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: Hello! I can hardly believe it, but this weekend is the long Memorial Day weekend, kicking off the summer season in earnest. Well, I'm in the midst of moving purgatory. All the plates, pots and pans are gone. A few cups remain for morning coffee. Movers come early tomorrow to shlep the big stuff. The good part is that the new house is only a few blocks away. Still, moving sucks and moving sucks. Thanks to those of you who've offered blog advice on what I should buy with my fabulous cookware shop gift card. Your insight is greatly appreciated! I'm here next week, then I'm on the road a bit in June. Those details I plan to share with y'all next week, b/c I hope to be blogging from location. Got any food-related travel plans this summer? Do tell.

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Washington, D.C.: Unfortunately I caught up on last week's chat after the fact and couldn't contribute.

I felt the need to comment on the blog and subsequent discussion regarding switching to a vegan diet. It seemed to me pretty irresponsible to just present the statements of two individuals who suddenly felt healthier because of the vegan diet. I think most nutritionists would agree that some of the proteins and amino acids found in meat are necessary to be the healthiest we can be. Variety, with strength given towards veggies, is now considered one of the best ways to approach eating. Yet both the chat and blog seem to present veganism as the healthiest way to lose weight and maintain nutrients in the body. I can understand and respect the choice of veganism, whether because of ethics or preference. But I think the recent N.Y. Times op-ed piece best illustrates the dangers of assuming one can receive all the nutrients humans need to be "healthy" with a vegan diet.

Kim O'Donnel: The reader is referring to a blog post I wrote last week about two Washington area men who embarked on a vegan diet experiment for varying lengths of time.

And Washington, here's my response: The Op-Ed piece in the NYT written by Nina Planck specifically focuses on vegan pregnancy and raising infants on a vegan diet. This is a very different thing than two adults making a personal decision to do without meat. If you read the piece thoroughly, you'd see that both men I talked saw pluses and minuses in eating vegan. Kevin doesn't like the social apsect of being vegan, for example. And David likes meat too much. By the way, David called me yesterday to tell me that in his 30-day experiment, he lost 26 pounds. My piece was in no way advocating veganism as better (or worse) than any other dietary lifestyle. It's a way to open doors and find out what others are doing.

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L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, D.C. : Hi. Such an informative site. My quick question is where I can purchase Cherry Cider -- if not locally -- do you know of any Web sites available? Thank you so much!

Kim O'Donnel: I've seen cherry cider at local farm markets when cherries are in season. I'd check with the folks at Toigo Farms, who set up shop at Arlington Courthouse, Columbia Pike, Dupont Circle, Clarendon markets, to name a few.

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Altoona, Pa.: Hi Kim,

A crockpot, a hunk of frozen beef and a bottle of red wine. Can I thaw the beef, then just put it and the wine in the crockpot and let it simmer for 6 hours? Or will I need to brown the meat first? Need to add water? Vegetables?

4 hours? 8 hours?

Kim O'Donnel: Altoona, It's a good idea to brown it after the thaw. You get a nice crust on the exterior of the meat and it lends more flavor to mix and mingle with your veggies. So salt and pepper it, brown it, then remove. Add veggies, let soften, then add wine, let it boil a few minutes, then return meat, reduce heat, let simmer. I might add some tomatoes here and some herbs too.

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12th and W: In your blog you mentioned a melamine bowl being unbreakable. Is this the same chemical that was put into pet food?

Also, if everyone hasn't seen the signs, a new farmer's market is going to be at 14 and U starting June 2 from 10-2 every Saturday!

Kim O'Donnel: Interesting, you'll notice that some posted a comment that melamine can crack. I own a colander that's made of melamine and it's doing great, but I hand wash it, as I probably would with the bowls. I have no idea if this is the same chemical that surfaced in the pet food scare, sorry. Re: new farm market: I know, very exciting. I need to get over there and check out the digs.

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Let's Eat Cake!: Kim,

I loved your blog about birthday cake and have been obsessing over cake all morning. I start banning all uses of the oven in the spring because it tends to warm the house. Do most people suck it up and crank up the AC while baking? I only get to bake when I have time, and it seems I only have time in the spring/summer! Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, I'd venture to say that many of us suck it up and crank up the AC a little bit while baking. But the oven will be on for just an hour, with preheating, so that's not TOO bad.

