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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Bonnie: Kind of a gray, chilly afternoon...let's all make some soup! Welcome to Free Range, the chat that can make you hungry even though you're eating lunch as you read.
In today's section, we've thrown gallons of recipes at you, between Domenica Marchetti's fab chowders and Kim O'Donnel's, Aliza Green's and Mitchell Davis's favorite quick pantry soups. Domenica's joining us today, as is Chef on Call author David Hagedorn, who wrote about a nice young couple as they prepared to host a meet-the-parents dinner. A Roast Chicken in every oven, we say.
Editor Joe's away (sampling every tamale he meets in Mexico City, if you must know), but the rest of Our Gang's on board. A witty/challenging chatter will win the cookbook "Soup's On!" by Leslie Jonath and Frankie Frankeny, and...one of the top immersion blenders we tested. Barely broken in, it is. We'll post winners at the end of the chat; winners need to send their mailing/contact info to food@washpost.com.

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Washington, D.C.: I so enjoyed Domenica Marchetti's story on chowder -- a perfect warm-up for a cold February day. As a native of Rhode Island, I thought I'd put in a word for my home state's Quahog Chowder, a clear-broth chowder featuring quahogs (large, hard-shelled clams), salt pork, potatoes, onions, the broth from cooking the quahogs --and not much else. Milk and cream are not allowed, nor are tomatoes. Heated debates arise over whether to add Worcestershire sauce or fresh herbs. (Full disclosure: I admit that I'm somewhat obsessed with my home state's version of clam chowder - so much so that last May, I wrote about Rhode Islanders' passion for quahog chowder for the food website Leite's Culinaria.)

Thanks again for today's story. I look forward to making the Winter Vegetable Chowder this weekend.

Domenica Marchetti: Hi Washington, D.C.
During my research I encounted the Rhode Island verion of clam chowder. I've never had it--but my dad is a Rhode Island native so I will have to ask him about it. Would you be interested in sharing your recipe? I received an email from a reader who was looking for a milk and tomato-free clam chowder that her husband used to eat in Connecticut. I wonder if it's the same.

Domenica Marchetti: Glad you enjoyed the article!

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Washington, D.C.: Last week, I pulled out a bag of frozen cooked shrimp, which I added to sauted scallions and garlic, and then a half a cup of vegetable broth. I was going for a shrimp scampi type deal, but it turned into a weird soupy thing. It wasn't disgusting, but I would have been extremely disappointed if I had eaten it in a restaurant. I just ended up picking out the shrimp and eating them, throwing out the soup. What else could I have done with a bag of frozen cooked shrimp?

David Hagedorn: I would thaw the shrimp by letting them sit in hot water for a few minutes; then drain and dry them. Then I would heat up some olive oil, add chopped garlic,red pepper flakes (optional) some vermouth and a bit of stock and let it reduce for a couple of minutes. Then add the shrimp(and, as I often do, a can of chopped minced clams), chopped scallions, and A LOT of chopped parsley, which then kind of acts like a thickener.

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Help, please! It's a gougere crisis!: I have just made batter for gougeres (from The Herb Companion magazine website) and it is quite loose, more batter than dough-like. The directions say to "Drop batter in spoonfuls on baking sheets, allowing plenty of space between each spoonful" but it's so loose that I expect it will run together before they can bake through. The quantities are similar in other gougere recipes.

Here's the recipe:

Blue Cheese-Rosemary Puffs

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup rye flour

5 large eggs

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine water, salt, rosemary and olive oil and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add flours all at once and immediately whisk vigorously until you have a thick mass that pulls away from the pan.

Transfer batter to an electric mixer (or if you prefer, leave it in the pan and use a whisk and muscle) and beat in eggs, one at a time.

Beat in blue cheese.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats, or lightly butter them.

Drop batter in spoonfuls on baking sheets, allowing plenty of space between each spoonful for puffing. If desired, refrigerate or freeze pans until 30 minutes before serving.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and browned (allow an extra 5 minutes if they came from the freezer). If you have just one oven, it's best to bake each pan separately.

Makes 30 to 40 puffs

NOTES : To prepare them ahead, you can refrigerate or freeze the puffs unbaked, and pop them in a 400-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes before serving.

Is there something I am not understanding? I've already added an extra 1/2 cup flour and it is still loose. Rangers, please rescue me!

