The Food Section
of the Washington Post
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; 1:00 PM
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. You can also read the transcripts of past chats. 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. Read about the staff of the Food section.
The transcript follows.
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Joe: Welcome to today's chat! Hope you liked the section today, particularly David Hagedorn's fantastic menu for a holiday open house and Sean Neary's take on holiday cocktail-making. Between the two of them, we figure we've got the bulk of your entertaining challenges covered. (I know I'll be making that Spanish Tortilla with Crab recipe sooner than later, possibly as part of a New Year's Eve tapas spread.)
What's on your minds and on your menus? Throw your questions our way, and we'll do our darndest to help you out of whatever quandary you find yourselves in. And for two chatters with our favorite questions (or replies), we have drink books to give away: "Infused: 100-Plus Recipes for Infused Liqueurs and Cocktails" by Susan Elia MacNeal, and "Hot Drinks for Cold Nights: Great Hot Chocolates, Tasty Teas & Cozy Coffee Drinks" by Liana Krissoff.
Let's get this show on the road...
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Washington, D.C.: Happy holidays! I'm making Beef Wellington for Christmas Eve dinner, and I have a couple of questions. First, the recipe calls for filet mignon, but that's awfully expensive for me. Is there a good substitute cut that would be less costly? Second, I'm planning on doing sauteed carrots as a side; any ideas for a good second side? Thanks for your help.
David Hagedorn: Happy Holidays to you, too, DC, but I'm afraid there really is no reasonable substitute for beef tenderloin for your Wellington. Tenderloin is used for this preparation because it takes so little time to roast it to medium/medium rare and has no fat on the outside of it. (There is plenty of marbled fat in the meat itself.)Outside fat will make the pastry soggy on the inside. Also, if you use anything else, the pastry crust will burn before the meat is cooked through.
As a side dish, I suggest Brussels sprouts, simply prepared. (The Wellington is plenty rich already. I trim the sprouts, halve them, rinse them, and place them in a food storage bag with a tablespoon of butter, some onion salt and pepper. Seal the bag, leaving two inches open, then microwave in HIGH for 5 minutes. Brussels sprouts....mmmmmmm!
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Arlington, Va.: Submitting early - work holiday party...
Loved the article on mixed drinks. One of my favorite spirits is grappa (not sure how to bring bottles home now with the restrictions on air travel...).
Are you familiar with any good mixed drinks that use grappa? I drink it straight, and aside from my coffee, I don't know if it mixes well with anything.
Thanks!
Joe: Are you drinking grappa at your mid-day holiday party? If so, is your company looking for a food editor? ;-) I've seen grappa used in something called a Genoa cocktail (with gin, sambuca, and vermouth -- look at www.cocktaildb.com), but for many more ideas check out www.nardinigrappa.com. This grappa company lists 35 cocktail recipes: Grappa Manhattan to Grapparinha. I can't vouch personally for them, but maybe something will spark some interest...
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Arlington, Va.: I was recently inspired by the charming book "Cooking for Mr. Latte" to buy a tin of smoked Spanish paprika, which the author raves about. I find it's a very strong flavored and odored spice so I'm hesitant to add it into dishes without some tips on where it might enhance them-- any recommendations are welcome!
David Hagedorn: Smoked Spanish paprika is definitely on my list of "new" staples everyone should have on hand. Its lushness adds body and flavor boost, particularly to marinades, sauces, and rubs for red meats; its smokiness complements vegetables and fish dishes nicely. Use it with gusto for the former; with restraint for the latter, because a little certainly goes a long way.
Joe: I love pimenton, too! I seem to be sprinkling little bits on everything these days. One of my favorite things to do with it is add to fried chickpeas for a Spanish-style cocktail snack. Perfect for entertaining those people hanging out in the kitchen while you're cooking...
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Annapolis, Md.: Submitting early because I'll be at our office's holiday party. I'm making a large (22 lb) turkey for Christmas dinner and am trying to figure out how long I should roast it if I use the convection feature on my oven - the last time I cooked a turkey, I used my old oven, and I've only used the convection setting on my new one for bread and pizza. (I haven't decided if I'm doing it stuffed or unstuffed- I prefer the former, but the family likes the latter). The turkey will have been brined, if that makes a difference.