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Eating in Barcelona: Kim,

This is an eating, rather than cooking, question. I know you like to travel, so I wanted to see if you have been to Barcelona or Madrid. My husband and I leave tomorrow for a 10-day Spainish vacation. Would love to know if you have any eating recommendations. Also, I plan on bringing back food/kitchen items as my souvenirs What should I definitely pick up in Spain?

Kim O'Donnel: How fun. I believe Tom Sietsema recently did a Postcard column in the Travel section on either city, can't remember. I wold definitely bring back some olive oil, saffron and a paella pan.

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Terp in the Kitchen: Kim, I just want to publicly thank my two girlfriends for putting together an amazing spread for me and The Bean (as my 7-month-old belly has come to be called). Would you indulge me?

For 25 women, they served: a lovely fresh-herbed chicken salad

fresh rolls

spinach salad with strawberries and a perfectly tart balsamic vinaigrette

roasted red pepper and feta dip (with just a hint of garlic - and served with pita chips)

fresh fruit (including dark-chocolate dipped pineapple -- to die for)

pretty pink and green frosted cupcakes in regular and baby sizes

crostini with asparagus and parmesean

to drink:

two preggatinis (tm) designed by a cocktail-designing friend better known as the liquid muse (sorry for the plug, but her stuff is really really amazing) -- one called gingerly gestating (couldn't get enough of it) and another called sparkle in your eye.

still and sparkling water

Italian soda

the food and drink was just part of what made the day so special -- and at the same time exactly what good food is about ... friends, family, and special times.

Thank you to my friends (who are devoted readers of yours)

white wine

Kim O'Donnel: I will most definitely indulge you. Good work and good friends are hard to find. And congrats on the upcoming arrival!

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim, I'm getting together with some friends for the long weekend and have been tasked with making sangria. I'd also like to offer a nonalcoholic version. I've seen a couple of recipes on the Web that replace wine with grape juice etc., but they still include the sugar. I'm thinking that's not really necessary if you're using juice already? Or, do you have any other non-sangria sangria ideas? Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: I think homemade lemonade is one of the best non-sangria sangria ideas going. NOthing like a citrusy ade to quench the thirst in summer. Spritz it with club soda to give it effervence, make it sparkly.

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: I read your article (blog?) about strawberries last week and was very excited to get some at the farmers' market this weekend. And nothing! Lots of apples, tomatoes, lettuce. But no strawberries. what gives?

washingtonpost.com: Getting Fresh: Sweet on Strawberries ( A Mighty Appetite, March 17)

Kim O'Donnel: Which market did you visit? And what time did you arrive? Those berries go fast. I was at Courthouse market on Saturday, and there were at least four farms selling strawberries. Also spotted some on Sunday at Columbia Pike market.

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Washington, D.C. -- soon to be the Bahamas!: I am going with a group of friends (8 of us total, all mid-twenties to early thirties) to the Bahamas for a week. We will be staying in one of the friends' parents' vacation house there, and I have been nominated to cook!

I have two vegetarians, two carnivores, one lax Kosher (no shellfish, no pork, no milk/meat, but won't check ingredients). I was wondering if you had any suggestions for menu ideas that are fun and carribean, but easy to make and good for a mixed crowd!

Kim O'Donnel: Fun challenge. You can great fish in the Bahamas, just caught. That would satisfy three out of five. Which part of Bahamas will you be staying? Goodfellow Farms is a wonderful organic operation, selling amazing produce. I believe they moved from Eleuthera to Nassau.

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Bethesda, Md.: This summer I'm going on a road trip to visit New England with my boyfriend. While we are excited about eating out, we would like to save some money and pack some lunches for our trip. Do you have any ideas of food that isn't messy and can keep? We will have a cooler to keep things cool. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: I would go Middle Eastern. Stuffed grape leaves, hummus, bean salads -- all of which will keep cool in your box for a road trip of that distance. For snacks, I'd pack nuts, a little bit of cheese, and non-messy fruit like grapes. I'd also do an online search for farmer's markets for states/cities you'll hit and then you can buy fresh stuff during your sojourns.

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Bonito flakes: Hi Kim,

I too read your blog re: chocolate cake, and will go by the store to get ingredients today! You are inspired, and glad to hear Tim is so much better.

