Calling all foodies! Join us Tuesdays at noon for 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.

____________________

Kim O'Donnel: Happy Mardi Gras! Let's get this party started. Are you fixin' to make gumbo? Would be good eating while watching tonight's Super Tuesday results, no? Me, I've got a pot of black beans simmering at the moment. This week also brings us the Lunar New Year; Chinese year 4706 kicks off with the Rat this Thursday, Feb. 7. I am hoping to get you some ideas to celebrate in style as the week comes to a close. Thanks for giving me a break last week; it was great to unplug and catch up on rest. I'm eager to hear what's on your minds and stovetops, so start spillin'...

_______________________

Bok choy: Have a meeting at noon (isn't it supposed to be lunchtime?), so I hope you can get to this question.

I have some baby bok choy, and are there any other options than stir frying in some sort of light sauce? I tried that and was underwhelmed by the texture (I only sauteed for about 2 minutes, and still the leaves were too soggy). Is it possible to eat raw in a salad? Any other options? Thanks!!

Kim O'Donnel: Next time, try it in the steamer, which helps maintain some crunch and texture. I like to drizzle with soy, sesame oil and a squeeze of lime. Just lovely.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I have a BIG hunk of blue cheese. Besides besides the obvious salad and steak toppings, what other recipes would you suggest to use it in?

Kim O'Donnel: I love to pair blue cheese with fall-ish fruit like apples and pears, and it's also terrific smeared on raisin bread. I know there are blue cheese-y fans out there, so let's hear some of their ideas as well...

_______________________

Cheese Substitutes: Hi Kim!

I'm going vegan for Lent, and I'm not too worried about the adjustment -- except for giving up cheese, which I love. I don't really consider fake cheese an option, but are there other (vegan) foods that could satisfy the craving for something melty and delicious?

Kim O'Donnel: I had a similar conversation with cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz ("Veganomicon," "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World," "Vegan With a Vengeance") -- and she said cheese was a tough one for her when she first became a vegan. She's a fan of nutritional yeast, but many (myself included) are turned off by the smell. This will def. not mimic the melty quality you are looking for. I would say this: Don't be miserable. Going vegan is a huge leap -- and it's a noble one. But cut yourself some slack. Give yourself a cheese day once a week so that you don't go nuts. It's okay.

_______________________

CSA?: Kim,

Are you still planning on blogging about CSAs in the near future? I was waiting to hear what you had to say before signing up, but I don't want to lose out on a spot, either... (obviously I value your opinion!)

Kim O'Donnel: I am working on the very thing. Hope to have something in blgo space over next few days. Stay tuned!

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: When my mother taught me to cook, she taught me to only flip something that is cooking once. That goes for pancakes on the griddle, burgers on the grill or chicken cutlets frying in a little oil in a pan. You cook them on one side, flip them once, and finish cooking on the other side. I have since cooked with people who flip things as many times as they feel like. Is there any reason behind the way my mother taught me?

Kim O'Donnel: Your momma taught you good. Flipping once is a sound practice -- it keeps the food intact, no fiddling and fussing.

_______________________

Fairfax, Va.: Do you have any rat recipes?

Kim O'Donnel: I think this is a question better suited for the most intrepid eater on the planet, Mister Anthony Bourdain.

_______________________

Monkey County: Thanks for your blog post about grilled cheese. After reading it, I was seriously craving one. I was trying to decide what cheese to get, when I saw that havarti was listed separately as a poll choice. I realized I had never had havarti before, definitely not in a sandwich and most likely not ever. So of course I picked some up and gave it a whirl. I think I have a new favorite. It melted so well and had a nice sharp flavor without overwhelming or clashing with toppings/sides. I paired it with apple slices, since I had an apple I needed to use, and it was just perfect. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: You are most welcome, Monkey. For those who didn't see The Tao of Grilled Cheese, there's still time to cast your vote in the poll.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I've had some serious grilled cheese hankerings since your Mighty Appetite piece. I've put the sandwhich maker away and have pulled out the flat pan to try it your way. Any suggestions for getting the cheese to melt before the bread becomes darkly toasted? I've tried low heat, but that doesn't seem to entice the cheese to get going, and after awhile the bread still becomes not quite burned.

Also, when in Glasgow, my aunt makes the best grilled cheese sandwhich with aged white cheddar and tomatoes. I've found the aged cheddar at Whole Foods, but it makes for a $10 sandwhich. What other strong cheese could make for a cheaper sandwich?