I apologize if you answered this before Thanksgiving - I wasn't the hostess that day, so I wasn't paying attention to turkey questions!
Bonnie: Experts seem to agree that using the convection oven should cut about one-quarter (a half-hour or more) off the roasting time, and that you should reduce the oven temp for Mr. Turkey by 25 degrees. Select the "roasting" setting if your oven has it. I bet if you can unearth the oven manual, it will have a comparison roasting times chart. And depending on what brine you use, you may have to pay a little more attention to the skin, which could brown unevenly but will certainly be nice and crisp. Covering the breast and wings with foil to start, and frequent basting near the end, ought to help.
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Washington, D.C.: I tried to make a raisin cake but the raisins sunk to the bottom of the cake. I even stirred the raisins with 3tbls of the cake flour and it still didn't work. How can I make this work?
Also, I found out when cutting cooled brownies a plastic knife works wonders. The brownies have neatly edges.
Thanks!
Bonnie: Nothing personal, DC, but maybe your batter just isn't a thick type that can take the weight. Apparently this is enough of an issue to merit an FAQ on the Sunmaid Raisins Web site, which also suggests folding in the raisins just before you pop the cake in the oven, and baking in a shallower, round pan so that the raisins set in the batter more quickly.
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Washington, D.C.: Re food safety: How does one gently teach office colleagues that it is NOT OK to refrigerate/save cooked food from the office Xmas potluck that has been out for a couple of hours, put it out again the next day for another 2+ hours, and then refrigerate/save the leftovers AGAIN and eat the next day? For myself, I just won't eat it, but I worry about others, especially those who don't know it was out the second day. I don't want to be the Wicked Witch of the Office, but I don't want people to have food poisoning for the holidays, either.
Joe: Some things can only be learned through experience, I fear! If this is really important to you, you might try intimidating them with your knowledge of HAACP guidelines (the standards that restaurants use to avoid either getting patrons sick or getting penalized by health departments), including throwing around the acronym "HAACP"...
Here are some numbers to toss around: Perishable foods should not stay in what the pros call the temperature danger zone (between 40 and 140 degrees F) for more than four hours. To be perfectly safe, then, a piece of meat that was out at your potluck for 2 hours needs to be cooled down below 40 degrees within 2 more hours in the refrigerator (or freezer) in order to keep the bacteria from multiplying.
Yum!
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Early Christmas dinner prep: Please tell me the answer I want to hear for this one....I need to make some of my dishes on Christmas Eve, and refrigerate them unbaked until the next day. This won't get me into any food safety issues will it? (Many have eggs in them, but all will be mixed and put straight into the fridge). Thanks!!!
Joe: The fridge is your friend! Fear not, and forge ahead.
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Colesville, Md.: Happy Holidays,
My husband has recently fallen head over heels in love with monkfish. I've been looking in local supermarkets but can't seem to find it. Anyone have any ideas? P.S. The restaurant we got it at served it in a clay pot with parma ham, white beans, green olives and garlic. I wish that I was better at figuring out sauces. He said the meal was the best part of our vacation.
Walter: Poor man's lobster, as monkfish is sometimes called, is usually available at Whole Foods stores.
Walter: It's in stock now at the Silver Spring location:
Whole Foods Market
833 Wayne Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301.608.9373
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Arlington, Va.: Cookie Question!
I was checking out the Post Cookie recipes and would love to make the Sicilian Twists, however, for the dough (Pasta Frolla) it says to use a food processor and I don't have one. Do you think I can mix it in my Kitchen Aid? or do I really have to do it by hand?
Joe: Hey, Arlington -- go ahead with the stand mixer. It should work just fine. This is a particularly forgiving dough.
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Rockville, Md.: Hi, Thanks so much for taking my question, I can't wait to make some cookies, but missed your chat last week and didn't see my question in the archives. The recipe for the Iced Cranberry-White Chocolate Drops calls for 2 kinds of cranberries. I understand the dried cranberries, but was wondering about the 1/2 cup of chopped cranberries. Does that mean the ones found in the produce section? That seems like a really "hard" ingredient, not to mention tart! Only other thing I could find was the canned cranberries in sauce, and that didn't seem right either.
