Calling all foodies! Join us for another edition of What's Cooking, our live online culinary hour with Kim O'Donnel.

A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly known as Peter Kump's New York Cooking School), Kim spends much of her time in front of the stove or with her nose in a cookbook.

Catch up on previous transcripts with the What's Cooking archive page.

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Kim O'Donnel: Greetings of the seasons! How's all your jingle bells? Decking any halls lately? I'm just a laugh a minute. I'm trying to be a good elf, really I am. I don't even know what day it is. Right, it's the 12th. So we've got 3 days til Hanukkah, 13 days to Christmas, 14 to Kwanzaa, and I can't count that high for New Year's. What's on the menus? I'm eager to hear of your plans. Me, I'm taking off tomorrow for a few days in a chaise lounge in a warm spot. Hope to get some much needed rays of Vitamin D. Tell me what's happening...

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Arlington, Va.: My sister and brother-in-law are vegetarians, so no roast beast for Christmas. However, after Christmas my mother-and-father-in-law are coming to town and I was thinking of doing a roast leg of lamb. Should it be pretty easy to get a de-boned leg of lamb? Is there a particularly good butcher where I could get such a leg (I don't know that I trust the guys at Safeway that much ...)

Kim O'Donnel: Hi ya, before we get to the lamb, I hope you've all discussed a festive meatless feast with sis and BIL. Let me know if you need help with that. Re: lamb: I've asked meat guy at Whole Foods to debone a leg for me, without problem. I've also asked to have it butterflied, which allowed me to stuff it.

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Nuts for Nuts: Hi -- bought a boat load of pecans at Costco (several industrial sized bags!) Now, what to do with them? I'd like to do a candied/spiced nut and give as gifts. Any good recipes? My current recipe (egg white, sugar, cinnamon) resulted in "grainy" nuts ... would love a smooth, sweet/spicy coating. I've had them but never made them. Any ideas? Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: Hey nuts, those pecans will be the star-studded feature in the next episode of spiced nuts, a la Union Square Cafe in New York. This recipe is always a knockout -- and yes, it's sweet/spicy.

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Late turkey question!: Hi Kim! I'm cooking a turkey this weekend for a party with two friends. The party is at a house a five minute drive from my house. I was hoping just to cook the turkey at the party house, but it doesn't look like that will be an option.

Should I: cook and carve at my house, cook plus rest in the car (well-covered) and carve there or attempt to revisit cooking at the party house?

Also, I've only made 12 lb fresh turkeys in the past. This one is 16 lbs, previously frozen. What changes (other than simply increasing the cooking time) should I expect?

Kim O'Donnel: As for the transportation of birdy, I'd cook at home, cover really well and allow to cool while you're driving over to party house. Carve at your destination. Cooking time will be slightly longer; without knowing what kind of bird you bought, can't speak to other differences. Holler back if you want.

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Latkes and ???: I'm having a group over for a Hanukkah gathering and need a substantive supplement dish for my latke-centered menu. So far I have white bean dip and veggies for nibbling, and a big green salad with a very light vinaigrette. I've been thinking maybe a soup or stew, but I'm not sure what kind and I'm definitely open to other ideas. My only request: veggie dishes only, since some people coming keep kosher. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Well, you must have homemade applesauce for those latkes dear, no question. Soup would be lovely. What about a curried sweet potato puree?

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Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim -- I am thinking about adding a white fruitcake to my Christmas baking repertoire. Where can I find candied orange/lemon peel to mix in?

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: I don't know about a white fruitcake. Tell me more. As for candied citron, I might try Sur La Table.

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Maryland Mom: Kim,

Please help ... I am planning to brine a turkey for Christmas dinner. Can I still use a compound butter on the skin? Also, can I make gravy with the drippings? Thank you so much for your help ... I've come a long way thanks to you and the chatters!