Kim O'Donnel: I'm going to throw this out to all those grilled cheesers...

_______________________

Blue Cheese: I have made macaroni and cheese with blue cheese and blue cheese fans LOVE it. I believe I used about 3/4 blue cheese and 1/4 white cheddar, though I think you could change this without a problem. Throw some chives and bread crumbs on top -- really good.

Kim O'Donnel: Interesting...

_______________________

Columbia, Md.: Stuffed hamburger with blue cheese or on top. Put blue cheese on baked potato. Use in pasta.

Kim O'Donnel: Another idea for blue cheese...

_______________________

Glover Park, Washington, D.C.: I like using blue cheese in a gratin of sweet potatoes.

Kim O'Donnel: And another...

_______________________

NoLa: Kim,

Do you have any advice for a vegetarian visiting New Orleans? I'd like to sample some local cuisine, but most of it seems to involve meat.

Kim O'Donnel: NOLA is not the easiest place to be a vegetarian, but it's not impossible. Off top of my head, I'd say Susan Spicer's Bayona would be one option. When I was in New Orleans last year, one of the women in our CulinaryCorps group was vegetarian. I'll send her an email, ask her how she managed. Hang tight.

_______________________

Curious: What kind of food question can you answer that Google can't?

Kim O'Donnel: I don't know. Try me.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Kim,

I LOVE brussel sprouts, but when I saute them in my house, it smells for days. Is there another member of the "greens" family that browns up as nice as the sprouts without those aromatics?

Kim O'Donnel: Tatsoi does not stank up the house. Neither does kale. Brussels are a member of the cruciferous gang -- i.e. cabbage -- so yeah, they're gonna release their perfume.

_______________________

Maryland: Blue cheese is good with nothing more than itself. Or a glass of wine. Or crackers. I can make a meal out of just the cheese.

Kim O'Donnel: I heartily concur.

_______________________

Valentine's Day special: Hi Kim! Hoping you can help me out. I was hoping to bake some Valentine's Day treats for friends and family this year and found some cute cupcake heart shaped liners recently that I bought. Any ideas for Valentine's day cupcakes I can make using either cranberries or raspberries? I have a bag of both frozen fruits in the fridge so I thought this holiday would be ideal to use these...

Kim O'Donnel: What about morning muffins? Nothing quite like a sweet treat from the sweetie first thing...

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim, I'm currently trying to get to a man's heart through his stomach. The problem is I'll be pressed for time after work and even though I'm no stranger to the kitchen I'm nervous. What's an easy date meal that I can't screw up? Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Invite him for grilled cheese and soup. You can make the soup the night before and reheat while you assemble the sandwiches. Dessert should be included -- I would go for brownies, in keeping with the cozy theme. I'm telling you, he will be like putty in your hand, dear. Men love cozy food -- it need not be fancy to become his fancy!

_______________________

Arlington, Va., S: Blue cheese is also good with a stout (imperial stout is my favorite), and if we're talking stilton, pairing it with a barleywine (Thomas Hardy's for example) is a classic.

Food pairing-wise, I like gorgonzola melted on top of soft polenta.

Kim O'Donnel: Terrific ideas. I love idea of the gorg atop polenta...and now that I think about it, love gorg on a pizza, with arugula.

_______________________

Blue Cheese Cheesecake: Idea for blue cheese: I have a recipe for a savory blue cheese cheesecake that makes a great appetizer. (though a hunk of blue cheese makes a great appetizer all by itself IMO). Can't remember all the ingredients, but the cheesecake is a basic combo of cream cheese and blue cheese, baked in a spring form pan just like a traditional cheesecake. It's served with crackers, bread and/or fruit.

Blue cheese is also crumbled into mashed potatoes!

Kim O'Donnel: Interesting. You must dig up the recipe...

_______________________

Melt your Griled Cheese: To the poster who has trouble melting his grilled cheese before the bread toasts: I tried putting cheese in between two slices of bread, microwaving for about 20 seconds, which softens the cheese, and then grilling. Turned out perfect!

Kim O'Donnel: The grilled cheesers are emerging from the skillets...

_______________________

Burned on the outside...: but not melty on the inside. Lately I have been using olive oil (not extra virgin) instead of butter in the pan, which is on medium to medium-high heat (usually just a small amount for 2 sandwiches) and then put a lid on the pan to keep the heat in. I try to leave a little bit of a gap with the lid to let steam out.