What is/are bonito flakes, why would I want to use them, and if I did, where could I find them?

Thank you.

washingtonpost.com: The Virtue of Birthday Cake ( A Mighty Appetite, May 21)

Kim O'Donnel: Bonito flakes are central to Japanese cuisine. They are dried flecks that look like wood shavings, made from bonito, which is a type of tuna. So, it's dried fish flakes. These are used in broths and things like miso soup. You might find them used as garnish on rice. But I haven't been to Japan yet, so I'm sure Im missing other uses here.

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. : Strawberry woman again -- I was at Dupont later in the morning on Sunday. I must have missed all trace of those strawberries because there was nothing to indicate they had been there at all. Next Sunday I will be there first thing! Dying to make fresh strawberry ice cream (with the ice cream maker we got as a wedding present -- did you get one? Best gift!)

Kim O'Donnel: Early bird gets the berry..

Re: ice cream maker -- bought one last summer and regaled my tales in last summer's blog. Will have to dig it out of archives. Yes, it is wonderful.

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Cheap produce?: Kim,

I want to shop at farmer's markets, but I've checked out the ones at Dupont and Courthouse and I just can't afford them! The produce is much cheaper at my supermarket. Do you know of any other farmer's markets that are known for really great bargains?

When I lived in southern N.J. we had a local chain called Produce Junction, which was an indoor place that sold produce for better prices than the supermarket, and it was always great quality. Anything like that around here?

Kim O'Donnel: Farmer's markets where you can buy food that is sold by the same people who grow it, are not places for bargains. There's not a farmer who argue otherwise. BUT. Just because the farmer is charging a higher price than what you might find in the supermarket does not mean the farmer is sitting back getting filthy rich. The farmer is charging what it costs him/her to do business. So, when you buy from a farmer at market, you are supporting local economy. When you buy from a supermarket, you are supporting big agri-business and the cost of transporting goods across the country. I could go on and on about this, but consider looking at it another way: When you buy from a farmer, you paying for the services of someone who cares about the land. When you buy from a big store, you are paying for the cost of long-distance jet fuel and warehouses and lots of other stuff to support a huge corporation.

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Arlington, Va.: I am still looking for a ceviche recipe. Does anyone have a good one? Also when are you doing your blog on ceviche?

Kim O'Donnel: It's on the to-do list. Promise. Stay tuned.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi, Kim. Kind of a weird question for you. Every once in a while when I'm cooking with onions (usually yellow), for whatever reason the onions don't soften up after a lengthy (10 minutes plus on med-high heat) sautee. This leaves me with crunchy onions in whatever dish I'm preparing -- not a fan of that. Have you had this happen, and what do you think might be the cause?

Kim O'Donnel: If the onions are chunkier than dice, it WILL take longer than 10 minutes. You gotta it some time, dear. Let them cook down, and keep heat low with a lid on top, to minimize burning.

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Washington, D.C.: re: Strawberry's. Dupont got wiped out around 10:30 on Sunday --fortunately I got one of the last quarts and they were darn fine.

Kim O'Donnel: Excellent. Thanks for the report.

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Preschool Picnic: I'm doing a park picnic for my daughter's 4th birthday on Sunday morning (10-12). We expect about 25 kids, plus parents. I'm planning on having big bowls of fruit (like strawberries, watermelon, canaloupe, and whatever else looks good at the store). Can you think of something more substantial yet easy to eat, and not weird at 10 a.m., to go along with the fruit?

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Kids like yogurt. Can you pack 25 individual containers of yogurt to go with?

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Colesville, Md.: I need serious help.

I joined a CSA and love it! Sadly they delivered rhubarb last Thursday. I didn't even know what it was and ended up googling vegetables till I figured it out. It's green and I thought rhubarb was pink. Anyway, I do not bake. I am trying to lose weight and do not need any sweets. What can I do with it? Every recipe I find is either for bread or pies or cakes. Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: Are you sure it's rhubarb? Do check with your CSA first. But if it is, there will be some green shading along with the ruby color. That said, what about stewed rhubarb you can throw atop oatmeal? All you'd do is chop up the rhube, add just enough water to cover and about 1/2 cup of sugar. Add more to taste.Cook til tender. Strain. Keeps in fridge in airtight container. Very nice, tart topping that need not be dessert-y.