Kim O'Donnel: Hey Mom, if you're brining, it's not necessary to do the compound butter. The brine lends tons of flavor. Re: gravy: it all depends on the brine. How much salt are talking? If it's more than 3/4 cup, no, it's not a good idea to use the drippings for gravy.

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New York, N.Y.: Kim -- I know a lot of questions today will probably be about cookies and holiday things, but I'm in need of comfort food. Holidays are stressful for many, but this year I'm also waiting for graduate program acceptance/rejection letters, which are due to arrive this week and next. Any suggestions for soothing comfort food? I need to calm (and cheer) myself.

Kim O'Donnel: I hear you, New York. I'm wiped out myself. Homemade mac and cheese is always extremely comforting to me, and you could pair it with a pot of slow-cooked collard greens or kale. Yes indeed! Some take on the grilled cheese and soup combo is good, too. You could make an easy lentil soup, a puree of sweet potato, tell me what you're in the mood for...

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Divine Ms. K, Arlington: Hey Kim -- I'm trying to hunt down the recipe for your lovely lollipops, but all I can find is the slideshow! I like the slideshow, but it doesn't have proportions. Help a girl out! I have a darling 6-year-old niece and 3-year-old nephew who are all excited about making lollipops with Auntie Ms. K. (their roles will be purely decorative, no hot sugar for the kiddos!)...

Kim O'Donnel: Ah yes. Go to that link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/photo/entertainment/G4079-2004Nov22.html

and when you enter the "gallery" you'll see a link to the recipe at the top of the first page. I meant to respond to your e-mail, and checked it this morning to make sure.

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Fresh Vegetables: With the continuing e-coli scares, I just don't have any confidence in serving fresh produce. Please help.

Kim O'Donnel: I've talked about this a lot in the blog, particularly during the spinach scare. One of the easiest ways to stop being scared is to start buying local. This is a tough time of year to get into the habit of shopping at farmer's markets, but if you live in this area, there are a bunch of producer-only markets open year round -- Arlington Courthouse, Takoma Park, Dupont Circle and Falls Church. You'll meet the very people who have grown and raised the food, and they are very happy to share the ins and outs of a particular crop, how things are grown, etc. Buy local, be unafraid.

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Columbia, Md.: I bought ground turkey for chili on Sunday, but I haven't had a chance to make it yet -- was going to save it for the weekend since I'm out at parties tonight and tomorrow night. Is that okay? Should I freeze it?

Kim O'Donnel: Freeze now. Or you will have meat unfit for consumption.

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: Hi, Kim -- Thanks for doing this chat!

I'm having a holiday party on Saturday and want to include some fried Hanukkah treat -- latkes, fritters, etc. How best to keep them warm and crispy while I'm cooking for 15? They really do taste best right out of the frying pan ...

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: A 200-degree oven is the best way, I've found, to keep those latkes nice and toasty while you're frying up the rest...

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Meatless in Arlington: For Christmas Eve, I'm making ratatouille with cheese grits, and for Christmas dinner at my parents' house we're having a cocktail buffet, which will include some meat products. (They are not opposed to other people eating meat in front of them). That is what we did last year, and it worked out really well.

Kim O'Donnel: Sounds good. I always like to hear how mixed company fares...and it sounds like you do just fine. Cheers.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim. I really appreciate that you do these chats. As a home cook, I enjoy the opportunity to communicate with a trained professional, and to read your answers and blogs for tips and ideas.

So, here's my question: My partner loves cooking eggs on an 3-4-year-old nonstick pan. I swear, though, that the pan is starting to give off fumes of some sort. I am thinking about buying her a new egg-friendly pan for Christmas, but wasn't sure what to get. Wasn't there a finding recently that nonstick can be bad for your health? What would you recommend for a good 10 inch skillet? (Just found a Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan on sale for $17, which seems like a great deal.)

Kim O'Donnel: For eggs, I might even try something smaller, like an eight incher. Look for omelette pans; they are the shallowest and best suited for egg cookery. Oh, my newest discovery this fall was cooking scrambed eggs in my wok. What a dream!