David Hagedorn: Hello, gougere. The standard recipe for cream puffs is one cup water, one cup flour, 4 oz. butter, and 4 eggs, not 5.
Here's what I suggest. Beat in 3 eggs, then the cheese. The consistency of the batter should be thick; it should fall off a wooden spoon very slowly in a thick ribbon. If it stays on the spoon, add the fourth egg. If it is still too thick, then add the fifth egg, though I doubt you'll need it.

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Prospect, Ky.: I love your 36 soup recipes. Will you have a booklet available for purchase?

Bonnie: Nope. But feel free to download from the Web, along with the all-important pantry list (see it on the Food and Dining homepage).

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Towson, Md.: I can't wait to try some of the 36 quick soup recipes! I avoid buying canned soup because of the astronomical salt content. I keep jars of Wyler's sodium-free chicken and beef boullion in my kitchen, and I use these to flavor homemade soups and stews.

washingtonpost.com: 36 Quick Soups

Domenica Marchetti: Yes, salt-free bouillon is a great pantry item to keep on hand for soups and stews. I also use fat-free, low-sodium canned broth. That way I get to control the amount of salt. Have fun in the kitchen making soup!

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Silver Spring: Hi. Can you tell me what the difference between Neufchatel and regular cream cheese is? What are the consequences for using them interchangeably, like in a recipe for icing and possibly in other things? Thanks!

Jane Black: American neufchatel is a lower fat version of cream cheese' I believe it has 1/3 the fat. The original French Neufchatel, however, is a slightly crumbly, mold-ripened cheese that is usually sold in the shape of the heart. It looks and tastes nothing like our version.
If you substitute neufchatel for cream cheese, it will generally work but will be be a less rich version.

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Washington, D.C.: Bonnie,

It's Adam. In order to reduce any pan dis-coloration, did Janice alter the smoked trout recipe to use two pie plates: one inverted and one right-side-up?

Bonnie: Hi Adam. Ladies and gents, perhaps this is Adam Streisfeld, one half of the nice young couple feature in Chef on Call today. Yes, we did alter it. And our tester, who used a cast-iron pot, didn't have any problems with pan discoloration.
For the rest of you, Adam's referring to the cooking session with chef Janis McLean. She brought an old enameled pot whose interior suffered during the trout-smoking phase. Using cake pans as he suggests did the trick, too.

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Apple Butter - Goshen, Ky.: I love apple butter, and am wondering if it can be made at home. I've seen it being made at apple orchards in big cauldrons, but I'm wondering if I can replicate that at home. I have some homemade applesauce, and was thinking I should just cook it over low heat for a VERY long time to reduce it. Is that the best way? How long does it take?

Domenica Marchetti: Hi Goshen,
Do you have a slow-cooker? If so, you can make wonderful apple butter that cooks overnight, while you sleep. It's easy and really tasty. Here's my version:
8-10 apples (choose a variety for better flavor)
1 packed cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
Cut the unpeeled appled into big chunks, removing the seeds. Put them in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.Toss everything well. Put the apples into a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 12 to 14 hours, or overnight. Next morning, stir the apples with a wooden spoon. They will break apart easily into a pulpy mixture. Ladle the mixture into a sieve or food mill and strain to remove the skins. Return the apple butter to the slow-cooker and cook, uncoverd, on high for 1 to 2 hours, until thickened. The apple butter should mound up and hold its shape on a spoon. Ladle the apple butter into containers; cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Or ladle into sterilized jars, cover, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes to seal. Makes about 4 pints.

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Washington, D.C.: Would it be totally insane to use yogurt in place of sour cream in a cheesecake? The recipe I wanted to use from Baking with Julia Child, calls for cream cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream. So my concern isn't the calories, it's just that I don't know what to do with leftover sour cream.

Jane Black: It wouldn't be insane but you will need to use full-fat drained yogurt if you want it to set. The flavor will be slightly more tart. To drain the liquid from yogurt, line a strainer with paper towels or cheesecloth and let it sit over a bowl in the fridge until a pool of liquid collects beneath it and the yogurt is very thick.

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Cooking chicken, please help: To save money, I have switched from skinless, boneless chicken to skin on, bone in chicken thighs. I find they contain an unbelievable amount of fat, and am having trouble removing the skin (which I don't like).

I have not been successful in removing the skin when raw, either with my hands, paper towel, or knife. Here's what I do: brine for 2 days to remove blood and improve flavor, then roast until cooked, then remove skin and discard, and pour off and discard all the fat/liquid that comes out, then remove meat and use in recipe.