Bonnie: Yep, 2 kinds, and yep, the fresh ones you can find in the produce section. Their tartness is offset by the white chocolate. Happy cookie baking.
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Herndon, Va.: Do you know where I can find marzipan in a tube? I'm making a yule log cake and want to try my hand at marzipan decorations.
Leigh: You should be able to find tubed marzipan at most grocery stores in the baking aisle. You want to look carefully at the package to be sure it reads "marzipan" and not "almond paste". You can add food coloring to it and mold it into whatever you like. Kind of like edible play dough.
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Washington, D.C.: Posting early because I always forget. I moved down from Boston a while back, and was hoping that you could help me find a good dessert restaurant here in DC--something like Boston's Finale or Cafe Fleuri's Saturday Brunches.....
David Hagedorn: In Georgetown, La Ruche has long been known as a dessert destination (1039 31st. St. NW; 202-965-2684) and Leopold's Kafe and Konditerei, also in G'town, has excellent Viennese pastries (3315 Cady's Alley NW; 202-965-6005) You can't go wrong with pastry chef Huw Griffith's desserts in the comfy lounge at the Tabard Inn (1739 N St. NW; 202-785-1277)
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Springfield, Va.: I have a whole quart of fresh cranberries that I don't know what to do with. Perhaps I could put them to use in a good drink recipe before they go bad- Any suggestions? Thanks!
Joe: Springfield, don't forget the power of your freezer. Cranberries freeze beautifully, and then you won't be in such a rush. But if you want to go through them now, besides our Iced Cranberry-White Chocolate Drop Cookies from last week's issue, I highly recommend cranberries in scones. Just chop them up raw, add them to your favorite scone recipe, and bake away.
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Cap Hill, Washington, D.C.: I know in the past you've recommended stew/crock-pot/slow cook books and I've looked through a ton of them, but most start with browning the meat first on the stove. I'm looking for a book that will allow me to dump a bunch of ingredients into said crock-pot in 5 minutes time before I leave for work in the morning. Thusly turn the sucker on and come home to a ready-to-eat meal. Any recommendations for books like that?
Bonnie: I've just looked through the slow cooker books close at hand here, and it seems to be about a 50-50 split, between recipes that call for browning the meat first. It's hard to deny that some s.c. recipes benefit greatly from that initial step. It usually takes just another 5 minutes or so, though. Worth the time.
Maybe a slight turn from less meat to more poultry, vegetable-based or tagine-y lamb recipes would help, Cap Hill?
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Bethesda, Md.: I am a faithful reader of both the weekly food section and I just love these chats. I'm amazed how you guys pull great recipe ideas out of thin air! Recently, there was an article written by (I think) Walter Driscoll about restaurants in Wheaton. I managed to loose the article and am so depressed at the thought of not being able to try out some of those delicious sounding meals. Any chance you could provide a link to that article?
washingtonpost.com: Pan-Asian Paradise
Walter: And just for the record it's Nicholls, and not Driscoll.
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Brunch questions: Hi crew! I'm getting ready for a family brunch on a Sunday! I would love to serve mimosas but have one pregnant and one alcoholic in attendance. Any ideas for a non-alcoholic mimosa recipe? Thanks!
Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: How about a tequila sunrise meets spritzer minus the alcohol? Pour a spoonful of grenadine in the bottom of the glass, add 2/3 O.J. and 1/3 seltzer. Looks pretty-tastes good. No buzz!
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Baltimore, Md.: I'm looking for a marinade for shrimp that I plan on serving hors d'oeuvre style at a cocktail party tomorrow. Thoughts - maybe something spicy?
Thanks- and happy holidays to you and yours.
David Hagedorn: Try this, Baltimore: 1 cup OJ concentrate, zest and juice of one lime, 1 medium jalapeno pepper (finely minced),and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. A teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika (detect a theme today?) couldn't hurt either!
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Truffle toppings: hello Free Rangers!
I made a test batch of chocolate truffles on Monday. Toppings included cocoa mixed with cinnamon (sort of bitter though), crushed candy canes, sesame seeds, and sweetened green tea powder. They were flavored with a little vanilla.
Any suggestions for other good toppings, or maybe some flavoring to add in? I was thinking maybe a flavored liquor could be nice, but the ABC store sort of intimidates me and I don't know the good brands, or how much I would need for about 10 oz of chocolate. Thanks for the tips! You all rock!