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Peanut Butter: I have a recipe that calls for smooth natural peanut butter. Do I have to use natural peanut butter, or will just a "typical" kind work (Jif, Skippy, etc.)? Do you know why a recipe would call for natural peanut butter?

Kim O'Donnel: Well, natural would be free of sugars, which maybe the recipe writer was trying to accomplish. Hard to say without reading the recipe.

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Maryland: I use a very heavy salt brine for my turkey, but am still able to use drippings for gravy. They key is I make my own stock and do not add ANY salt at all to the stock.

The base of the gravy is made ahead of time using a standard roux. I fry the necks and giblets, then toss those into the premade stock I have rewarming on the stove. Then I make a standard roux in the pan I used to fry the necks. Once browned, I add enough of the stock to make a very thick gravy and then set aside.

Once I remove the turkey from the rack, I drain the drippings from the pan. i then add enough port (or whatever) to loosen the fond. That goes into the gravy, then more of the stock, and I use the poured off drippings as a seasoning -- usually I work the whole thing in (I make a LOT of gravy) and the salt is not overpowering.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for chiming in, Maryland. This is very useful. I agree about making one's own stock.

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Xmas Dinner: This year, for the first time ever, I am in CHARGE. Mom and dad will su-chef for me.

I'm thinking standing rib roast, mashed potatos, gravy, and corn timbale with brussels sprouts. (appetizers before, salad and cookies after)

There will be 10-12 of us. One person eats mainly meat and potatoes. Two people eat some meat, but are close to veggetarian.

I figure, the corn timbale will be the fancy veggie, but I'd like to add two other side. Maybe roasted onions? Eggplant/zucchini/tomato gratin? Green beans?

Help, Kim! I want to make this funky!

Kim O'Donnel: Hey, what if you let go of the mashed and did something a little jazzier with the spuds? A gratin, perhaps? You can make a "jus" instead of a gravy, and still get good coverage. Caramelized onions are lovely, and would work beautifully with the meat.

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For the Lamb Seeker: Definitely go to the Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church. Always fresh, reasonably priced and you get to browse cool middle eastern ingredients while you wait for your meat.

Kim O'Donnel: Great idea! Pick up some cous cous, some pomegranate molasses, for starters.

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Woodbridge, Va.: Hi Kim,

I'd like to bake something special for our local police and fire stations with my preschool son. They were so great when his class went for a tour and we'd like to thank them. Any recommendations for simple yet tasty treats?

Kim O'Donnel: You know, I was just saying to someone that the chocolate spice cookies I recently made would be a great recipe to make with kids, as no heavy machinery is required. It's all a wooden spoon job. These are way simple to make, and he can get his hands dirty.

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Cookie Lover : I just bought a cookie press, and I'm wondering if there are other recipes besides Spritz dough that I can use to make cookies -- or if there's a way to add something different to the spritz dough to change it up a little. Any recipes regarding the kinds of cookies I can make with this new gadget would be appreciated. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: I'm throwing this out to all you cookie bakers...

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E-coli and produce: Um, don't ya'll WASH the stuff you buy from the store?

That will take care of it the vast majority of the time.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Safe Handling

Above is the link to the FDA informaion on produce safety.

Kim O'Donnel: I agree. For the most part. This doesn't deal with safe handling though on the agri-business process part. but yes, by all means, do as much as you can to protect yourself.

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Rainy San Francisco: Lucky you for getting to go somewhere warm and sunny! Can I fit in your suitcase? As for Chanukah, I like to make an Israeli couscous dish (usually with some red onions, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers; I think gourmet.com has a recipe if you search for 'pearl coucous) to continue in the general theme ... Also, a big salad with lots of fresh veggies to counter the grease.

Kim O'Donnel: The couscous sounds lovely, dear. Hope the foraging reader is still online to catch your idea...