I have been able to get crispy bread (nicely toasted) and melty cheese this way.

Kim O'Donnel: I use olive oil too...

_______________________

Broccoli City: Hi Kim,

Hubby bought one of those mega pound bags of broccoli and I need thoughts on what to do with it. We are already burned out on stir frys and omelettes/quiche. We are vegetarian, so need to keep it meat free. All suggestions welcome!

Kim O'Donnel: Last night, I used up a bunch of broccoli to make soup. Did it totally last minute too. Used mostly stems, fewer florets. Chop up, add to pot, plus a hunk of chopped ginger, a few cloves of whole garlic, a quartered onion, and a few quartered potatoes. Add water to cover, bring up to a boil, then let simmer, covered, til brocc is fork tender. Remove ginger, then puree. Add cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne to taste. Serve it up pronto. You'll love it.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: Just a comment on the Whole Foods decision to Bag Plastic...have they really figured this to be a net benefit to the environment? When you consider the evidence presented in the "nifty little graffic" it's clear that in spite of the 5/1 usage ratio of plastic to paper, plastic bags take less energy to produce and recycle, create less pollution, and although not biodegradable they do take us less space in landfill in the unfortunate scenario that they are not recycled. By still offering paper bags Whole Foods and any other retailer who follows suit will only encourage the use of MORE paper bags. How about we take a page from the European handbook and charge a nominal fee for every bag you use, e.g. $0.25 If you don't want to pay the fee you'll bring your own bags thus eliminating BOTH reliance on BOTH paper and plastic.

Viva la difference!

Kim O'Donnel: I agree about the charging for bags -- I really like this idea. I found myself paying for bags in the Netherlands, France, South Africa (where I think they're now banned), and yes, people do change their habits. Reader is referring to today's blog post, Whole Foods Bags Plastic: Whaddya Think?

_______________________

Shaw, D.C.: Hi Kim --

For the grilled cheese sandwich maker, I make paninis with my grill pan all the time using regular store bought whole wheat bread, using medium heat. I always brush a little olive oil on the outside then layer sliced meat and/or tomatoes between two slices of cheese. This way the cheese melts into the bread on the first side. Then I flip and cook the other side. The critical thing though is that I use a brick (wrapped in foil) to weigh down the sandwich and get those grill marks. I'm sure the same technique can be used in a regular skillet to make a grilled cheese, no?

Kim O'Donnel: More on grilled cheese-y technique -- keep it coming!

_______________________

Just sharing our plans...: Jambalaya and corn bread tonight and Super Tuesday Margaritas (a little cultural mix there, but I think it works...). Hot-and-sour soup on Thursday with wonton dumplings on the side IF I can make the filling on Wednesday night so they are a quick fix on Thursday after work.... I am guessing I can fill them and cover with a damp towel and plastic, then just simmer them on Thurs?

Happy Mardi Gras! Happy Super Tuesday! Happy New Year of the Rat! (insert political jab here)

Kim O'Donnel: Woo hoo! Very nice indeed. Yes, keep those dumplings covered under damp towel...

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I'm hoping you have a tried and tested, favorite chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing recipe (buttercream?). My toddler's birthday party is coming up and while he won't get more than a few bites, I want something rich and decadent for all the moms and dads. I have to show off a little, ya know? But I don't have time to experiment with recipes, so I need a trusted yummy recipe that will impress that crowd.

Kim O'Donnel: I do have a fave choc-on-choc cake recipe, which comes from Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis's book, "Gift of Southern Cooking." It's the bomb diggety.

_______________________

Lothian, Md.: Grilled cheese -- whatever your cheese, try some chopped fresh rosemary on the cheese -- this sounded so strange to me at first, but it tastes wonderful! This is a creation of my niece's husband.

Kim O'Donnel: I love this idea! Thank you.

_______________________

For Blue Cheese: About 5 years ago there was a recipe in Cook's Illustrated that was an excellent use for blue cheese. It was a pasta where you cooked small pieces of asparagus at high heat (they got a little blackened), added them to short pasta with some pasta water, a good sized chunk of blue (crumbled), olive oil, salt and pepper and the secret ingredient: a grated granny smith apple. The results were tangy, with a touch of sweet, and full of flavor.

Kim O'Donnel: Oh yes, a grand combo. Very nice, dear.

_______________________

Blue Cheese: I love blue cheese! I like to to melt a dollop of blue cheese in rice for a nice side dish. I also put it in mashed potatoes to give it a rich, creamy taste.