Leigh: You seem to already be inspired for the coatings. You can infuse your cream with many flavors, such as rosemary or earl gray tea. To do this heat your cream called for in the recipe and add the flavor component. Allow it to cool to room temperature, remove the solids (herbs or tea) and reheat to pour over your chocolate.
To add other flavors you can use extracts and oils in place of actual liquor. This gives more punch of flavor without too much liquid.
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Truffle toppings/liqueurs: Hi,
Thank you for taking my question. I am planning on making truffles to give as gifts. What types of liqueurs besides brandy and rum could I add to the ganache mixture? Also besides cocoa, powdered sugar, and chopped nuts what other things can I roll the truffles in for a finishing touch?
Thank you!
Joe: Lots of truffle-making today! Well, look to the previous chatter for an answer to the toppings question -- some great ideas there -- but as for flavorings, how about port? It goes so well with chocolate.
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Chambersburg, Penn.: I saw the advice about putting a pizza stone under your cookie sheet to keep cookies from burning. Would that prevent bread from burning as well
Leigh: The pizza stone evens out heat and holds it in the oven, so anything you bake on top of it would benefit. Depending on your bread recipe you may even be able to forego the pan and free-shape it to place directly on the stone. This would give a nice crisp crust.
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Chevy Chase, Md.: Thanks for this great resource. Please give me the recipe for Leigh Lambert's slow cooker rice pudding that was in the Post many weeks ago. I've made it several times but now can locate the tiny scrap of paper on which the recipe was printed. I wanted to make it for my husband who so enjoyed it last month. Thanks. A cook in Chevy Chase
Leigh: So glad to hear it's already become a family favorite:
Take 3/4 cup long-grain rice, 3 cups milk, 3/4 cup sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and salt. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and set on high for 3 1/2 hours. Serve with a dollop of butter or whipped cream.
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Washington, D.C.: Infused drink idea for you: Has anyone every tried candy cane beer? It's festive, and it's quite good! Just dip a candy cane in your beer, mix, and you're all set. Enjoy!
Joe: I'll have to trust you on that one. Bottom's up!
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Just Curious, Alexandria, Va.: Holiday greetings to all of you Food staffers. I frequently see the phrase, "An occasional series in which staff members share a recipe that we turn to time and time again (or liked right away)." Does that mean you get to consume your finished products right there in your Food room(s)? How about today's coquito? If so, I'm envious already. Do you sometimes share your "finds" with other areas of the Post? Are you ever called upon to cater to the rest of the crowd there?
Joe: JC, we're eating all the time around here, and if you need proof, my expanding waistline is it. Bonnie ably coordinates our testing system, and testers are instructed to return with samples (in addition to notes) so we can taste away. Depending on who's around, we don't all taste everything, but each of us makes a pretty good dent. And we put lots of stuff out for people from other sections to taste if they want, too. (And, er, we try to follow HAACP guidelines...) As for the coquito, Walter brought it to our staff party at my place on Sunday, and it was quite the hit!
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Clifton, Va.: Easy shrimp marinade a bottle of Mountain Dew, fresh habenero pepper sliced seeds and all, fresh garlic rough chop and 20z of tequila or rum.
Wegman's has monk fish. And since live in MD try the seafood market off River Rd in Potomac they have the freshest best quality fish in the area.
Whole Foods fish is about as fresh as the Giant's.
Joe: Now THAT's a shrimp cocktail. Literally! Thanks for the other source ideas for monkfish, Clifton. Nothing beats a good fishmonger, but my experience with Whole Foods fish hasn't been yours.
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Philadelphia, Penn.: So, the mushroom polenta and ginger pear cheesecake from Real Simple magazine were a big hit at Thanksgiving. Now I have to find a way to top myself with a veggie based side dish to ham and lasagna. I'm a vegetarian, and this will be most of my meal, so if it's a little heartier that's a definite plus. Any ideas? I have no idea what goes with ham. Thanks!
Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: Trying to top it..hmmm. How about a vegetarian shepherd's pie? It's hardy enough for the vegetarians and has enough potatoes to lure the meat eaters. Filling can be protein-loading with chickpeas or beans if desired.
