatter has a fabulous pumpkin spice cake in (I think) her first dessert book. Even if you don't like pumpkin.

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Bonnie: It's....bacon! The tip about the artisanal bacon sampler from the Grateful Palate's our winner today. The chatter's let us know that the GP Web site is being updated right now; a GP company spokesperson's told us that the Hurricane Wilma's somehow to blame. You can call the Oxnard, Calif.,-based company to order at 888-472-5283.

Remember, dear winner, to send us your mailing address via food@washpost.com.

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Bethesda, Md.: To the poster from Clifton, VA. The post did write about the applejack from Virginia. It's not that the post has completely ignored VA. Now, about today's wine section- at least this week you had some people who were alive and had something to say. Still don't know how we are supposed to use all this info. The top part of the article is about the people who make up this tasting. I mean, who cares. Could you provide some info about the wines being tasted?

Judy H.: Thanks on applejack. Hard to imagine George Washington asking for the recipe. We hope that readers will look at the people and their backgrounds and perhaps find something to identify with as they read their comments.

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McLean, Va.: Hello!

I live in Loudoun County. All this wine talk has given me the urge to go to a tasting. I know there are plenty of winery choices, but don't know where to go. Any favorites?

Thanks!

Walter: There are plenty of nice wineries in the Loudoun area. But if you want to combine tasting with a terrific lunch in a beautiful setting, the Kluge Estate in Charlottesville can not be beat.

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Washington, D.C.: A note about Whole Foods: Be wary of bulk-ingredients. Always taste nuts, etc.,; they are often rancid. The other day, the macadamia nut I tasted was rancid. After all, at $14.99/lb., how many can they be selling? A few weeks ago I had to return almonds they had packaged from bulk for the same reason. I would be careful buying bulk bread crumbs.

Judith W.: Bulk items are always a tad complicated when there's no frequent turnover. That said, when I've bought bread crumbs there, they've come in a fairly small container, and they've always been fresh.

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Maryland : I like the popcorn from http://www.velvetcremepopcorn.com/

Judy H.: Thanks Md.

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Grateful Palate : Its me again. Their web site is being updated right now but you can view their catalog at this link - http://mgrsti5395q.seamlesstech.biz/Merchant/2005TGP/home_05.html

Judy H.: Thanks Grateful

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Judy H.: Thanks chatters. I am being attacked by all the non-somber people on my staffwho claim that I am the only one who suffers from a humor deficit!!! See you next week.

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