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Madison, Wisc.: Are you familiar with authentic Southern cracklins? This was always a holiday treat in my Southern past. Could youpost a recipe.

Kim O'Donnel: I don't have one on me, but can dig one up if you give me a few days.

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Washington, D.C.: Could you possibly give us a link to the cranberry biscotti recipe from a few years ago? It is a favorite and I seem to have lost my paper copy.

Kim O'Donnel: Cranbery-Pistachio Biscotti, at your service.

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Budd Lake, N.J.: Will be baking cookies with mom this Sat, all day as was wondering if those cookie scoops that look like ice cream scoops but smaller are worth it? I have been using a tsp. forever, but do suffer from random sized cookies. I have also mention your immersion blender, but do not remember the model and brand. Could you enlighten all of us again? Love your chat, blog and spirit of cooking. Happy Happy Holidays and congrats on your engagement! Good health to you and yours!

Kim O'Donnel: Hey Budd Lake, do you have a small ice cream scoop? Save your money and use that instead. I find that at some point in the heat of cookie making I always end up resorting to the teaspoon method anyway. Oh well. Immersion blender: I have had good luck with Krups, but I know there are several brands out there.

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Blood oranges: When can we expect them? I've seen them on Safeway.com (but not Peapod), and was disappointed TWICE last week after calling two local whole foods, being told they were in stock, and showing up to find out I had been tragically misled ...

Kim O'Donnel: I haven't seen them yet. I would bet January?

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Fish Question: So, in Poland, the traditional Christmas Eve meal features fish. This is the first year I have been put in charge of Christmas Eve dinner, and I would like to do it right. Although Poles usually eat carp, it is not easy to get in the U.S., so over the years we have modified the tradition by choosing different types of fish. The key has been offering a interesting/unique fish or a special presentation. My problem: I cannot cook fish. It's always bland or undercooked. Any ideas for a special fish filet dish (that could feed 12) would be greatly appreciated! The other parts of the meal generally include mushroom broth soup, braised red cabbage, dill potatoes, a poppy seed pudding and my grandmother's orange cheesecake.

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: You're a candidate for a fish poacher, dear. It's one of the easiest ways to cook fish for a beginner. This would also be a great presentation for such a large group. Re: carp: Try an Asian grocery, if you live near one.

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Clifton, Va.: Arlington

Try the Organic Butcher In Mclean for your leg of lamb. The beef and lamb surpasses anything Whole Foods sells by a long shot.

It is also organic and humanely raised. The quality difference between the two is amazing!

Kim O'Donnel: Another suggestion for that leg of lamb.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Kim -- I have a recipe for red wine risotto with parmesan broth that is apparently awesome. Here is the problem: the parmesan broth recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs of parmesan rinds. It's a basic stock recipe, but instead of simmering bones, the cheese rinds are used. Short of buying 10 lbs of parmesan so that I can use the rinds, what can I do? Do stores sell the rinds? Is it possible to use the cheese and the rinds (I hate to waste a bunch of expensive cheese just so I can use the rinds)?

Thanks for the help.

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, some stores do sell rinds. I would also check your closest cheese shop.

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Washington, D.C.: Kim,

I was wondering if you knew of a local establishment that sells turduckens. You know ... the turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken. I am having in-laws over for Xmas and they want this on the menu (they are from cajun country). I have found a bunch of Web sites that sell them, but the overnight shipping is more than the bird(s). I was hoping to just buy one locally to save on the shipping. Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: I don't know. Who does?

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Leg of lamb: I bought a nice boneless leg of lamb at Costco and served it over Thanksgiving weekend. Price was great, meat was fabulous, and it came already partially butterflied and was easy to stuff. Costco has a great meat department!

Kim O'Donnel: Another leg of lamb sighting....

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Peanut butter: I don't think you can sub regular for natural PB is baking because of the transfat in regular. Like subbing Crisco for butter. I've never known anyone to sub reg for natural, but I do know someone who tried to sub natural for regular in a cookie recipe -- disaster ...