This is a lot of work. Any ideas for an easier way to be able to use this type of cut?

David Hagedorn: Well, the obvious answer is to buy skinless, boneless thighs. I buy them at Coctco; they are individually cryovac-ed and an excellent value.
Otherwise, you could freeze the skin-on thighs for a half-hour or so to firm them up; this should make removing the skin easier, though I must say, in my experience the skin just pulls off with a little encouragement from a very sharp paring knife.
Also, I would not brine boneless thighs for more than a few hours. After that, you run the risk of denaturing the protein and having the meat turn to mush. Two days is way too long.

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Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C.: Hi -- thanks for all the good information over the years -- question for you -- apologies if it has been asked on an earlier chat -- do you have any information on co-op clubs where you subscribe to a farm or farms through the clubs and get a monthly or semi-monthly shipment that you can pick up (ideally in D.C.) that comes from the farm(s). Interested in both meat and veggies/fruit. Many thanks!

Jane Black: Do you mean a CSA (community supported agriculture) program? If so, Walter Nicholls rounded up all the local CSAs, prices and pickups. You can see the info here.

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Washington, D.C.: A quick question about the immersion blenders: are there any concerns about using those on non-stick surfaces, or does the blade never come close to the bottom of the pan?

Jane Touzalin: The blade is offset inside its flange, so it doesn't come into contact with anything other than food. But you'd still want to take care not to scrape the blade housing (particularly on metal models) on a non-stick surface. I've used mine on all sorts of surfaces and have never damaged anything yet.

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Washington, D.C.: Thank you so much for the great article on immersion blenders. I've been wanting one for years (I do love soup), but I've been hesitant to get one, since most of my pots are nonstick, and I'm concerned that the blender would scratch them. Is that a valid concern? Judging from the photos you ran, it looked like some models encased the blade in a protective shaft.

Bonnie: As Jane T. says, there's not much danger of scratching a nonstick surface, unless you come in at a steep angle. But Joe and I found that some blades are seated so deep within the flanges that it had a negative effect on certain blending, like the pesto stuff. If you can see the photo of the Braun Turbo Multiquick, you'll notice a deep cup at the end. As I recall, that created wicked suction in the tomato sauce phase of testing...

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Rockville, Md.: Hi Staff, My Mom's coming over to dinner tonight and I want to wow her with a dessert. She loves figs so I bought a package of dried ones but am at a loss about what to do. Help?

David Hagedorn: Here's an easy solution. Buy one of the small, plain cheesecakes from Whole Foods. Make a simple syrup of one cup water, one cup water (or red or white wine), and a scraped vanilla bean. Halve the figs (a cup should be plenty; 2 for a larger cake), add them to the syrup and cook for a few minutes, until the figs are soft. Top the cheesecake with the figs and drizzle with a bit of honey.

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Veg chowder recipe confusion -- help, please!: It sounds wonderful, it really does, and I'm eager to make it tonight. BUT: the intro lists eight suggestions for vegetables to include; two of these (carrots and leeks) are specifically called for in the recipe; and the recipe also, separately, calls for "8 to 10 vegetables." I have a pretty good head for the veggies, but I'm having trouble coming up with a list of 8 to 10 seasonal, fresh, and readily available ones that leaves out leeks and carrots. Is that really what you meant? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Domenica Marchetti: Hi there,
You are right to be confused--the recipe should say 8 to 10 CUPS vegetables, peeled and cut into bold, attractive pieces etc. It should be 4 leeks, 8 to 10 cups of seasonal vegetables, such as potatoes, parshinps, turnips, rutabaga, etc. AND 2 cups carrots. Hope this helps!

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Nashville Soup Lover: I am always drawn to soup recipes but then am appalled by the sodium content. Cooking at home allows us to reduce the salt, but the soups in restaurants and in groceries can have a day's supply of sodium in one serving! (So does an entree serving of today's Roasted Corn Chowder, by the way.) I'm using 1500 mg as a "day's supply" because that's what the government's Institute of Medicine, and other health associations, have recommended for a few years now. Is there anything that consumers can do to get soup manufacturers to lower the sodium? We can always add it at the table, but we can't take it out!

