What's Cooking With Kim O'Donnel

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.

For daily dispatches from Kim's kitchen, check out her blog, A Mighty Appetite. You may catch up on previous transcripts with the What's Cooking archive page.

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Kim O'Donnel: Greetings on this beautiful May midday! The temp and swishy air are luscious. Hope you are getting out and sniffing things before the air gets too swampy and thick even for blinking. How was Mother's Day? Anyone cook or get cooked for? Do tell. I'm in the midst of moving into a new house, and I guess all the change has me thinking a lot about changes in my diet as well. Yesterday in the blog space, I reported on what I learned at a lecture about eating right for your type according to ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing science. And today, I share the stories of two Washington area, hard-core meat eaters who decided to experiment with a vegan diet. The experiences for each of these men are wildly different. If nothing else, the change is giving me an opportunity to take stock of what I put in my mouth and being more mindful, even when life is extra stressful. And now, let's hear from you...

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Washington, D.C.: Kim --

Loved the blog today! What kind of resources do you recommend for people interested in trying out the vegan-lifestyle ... Web sites, books etc? Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Hey there, recently I put together a list of meat-free blogs, which I think are valuable, in that most of them are based on personal experiences in the kitchen. I like them, too, for the absence of political messages, they're just about eating and cooking without meat. Chandra Moskowitz is the first person who comes to mind right now when it comes to vegan books; she's got one called "Vegan With a Vengeance, " but the idea is good food that just happens to be vegan. But let's hear from others who have been on this journey at one time or another...

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Stanford, Calif.: Hi Kim,

I sprouted a big batch of alfalfa sprouts last week, and I think I vastly underestimated the number of sprouts I would get! Now I have what seems like gallons of sprouts in my fridge. Are there any other ways to use these besides wraps and salads? I want to get creative, but I need some help with ideas. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Wow, interesting question. Do you have a juicer? These would be great mixed with carrots first thing in the morning.

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College Park, Md.: News media have been all abuzz about the Alphonso mango now being imported into the United States. Where can I buy them?

Kim O'Donnel: When I wrote about The Magic of the Mango last week, I did not have info on where to buy these beauties. Let's ask my merry band of fellow mango mavens: Has anyone had an Alphonso sighting as yet?? Share the luv, please.

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Food for a crowd: Kim: My husband and I are hosting a mid-afternoon open house in a few weeks and have the potential for 80 people (including kids) to show up over a course of 4 hours (2 p.m.-6 p.m.). We're keeping the menu simple -- hot dogs, hamburgers, veggies, fruit salad, pasta salad, chips/dip, desserts; beer, sangria, water and sodas.

My question is though, how do I determine how much to prepare of all of these? Are there rules of thumb when cooking for crowds of this size? I can handle dinner for 8 -- just don't want to over or under buy for a crowd 10 times that size!

Any guidance you can give will be very much appreciated!

Kim O'Donnel: There's actually a book on the very subject, "Cooking for a Crowd," by Susan Wyler, which I think you'd find useful. For the salads you mention, estimate about 4 ounces per person. do some math and see how that translates into quarts and gallons. As far as booze goes, see if you can get your husband to estimate the number of beer drinkers and determine who's the heavier drinker, who drinks just one, and do an average. Plenty of nonalcoholic stuff is key; estimate at least 1 per person for entire group.

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S.F. Bay: Loved your blog today! It's so incredibly important to be mindful of what we put into our bodies, and there really is an intense connection between the kinds of foods we eat and how we feel. I've been a vegetarian for 11 years now, and can't imagine going back --but there are many organic meats and fish that will still treat your body well, that taste very yummy along with some fresh veggies. Lately I've really been into simplicity -- roasted vegetables with beans, or vegetable stirfrys -- to let the flavors sing out. If you use good ingredients, you don't need a lot of other stuff.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for chiming in, S.F. Bay. One of the things I did mention to Kevin Goldberg is that if he's ever ready to return to meat, he might want to consider the naturally raised variety available at local farm markets, so that he can learn first hand how the livestock is raised. I second the motion on simplicity!

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Vata-Pitta: So I took one of the quizes you linked to and found my dosha. I read through the list of do's and don'ts and found them to be daunting! If want to experiment with eating aruyvedic style for a couple of days what should I do?