Kim O'Donnel: I guess it pays to read those peanut butter labels...

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Connecticut: Can yogurt be used in place of some of the fat in baked goods (muffins, quick breads cookies, bars)?

Kim O'Donnel: Yogurt is a good replacer, but not all the time. It's great if you're replacing another dairy item. What works really well, however, is applesauce.

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi Kim -- I tried to make chocolate truffles last weekend and had a problems with dipping them in chocolate to coat.

The filling is a typical truffle ganache -- cream, bittersweet chocolate, butter, etc. It was refrigerated for two hours, then scooped into balls and refrigerated again for 15 minutes.

For the coating, the recipe said to melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler and just dip to coat.

I had to keep the melted chocolate liquid enough to coat, but it must be too warm, because in the few seconds to took to get the truffle ball coated, it began to melt. And when I then placed the ball on a cookie sheet, the ganache sort of oozed out from under the coating/melted into the coating.

After refrigerating overnight, the truffles taste terrific, but are kind of ugly. Any suggestions on how to dip them so filling doesn't melt in the process?

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: You need to maintain tempered chocolate at the same temperature while dipping. I don't have temp range at my side right now, but I can look for you after the chat. This is critical to a shiny coating that will stick to your chilled ganache.

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Cookie dough scoops: For a small cookie dough scoop, just use the large end of a melon-baller. Dip in water as necessary to prevent sticking.

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, a melon balller is a fab cookie scoop!

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Peanut butter -- no trans fat ?: My jars of Skippy and Jif list 0 grams of trans fat. For what it's worth ...

Kim O'Donnel: And I appreciate that. I was really hoping someone would chime in...

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For the Poland fisher: Austrians (where I spent some time as an exchange student) do the same thing, and I've been considering carp for my Christmas Eve dinner.

Carp is easy to get at the fishmarket in SW D.C. It gets such a bad rep here -- but it's so good.

Kim O'Donnel: Carp is also low on the food chain and considered a sustainable species!

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Alexandria, Va.: I'm hoping you'll have patience with a couple of beginner-level questions. How long will a block of parmesan cheese keep once it's been opened, if it's been kept wrapped up in plastic wrap? A couple weeks, a couple months? Also, what about opened bottles of salad dressing? I so seldom eat salads at home that I'm never sure if the dressing has gone bad if it was opened weeks ago. Sorry for wasting everyone's time with such lame questions, but I was never taught anything about food storage or cooking -- I don't think my mother even knew where our kitchen was, much less what one did in there!

Kim O'Donnel: Never too basic of a question here. Keep that parm not only in plastic but in an airtight container. Should last about 1 month. Opened bottles of dressing -- buy one at a time if you're hardly ever home. Vinaigrettes will last longer than mayo-based stuff.

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Xmas party menu: Do you have any ideas for fillings for phyllo and/or puff pastry? I have basics like spinich and cheese, sausage type stuff coverd. and one for apple and gorgonzola. Any other ideas? Preferably ones I make the day before and freeze, then bake during the party

Kim O'Donnel: mushrooms and goat cheese is a nice combo...

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Re Cookie "Scoop": I just baked a bunch of cookies and I did use the smaller cookie scoop and still my cookies were just too big. I, like Kim, resort to the teaspoon method...makes them more of a "pop-in-your-mouth" size cookie.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for the field report, dear.

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Cookies ...: Hi Kim! I need to make cookies for two different occasions about one week apart. Would it okay to leave the dough in the refrigerator/freezer for a week, then bake? Or is it better to just make the cookies and keep them in an air-tight container until the second event? I know neither option is ideal, but is one better than the other? Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, it's perfectly okay to freeze the dough, then bake. I do this all the time. Stay sweet.

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Kim O'Donnel: Already that time. Thanks for your good spirit. By the way, a holiday-gift thing in today's blog, to be published shortly by my committed editors. Keep cool during these hectic weeks! Til next.

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