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Washington, D.C.: We are having roast beef for our Christmas dinner. Would it benefit from soaking in a brine solution? I brined a pork crown roast once and that was pretty tasty.
Bonnie: You might end up with corned beef, DC! Check out the explanations of brining processes at www.mortonsalt.com. Try salting -- some people refer to this as dry brining or curing -- the beef well and refrigerating for a day or two beforehand.
If we've got the usual well-informed chatters onboard today, perhaps there are beef briners who can weigh in, too.
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Silver Spring, Md.: A friend and I got together a month ago and made beef wellington and it was awesome! instead of doing the entire filet we made individual portions and topped the beef with mushrooms and blue cheese inside the pastry. I learned a lot about fileting the filet and there was quite a bit left over for another time. Maybe the poster who is looking for a cheaper way could buy a filet with a friend.
David Hagedorn: Individual Wellingtons are great, SS, because they can be baked to suit individual doneness preferences. Lamb chops cut from a rack of lamb are also excellent for individual Wellingtons, but this may be going in the wrong direction price-wise. Are there timeshares for tenderloin?
washingtonpost.com: Recipe: Shiitake Beef Wellingtons
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Arlington, Va.: Hello,
I believe one of the cookies experts from last week's discussion was going to have some more recipes to share with us this week. Did you all happen to have those available to share?
Thanks.
Bonnie: Man, you guys don't miss a trick. Compliments of Nick Malgieri, 2 low-calorie cookie recipes. We haven't tested these, fyi (but we want to make them):
Cantuccini
Makes 125 small cookies
These are classic Tuscan biscotti, very low in fat because they are naturally. And they're tasty, crunchy, and everything you would want biscotti to be.
One word of caution: Be careful to slice the biscotti as thinly as the recipe states or else they will be very hard after they are baked - unless of course, you always intend to eat them after dunking them in your caffe latte. Store the biscotti between sheets of waxed paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
2 1/4 cups flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (about 4 ounces) unblanched almonds, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Stir in the almonds.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites and vanilla extract.
Use a large rubber spatula to stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Continue stirring until a firm dough forms.
Scrape the dough out on a floured surface and press it together well.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a cylinder approximately the length of your baking sheet.
Arrange the cylinder of dough equidistant from each other and the edges of the pan, on one of the pans (the other pan is used later for toasting the biscotti).
Use the palm of your hand to flatten the logs.
Bake the logs for about 30 minutes, or until they are well risen and firm.
Cool the logs on the pan on racks. Leave the oven on and set racks in the upper and lower thirds.
When the logs are cool, place one on a cutting board and use a sharp serrated knife to cut in into straight or diagonal slices 1/3 inch thick. Place the biscotti cut side down on the pans and return them to the oven to toast for about 20 minutes - they should be light golden and the almonds should also appear toasted.
Cool the biscotti on the pans on wire racks.
Per cookie: 28 calories, 1 g fat, 1 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 5 mg cholesterol, 11 mg sodium
Gingersnaps
Makes about 40 cookies
These are a little different from classic gingersnap drop cookies which usually have lots of butter in them to make them spread. These are a rolled cookie that bakes up to a snappily crisp texture and has a great ginger flavor. One thing I learned about using ginger surprised me. If you open a fresh package or jar of ground ginger you may use the amount in the recipe below, but if you are using some ginger that has been open for a few months, its flavor will diminish - you may up to double the amount of ginger, especially if you like a strong ginger flavor. Keep the cookies between sheets of waxed paper I a tin or plastic container that has a tight-fitting cover.
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large egg whites
Stir the flour, spices, and salt together in a bowl.
Beat the butter and sugars together by machine on medium speed with the paddle attachment until well mixed and smooth, about 3 minutes.
Best in the egg whites, one at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
Scrape the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula and beat in the dry ingredients on lowest speed.
Scrape the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and cover it with more wrap. Press the dough out about 1/4-inch thick and refrigerate it for about an hour, or until it is firm. The dough can stay refrigerated for several days at this point before continuing.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Divide the dough into 3 parts and roll one at a time on a lightly floured work surface to a 6-inch square. Use a plain or fluted round cutter to cut the dough into 9 2-inch cookies. As they are cut arrange the cookies on the prepared pans about an inch apart in all directions. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Press together and re-roll the scraps to make another dozen or so of cookies.