Kim O'Donnel: Let me say it IS daunting. One book I read said "Don't eat watermelon on a cloudy rainy day." When I pointed this ou t to Anne, who led the lecture, she said, at face value, that does sound silly and restrictive, which is goes against the very philosophy of ayurveda, which aims for balance and harmony. To get started, try chewing your food thoroughly, eating less at night, eating without distractions (no desk, no tv, no reading) and drinking room temperature beverages with your meal. You might want to pick from the list one thing you can do without that you already eat, and incorporate one new thing that is supposed to benefit you. Mary Ann, who sat next to me at the lecture, is Vata, and was wondering what she'll do about all those salads she's been eating, given that raw food is a no-no for vata. It's not about giving up, but perhaps making some adjustments.

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Mangoes: Patel Brothers in Langley Park area are supposed to get some, but call before you go to see if they have them.

And as others may tell you, the Alfonsos are great, but we miss the Langras and Dusseris more!!

Kim O'Donnel: Excellent. Yes, if you've looked at the blog from last week, you'll see a very large cheering section for the Langras and Dusseris. Cheers.

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West Coast: For Mother's Day, I cooked lunch for both my parents: leek soup, salmon baked with lemons and basil, green beans and shiitake mushrooms, Israeli couscous salad with roasted tomatoes and garlic, and strawberry shortcake. Can't wait until it's my turn!

Kim O'Donnel: Wonderful. Nice going, dear. I'm sure they loved the dose of kitchen luv.

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Long distance daughter: Just wanted to let you know I made the cashew shortbread and they came out great. I sent them away first thing yesterday morning and can't wait to hear back. I didn't have the springform pan and used parchment paper with no problem. I only wish I took your suggestion on the crystalized ginger. They remind me of an Indian sweet my mom used to make so I think she will love them. That is if she can pry them away from my cashew loving dad.

Kim O'Donnel: Wonderful! Keep me posted. Reader is referring to cashew shortbread from Friday's blog.

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Vegan Bologese sauce: The entry on veganism was really perfect for me today! I am trying to cook more vegan friendly items for my health and was going to test out a bolognese sauce using tempeh. Would that work? I have a cauliflower and a bunch of chard so I was going to make one of those on the side.

Kim O'Donnel: I will e-mail Kevin Goldberg and ask him for the recipe. I'm sure he'd be happy to share.

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Sprouts: Could you do a 10-second stir-fry of big lumps of them, with some garlic oil, to crisp them up on the outside? I think you'd end up with the same kind of texture as baby broccoli or rabe.

Kim O'Donnel: You might. Good thought...

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Quiz from yesterday's blog: I did the quiz, then went to the do/don't Website and funnily enough found that what I found works for me is what my dousha says I should eat -- mostly. I found my way to my diet by trial and error. I don't know if I'd done the quiz earlier in my life, if I would have accepted the changes/restrictions I now live with.

Kim O'Donnel: One thing that Anne suggests is to take the quiz twice -- first with the past few months in mind, second with your adult life in mind. Stress and life events have a way of impacting our body, mind and spirit, and sometimes we gotta adjust the diet accordingly. Thanks for checking in.

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Asheville, N.C.: Have you ever met anyone that went vegan for a couple of months and found that they did not feel better physically? I think I could go vegetarian but I don't think I could cut out dairy. Do you have any favorite vegetarian cookbooks with recipes that don't require several specialized ingredients?

Kim O'Donnel: I can't say that I've met someone who went vegan and felt physical pain, no. Although David Carver, the subject of my blog today, was experiencing emotional pangs, he acknowledged that physically he was feeling better on a vegan diet. Kevin Goldberg said that being vegan was restrictive from a social standpoint -- he didn't want anyone going out of their way to make special meals, he wanted to join his friends for pizza, things like that. As for veggie cookbooks, very simple recipes can be found in any of Jeanne Lemlin's titles, for starters. Hardly fancy at all. I'd also look at what Deborah Madison has done, lots of choices.

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Frustrated in Baltimore, Md.: The Indian restaurants in Baltimore aren't up to my standards (I admit I am a food snob). My girlfriend however LOVES Indian food. I have some time soon to really practice my kitchen skills. Where should I look for help on cooking vegetarian Indian food and for recipes? I have plenty of time, so cooking time isn't a concern. Also I have access to an Indian grocery, so that shouldn't be a problem. But I can't afford a class. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Great titles by Madhur Jaffrey, Julie Sahni. Check Yamuna Devi for vegetarian only.