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Washington, D.C.: As someone who has worked for USDA nearly 30 years in an effort to keep the small family farm alive and doing well, I commend you comments regarding the price of produce at farmers markets. I could not agree more with what you had to say.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for chiming in. We consumers have become accustomed to this concept of cheap food, which makes it so difficult when making the transition to farm markets. It is definitely painful. I would recomend for those still feeling the sting is to start your own garden and begin to understand the process of growing one's own food.

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Cheap produce? (again): Kim, you wrote:

Kim O'Donnel: Farmer's markets where you can buy food that is sold by the same people who grow it, are not places for bargains. There's not a farmer who argue otherwise. BUT. Just because the farmer is charging a higher price than what you might find in the supermarket does not mean the farmer is sitting back getting filthy rich. The farmer is charging what it costs him/her to do business. So, when you buy from a farmer at market, you are supporting local economy. When you buy from a supermarket, you are supporting big agri-business and the cost of transporting goods across the country. I could go on and on about this, but consider looking at it another way: When you buy from a farmer, you paying for the services of someone who cares about the land. When you buy from a big store, you are paying for the cost of long-distance jet fuel and warehouses and lots of other stuff to support a huge corporation."

Your reasons for supporting farmers markets are all well and good. But there are a lot of us in D.C. who work on the Hill or for non-profits and who are just starting out. We are living paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet. We want to eat healthfully, and we cannot always afford to shop based on beliefs about homegrown produce.

So, I'll ask again. Any recommendations from you or the gang on where to get inexpensive produce?

Kim O'Donnel: I hear you, I really do. I would hit ethnic markets before going to supermarkets. Their prices are always lower. Don't know where you are, but in this area, we've got lots of Asian markets that offer amazing array of produce.

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Alexandria, Va.: Re rhubarb: Aren't the leaves poisonous?

Kim O'Donnel: Yes. Yes. Yes.

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Preschool picnic?: How about a vat of granola, too? Mix it in with the yogurt?

Kim O'Donnel: Great idea!

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Boston, Mass.: Re: tough onions, I've also heard that if you salt onions early in the cooking, that that prevents them from softening. And if the heat isn't low, they can end up quite meaty too (I actually love onions that have been done over high heat for a few minutes).

Kim O'Donnel: Interesting point about salting onions before they're done. Hmm. Thanks, Boston.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim,

I've been craving corn tortillas for various purposes lately, and haven't found any commercial ones that taste that good -- they're usually on the stale side when I get them. Your suggestions for where to go are welcome, but I'm also wondering if you've ever made them, and whether that's worth a try ... I'm willing to fire up the ol' cast-iron pan.

Kim O'Donnel: Interesting you mention this -- was just thinking while mulling over ideas on how to use this cookware gift card that maybe I should get a tortilla press. I've been keen to leanr how to make my own tortillas, but I'm fairly certain you'd need more than a cast-iron skillet. I'll keep digging and keep you posted.

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WDC USDA FOLLOW UP: There is a good book out called the $64 tomato, it chronicles the life of a man who decided to grow his own produce. In the end he calculates that it cost him $64 for every tomato he grew. It is also a good book to understand what cost the farmer has and then you understand better why the prices are what they are in the store.

Kim O'Donnel: Looks like it's time to revisit this theme in the blog, as it's been a while. Thanks for chiming in.

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carbon footprint: While I love buying local, the local farmers are still leaving a carbon footprint on earth. They're driving 50 miles in gas guzzling trucks to sell a small amount of food. I'm not sure how that's different than what's in the grocery store - it's just more food be shipped.

Kim O'Donnel: It's not just about the driving distance -- and if I have the choice between 50 and 1500 miles -- I'll take the former. But one of the things you don't mention is that those who drive the 50, 100 miles to market are more likely to be growing their food under conditions that are much friendlier to the environment and to the food supply. I won't say 100 percent, but I will say majority. This is a big difference from the food you're getting at big markets. Less oversight and care, highly mechanized growing and production, warehousing, packaging...

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Kim O'Donnel: It's past the hour, so I've got to sign off. Thanks for the thought-provoking conversation. We'll pick up with many of these threads in the blog space. Take good care, and have a delicious and safe Memorial Day weekend. Hello, summer!

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