Pierce each cookie several times with the tines of a fork to prevent them from ballooning up during baking.
Bake the cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are slightly puffed and firm. Cool the cookies on the pans on racks.
Per cookie: 39 calories, 1 gram fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 3milligrams cholesterol, 33 milligrams sodium
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Truffle toppings: Try mixing the cocoa with some powdered (not crystals) instant coffee.
Joe: Hmm... not too gritty?
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Wellington: If the tenderloin for beef wellington is to expensive, you can try making a salmon wellington - it might not be that much cheaper, but I would imagine there is some price differential between the two. The Hearty Boys on the Food network made a recipe of Salmon wellington last weekend, so the recipe should be rather fresh on the food TV web site.
Joe: Indeed it is -- thanks!
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Monkfish at reasonable prices: Most Asian markets have monkfish, very fresh and of good quality, at prices considerably less than Whole Foods or the Potomac seafood store.
Also, for anybody needing a quick and easy holiday home-made treat, make peppermint bark. VERY easy, and it looks like you worked hard on it!
Joe: Thanks on both savory and sweet counts!
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Non-alcoholic cocktails?: Could you please provide a link to recipes for some sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktails?
Bonnie: The Post's Home section is running an interesting nonalcoholic wine recipe -- look for that tomorrow! For drink recipes, you might try www.epicurious.com/drinking/find/alcoholic.
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Arlington, Va.: Hi. I'm looking for an electric cookie press to make spritz. I've looked everywhere and can't seem to find one. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: Stop, walk away from the counter and save yourself some money! I pushed my old-reliable hand-operated press to the side and tried an electric one. It broke almost immediately. While it might be fine for whipped cream or deviled eggs, any stiff dough will KILL it. I'm back with the tried and true hand press.
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Silver Spring, Md.: Hey there. My husband and I had your lovely lemon chicken run last night, and I served it with plain couscous. He commented how the couscous was like rice, but at least with rice you can douse it with soy. Any suggestions on easy but good flavorings that can be added to couscous? Thanks!
David Hagedorn: Yes, SS. Skip Asia and go to North Africa, but start with an excellent stock as your base and include some olive oil to keep the grains from clumping. I like to use cinnamon,allpsice, ground cumin, and some cayenne pepper as seasonings and then toss in some golden raisins and/or slivers of dried apricot, chopped scallions and cilantro when fluffing the cooked couscous.
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Downtown, D.C.: So I'm thinking of taking the visiting 'rents to Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria. All I know about it is that it's old. I've heard nothing about the food, and the Post City Guide only talks about the museum aspect of the place, not dining there. Does anybody have any reports? A lot of the online menu looked pretty dull, but once you got into the "historic" section, things like game pie at least sounded intriguing. What I'm trying to find out is if they taste that way as well.
And I'm looking for a way to make a bourbon glaze for a country ham. Any ideas?
Walter: I hear from associates in Old Town that the food at Gadsby's has improved over years past. The rooms are warm and cozy, the portions are large. When I ate there, about five years ago, I can recall only the insane stomping on the upper floor that went on, it seemed, forever. It was a children's dance class. D.C.: I think you can do better than Gadsby's.
Anyone want to take on the bourbon glaze?
Joe: The bourbon glaze recipes I've seen seem to usually call for a cup of honey, 1/2 cup of molasses, 1/2 cup bourbon and maybe some orange juice and a smidge of mustard. But I'm no expert on this!
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Silver Spring, Md.: Hi. Where can one get good, authentic bagels around here? I'm tired of Einstein's and Au Bon Pain's pale imitations. Or must I have them shipped in from Brooklyn?
Walter: Silver Spring,
the best bagels, for my money, are found at Georgetown Bagelry, 3245 M St. NW 202-965-1011.
Bonnie: In FYI mode, Goldberg's bagels (Rockville, 301-816-9229) were rated #1 in the just-released 2006 Washington DC Area Kosher Community Survey.
I'm kinda partial to the H&H bagels that come parbaked to Calvert-Woodley on Wisconsin Avenue NW. There always seems to be a warm batch in the bins.