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Where's the link to the quiz?: I missed yesterday's blog and can't ever seem to locate it, duh on me, can you put up the link to the quiz? Thanks.

washingtonpost.com: A Mighty Appetite

Kim O'Donnel: No duh on you. It's really hard to locate the blogs with new design. But don't get me started. One of the things I'm suggesting for short term is to subscribe to the RSS feed so that it appears automatically for you.

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Re. alfalfa sprouts: My thoughts for a great wrap to use those sprouts; this is based on a sandwich I used to get in Massachusetts. You need v. large pita bread, which you split in two (making two circles). (I guess you can use large tortillas, but those always taste uncooked to me.)

You make a dressing from tamari, (soy) mayo, scallions, and a bit of soy sauce. Spread some of the sauce on a pita circle, add sliced cheese, alfalfa sprouts, shredded carrots, maybe some hummus (or turkey, tuna, etc.). Cold falafel is good, too. Then roll it up tightly. You may want to wrap the bottom in foil or wax paper because it can get messy.

Kim O'Donnel: Nice idea. Cheers.

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Vegan trials: I have to agree with Mr. Goldberg -- giving up cheese and dairy (and eggs) would be torture for me, while giving up meat and fish has been no problem at all.

Kim O'Donnel: I agree. It's very rare that I'm wowed by meat anymore. I like it, but it doesn't thrill me the same way it used to.

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Washington, D.C.: I did a lot of research on Ayurveda a couple of years ago for a novel I was writing and I found it really intriguing. If you don't get too caught up in which dosha you "are," other recommendations make a lot more sense. We all have parts of each dosha in us. But for example, having excess pitta makes you vulnerable to indigestion -- which Ayurveda recommends you counter by eating bland, cooling foods, like yogurt.

For my part, I don't follow most of the recommendations, but when I noticed that chai, which I love, was on my list of should-avoid foods, it occurred to me that I frequently did get a little stomach ache after drinking chai ... so I cut back.

Kim O'Donnel: Great points. Thanks for chiming in!

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Dosha Quiz Taker: I too, took the quiz and discovered foods I liked were good for my dosha and foods I don't like were to be avoided. I found that interesting and thought it was nice to know. Are there cookbooks available that cater to different dosha types?

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, there are! "Ayurvedic Cooking" by Usha Lad and Dr. Vasant Lad is one; Anne also suggested visiting ayurveda.com for more resources.

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Re: Vegan: Once you get used to soy and rice milk (and other products in this line, egg, cheese) you'll be fine. It does take some getting used to. Like switching from sugar-filled sodas to the diet version. Once you've got the 'taste' for the changed items, you'll be fine.

Kim O'Donnel: Here's another thought on doing without dairy...

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Washington, D.C.: When do the local strawberries start? I'm looking forward to making strawberry shortcake for dinner!

Kim O'Donnel: I heard that they made an appearance last week, but alas was knee deep in moving and didn't get to confirm that. If they didn't show up last week, this week for sure...

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Re Indian in Baltimore: I'm curious, which restaurants has the poster tried? My family is very close to one of the families that owns a well known Indian restaurant in Baltimore and I'm sure the constructive criticism would be appreciated. For my part, being raised by a great cook (other people's opinions) who cooked southern Indian food, I don't find what I grew up with in most Indian restaurants. That's not a knock, just something I keep in mind when people talk about restaurants, 90 percent of them or more are northern Indian in focus and nearly all cater to an American palate.

Kim O'Donnel: Maybe the original poster can chime in....

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Washington, D.C.: Hey Kim. I love your pizza dough recipe, but it can be a little time consuming for a weeknight. Can I make the dough the night before and refrigerate it for 24 hours? What do I have to do to bring it back to life?

Kim O'Donnel: Yes! Bring it out of fridge and let it warm up, for at least 30 minutes before even thinking about rolling it out.

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Indian Cooking: I really love Indian Cookbooks written by Shezad Hussain. Her instructions are simple and clear and there is no long ingredient list (at least in most of the recipes). I would recommend the book she co authored with Manisha Kanani.

I make the 2 basic sauces and curry and Garam Masala powder in batches and they stay good for a long time.

The key to making the indian sauces is simmering them. You should simmer the sauces until you see the oil seperating.