It also makes a great tart: Buy a pre-made pastry shell or make your own and bake it fully. Then, thinly slice ripe pears and arrange around tart shell. Put mounds of blue cheese on top. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts. Put a few small chunks of butter or margarine on top. Put back in the oven until cheese is melty and bubbly. Remove from oven and drizzle a small amount of honey on top. Serve with a side salad for a light dinner.

Kim O'Donnel: More blue cheese-y ideas...

_______________________

No Rat on the Menu!: Actually, the Chinese government passed a resolution or some such thing asking the people to respect and honor (or something like that) rats for the next year.....I don't think that includes eating them!

washingtonpost.com: PETA to China: Respect Rats, Especially This Year ( AP)

Kim O'Donnel: Interesting. Thanks to Mister Rocs, my handy producer, for digging up this link.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Kim, I always see you write about using Smart Balance when cooking. What exactly is it -- is it a kind of margarine?

Kim O'Donnel: Actually, it's Earth Balance I like to use -- and it' s a spread made from a combination of oils. I guess you could call it a vegan margarine, but I'm reluctant to do so b/c margarine is made with hydrogenated oils, and Smart Balance is not. Web site for details: http://www.earthbalance.net/product.html

_______________________

Cincinnati, Ohio: I had an allergic reaction to something I ate. I suspect it was bleu cheese. Have other folks experienced an allergy to moldy cheeses? Thanks for taking my question.

Kim O'Donnel: Let's ask...

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: Blue cheese mini popovers! Any popover recipe, mini muffin tin, a little scoop (or for me, a big scoop) of cheese, bake about 12 minutes at 350. and smells so good....

Welcome back Kim!

Kim O'Donnel: Mmm...tasty treat.

_______________________

Videos link: HI Kim,

Could I please have the link to your cooking videos? And is it possible to see archived videos, like prior to the Spring series? Many thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: But of course: What's Cooking Video Library, at your service..

_______________________

Broccoli: Broccoli is so good with Pesto. This time of year (unless you stashed it in your freezer end of summer) you will probably have to buy Pesto. Steam the broc, toss with pasta and pesto, lemon juice, a little parmesan, throw in some spinach or chard for extra greeny goodness.

Kim O'Donnel: I agree! Wonderful combo. Hope springs eternal...

_______________________

Just curious: What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder? I can taste a slight difference between them, but how do they function in the baking process? Why do some/many recipes call for both?

Kim O'Donnel: Baking powder is baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) plus an acid salt (in form of cream of tartar or sodium aluminum sulfate), plus cornstarch (for absorption). Most baking powder reacts to both liquid and heat -- i.e. double-acting. According to joyofbaking.com, "When a recipe contains baking powder and baking soda, the baking powder does most of the leavening." Why some recipes call for both is a really good question. I think it has to do with neutralizing acids, like buttermilk, but I'll have to get back to you on that.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: One more blue cheese idea -- I just made a blue cheese souffle (from a barefoot contessa recipe) and it was amazing.

Kim O'Donnel: But of course. In fact, I have a video for a blue cheese souffle! Check above link to video library for details...

_______________________

Allergic to blue cheese: I have a similar reaction. It's the mold. Blue cheese is blue from specific edible (to most people) molds. I can't have other moldy things either (and look at your antibiotic reactions -- since they are mold-based).

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for chiming in...

_______________________

Blue Cheese Cheesecake Recipe-Found It!: Here's the recipe for the aformentioned savory cheesecake:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

2 cups blue cheese, crumbled

1 cup sour cream

1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 red bell pepper, halved and deseeded

1 green onion

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Beat cream cheese and blue cheese in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy--about 5 minutes. Mix in 1 cup sour cream and pepper. Add eggs -- one at a time -- mixing well after each addition. Pour mixture into buttered 9 inch springform pan. Bake 60 -- 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Carefully spread 1 1/4 cup sour cream over top. Return to oven 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. To serve, place on serving plate. Carefully remove sides of pan. Decorate top with red pepper cut into flower shapes with small cookie cutter and green onion tops as stems.

Kim O'Donnel: Excellent. Thanks for following up...

_______________________

Kim O'Donnel: Hey gang, it's already to time to sign off. Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned later this week for Year of the Rat ideas, and of course, some things to get everyone in the mood for LUV next week. Stop by and say hello at: A Mighty Appetite. Bye!

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.