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Washington, D.C.: I'm hoping y'all can help me with this: I swear that some months ago there was a feature on cookbooks for men. I'd like to buy my husband a cookbook (I promise, he wants to start learning to cook!), but I'd also like to be good for a beginner and preferably not boring. He loves Alton Brown, but Alton's are great on technique, not so much on recipes, it seems. Does anyone remember this column and/or chat? Thanks so much!
David Hagedorn: I'm a big fan of Jacques Pepin's books; La Methode and La Technique were early guides for me and he updated them in 2001 in Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques. His Fast Food My Way is also an excellent choice for cooks who appreciate unfussy, straightforward recipes.
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Upstate, NY: For the person looking for slow cooker recipes that don't require browning the meat: may I suggest browning the meat the night before? You can also mix up any sauce ingredients and chop up any vegetables the night before. Refrigerate separately, throw together in the slow cooker in the morning. Actually, for as long as you're probably at work, having things refrigerated will slow the cooking time and then your meal won't be overcooked by the time you come home.
Joe: Thanks for the tip!
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Truffle toppings (again): If you're worried about coffee powder being too gritty, zap it to a finer texture in, say, a small blender jar.
Joe: Well, I do love coffee, so this intrigues...
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Great Falls, Va.: I want to serve a ham for Christmas, but supermarket hams are too sweet and not flavorful. Is there a shop where I can get a locally cured ham?
Walter: I think you may be looking for a Calhoun Country Ham from Culpeper (540-825-8319)-the great ham that's served at the Inn at Little Washington.
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New Haven, Conn.: please don't buy monkfish!! it is overfished and the seafloor trawling method used to catch it is very damaging to marine environments. Consider tilapia or catfish instead (I know, boring, but we really don't have many choices left)
Joe: Indeed, the Blue Ocean Institute, Environmental Defense, and Monterey Bay Aquarium list monkfish on their "avoid" list.
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Best of 2006: With the New Year approaching, just wondering what tops your culinary lists for the year -- whether it be new cookbooks, food trends, or newly discovered ingredients? Personally, I'm delighted to have discovered the lovely Asian supermarkets in No. VA, and as a result, I'm branching out into new cuisines and flavors, inspired in large part by James Oseland's "Cradle of Flavor." Would love to hear about your food-related highlights from the past year!
David Hagedorn: My 13-year-old niece is a burgeoning chef, and I just bought Charlie Palmer's Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen for her for Christmas. (I hope she's not a burgeoning Food Chat reader.)It demonstrates great techniques, has beautiful pictures, and includes a solid repertoire of dishes that reflect the way we cook today.
Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: Without a doubt, a theory of eating I read in the Health section. A doctor was commenting on the glycemic index and how it could help people lose weight, but wasn't that applicable for people with healthy weights. It was his last statement that got me-he said we should all return to eating the way our families ate 100 years ago. Suddenly grains, beans and lentils began working their way on to my table. We eat a lot of slow cooked meats served with plenty of grains and vegetables. I now cook lentil salads, barley soups, add beans to stews. Best part-the stuff tastes great.
Joe: I have an entire city's restaurant scene to keep discovering in the New Year, and that will no doubt continue to keep me busy (while trying to drop the extra weight I've put on in the discovery so far). But two other things come to mind: Michel Richard's chocolate grapes (from "Happy in the Kitchen") have shown up in my kitchen several times since I first made them, and I'm newly obsessed with a plum paste made in Croatia that we'll have a little item on in next week's section.
Walter: I am most happy at a little cafe table at Patisserie Poupon in Georgetown, munching on a pate sandwich and sipping fresh orange juice.
Bonnie: Exploring new worlds with my newfangled pressure cooker -- not the scary, fizzy old thing of my youth.
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Georgetown Bagelry...: Walter, have you tried the pizza there? I hear it's quite authentic and I'm really missing NYC pizza!
Walter: Had it many times on-the-run. As far as by-the-slice goes, in this town, it's okay. I'm looking forward to New York pizza this weekend.
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Joe: Thanks for the great questions, chatters. We hope you learned something, or maybe even got inspired to try something new this week. As for our winning questions, our books go to the grappa drinker, and to the forward-thinking chatter who asked about our New Year's state of mind. Send your mailing information to food@washpost.com, and we'll get you your books!
In the meantime, happy eating, cooking and reading. See you in January...
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