Kim O'Donnel: Wonderful. Thanks for thise additional names. Good stuff.

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Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: I've been learning to cook traditional New Orleans food. My question is, it seems that in almost all the recipes, quite a lot of butter or oil is required. Is there any way to prepare this type of food (like roux based Gumbo) and keep it somewhat healthy? Thanks so much.

Kim O'Donnel: Enlightened food from New Orleans? I'm betting no. A big part of the charm of the food from this part of the country is its history, how it got to be what it is today. Those traditions are highly revered down there and are part of the regional identity. If anyone knows of a low-fat title for NOLA food, please holler. By the way, two weeks from Friday, I'll be in New Orleans, volunteering my time for a week with a group called Culinary Corps. You'll be getting blogged dispatches while I'm there, and maybe some pics of what I call "The Forgotten City." More on that in a bit.

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Vegetarian mother-in-law: My mother in law was vegetarian. She cooked for 5 omnivores and a carnivore for a husband. When I joined the family, I learned how to prepare what she would like. She loved it that I tried and succeeded in giving her as much an adventure in eating as I gave my husband and her husband. She didn't like eggs or plain cheese on their own -- but I could mix these in and cook with them as binders and flavorers. I learned how to substitute veggie friendly ingredients for regular ones and became a better cook as a result.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for your story, dear. Good pointers to keep in mind, as we enter relationships and join families. Cheers.

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Watermelon: Well, you have to admit that watermelon tastes better on a sunny bright day than it does on a cloudy rainy day. Let's all have some right now!

Kim O'Donnel: Watermelon will be most wonderful around the end of July, when we're all baking out on the sidewalk. A wonderful thought indeed.

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Sorrel love: Just wanted to share the excitement of discovering a new food love -- in my case, sorrel. I bought some recently at an herb sale I go to every spring, and it's wonderful! I'm only sorry I didn't try it sooner. Why don't we see it more often (in restaurants, etc.)?

St. Louis

Kim O'Donnel: Good question, St. Lou. I think you'd have a better chance of finding sorrel in Europe. How did you use it?

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Sprouted Chickpeas: Just an idea, I know Heidi uses sprouted chickpeas for her veggie burgers over at 101 cookbooks: Ultimate Veggie Burgers & Book Release Recipe

Kim O'Donnel: Nice. Heidi's got some good recipes. Thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm thinking of purchasing a tagine. Any tips? How useful are they? Or is this something I'll regret?

Kim O'Donnel: Really depends on how often you think you'll use it. The enamel versions are quite price-y. Do you love cous cous enough to eat it at least once a month? Then I say yes, buy one.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim,

I have heard many people sing the praises of grilled peaches and I am intrigued. Do you just halve the peaches and put them on the grill? Face up or face down? Should the peaches be a little firmer that you would normally eat them? Thanks for your help!

Kim O'Donnel: Face down. A little olive oil brushed on the fruit is helpful. If you've got a grill basket, very helpful as well. A little firmer, yes. They are sublime, I agree. Try it at least once this summer!

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Kim,

I found a great recipe for sweet potato gnocchi on Epicurious.com. The last step calls for a saute in brown butter and sage which is really good, but doesn't seem so healthy. What are some alternatives to finish this dish? In addition to the sweet potatoes, there is a healthy amount of ricotta and parmesan cheese. They are pretty light, but needs something else as a finish. Ideas, please?

Kim O'Donnel: Well, you could do your sauce with olive oil rather than butter...You could also try a light tomato sauce, but nothing too overpowering.

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Perplexed in Herndon, Va.: I planted my veggie garden last month and I am eagerly awaiting produce from it, as well as my CSA deliveries, but I have one dilemma right now (sort of). I found a package of French Breakfast Radish seeds and decided to plant 'em. Did so when my dad was living and he loved them, but unfortunately no one else in the house (including me) likes 'em, and Dad's gone now. Murphy's Law being what it is, I now have a bumper crop of the things. Any ideas what I can do with them besides put 'em in salads? Help?

Kim O'Donnel: Butter bread and eat tea sandwiches of the highest order. Eat them with honey and you'll banish sore throat from your vocabulary. Shred over rice.

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Kim O'Donnel: Gotta go, gotta go. Thanks for checking in today. Stay swell, and we'll type this time again next week. In meantime, check the blog: A Mighty Appetite. Bye!

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