Domenica Marchetti: Hi Nashville,
The great thing about making soup, as opposed to buying, is that you can regulate your own salt content. Unfortunately (for me) I adore salt and probably use more than I should, so of course feel free to adjust the recipe for the Roasted Corn Chowder to your liking. As for convincing soup manufacturers to use less sodium, I suggest voting with your pocket book and buying those with a lower sodium content. Or try contacting the manufacturer by email through its web site (or via snail mail). Of course, nothing beats a pot of homemade soup!

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Fort Collins, Colo.: I love the soup recipes! Is there a way to print them all at once, or can we only do it one at a time.

Bonnie: And we love that you love them. You've got that clip-and-save full page with 12 of the recipes...i'll find out what can be done, Webwise.

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Washington, D.C.: How reliable is the Chocolate Cake recipe I found from the Chef on Call section? It looks really rich and chocolaty, which is fab. Have others made it with success and liked it? I need a no-fail, rich, moist, delicious, chocolate cake.

David Hagedorn: If you are referring to Mary Lee Monfort's Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling, it is delicious. Photographer Len Spoden made it for the food section's holiday party and it was a big hit.
You may want to try this WaPo database recipe for all-American chocolate cake. The batter is very easy; I adapted it from the one on the back of the can of Hershey's cocoa. I've yet to find a moister cake. Here's the link:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/02/21/chocolate-cake/

Bonnie: Mary Lee's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Bonnie: Chocolate Cake

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Washington, D.C.: This is a shopping question rather than a cooking one: If you buy a bagful of something, like avocados, and even though they looked fine on the outside it turns out they're black and putrid on the inside, do you try to get your money back from the store? I figure they didn't know the produce was bad on the inside, either, but then again I bought it from them and couldn't eat it.

David Hagedorn: Bad is bad. Take it back.

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Plum Tomato: What are plum tomatoes? Are they the round tomatoes I usually find at the supermarket and the produce stand?

Jane Black: A plum tomato is an oblong shaped tomato that's juicy than other varieties. Its concentrated flavor makes it great for sauces and stews and oven roasting, though you can certainly serve them fresh in a salad if you find them at the market.

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Bonnie: We interrupt our chatting for this *CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS*
For an upcoming story, we're looking for volunteers to put their tastebuds to the test in an unusual wine tasting. To participate, you'd take a survey about what you like and don't like, then join us for a tasting to see if we can predict from your answers which wines will appeal to your palate. You will need to be available for a one- to two- hour tasting on March 4. It is currently scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown D.C., but there is some flexibility.
We need four panelists -- two women, two men -- who like wine but may not know whether they prefer chardonnay to sauvignon blanc and certainly can't brag about that great 2005 Bordeaux they just sampled. If you're interested, please send an email with your name, contact details and a brief description of your knowledge about wine to food@washpost.com.

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Anonymous: I've got some chickpeas that I soaked overnight and cooked with a sliced Meyer lemon for flavor. I'd like to make a soup or stew-like dish with them - other vegetables I have include broccoli, bok choy, peppers, carrots, half a parsnip and some butternut squash. Also have a wide variety of spices. Any suggestions?

Looking for something warm, flavorful, vegetarian and appealing to myself and my legume-loving toddler (my husband won't touch the things).

Domenica Marchetti: Sounds like you have the makings of a delicious vegetarian stew. I would saute some chopped onion minced and garlic in olive oil, then add the carrots, peppers, parsnip, and butternut squash (all cut into large chunks). Saute until they start to become tender. Add some spices--how about cumin, turmeric, a little cayenne pepper for heat, maybe some paprika--and then add the chick peas and some broth. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the stew is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and finish with some chopped cilantro or parsley and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.

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question for David : I recently purchased a carbon steel frying pan that I love. Roasted chicken is a staple in my household. For years I removed the backbone, placed the chicken on a grate in a roasting pan with sliced potatoes below(to keep the smoke down)and cooked the chicken(3.5 lbs)about an hour at 500 degrees. Some kosher salt and pepper, no basting, an hour later we had a great dish. Recently I started cooking the bird in my carbon steel pan. Pre-heat the oven to 450, get the pan blazing hot, add a few drops canola oil and drop 1/2 bird skin side down, for 5 or 6 minutes. After 15-20 in the oven, I flip the bird and roast for another 15-20 minutes (165-70 degrees). After I let it sit for 10 minutes or so, it's perfect. My question, why is the chicken I cook in the carbon pan so much more juicy than the straight roasting? Thanks

David Hagedorn: From what I can tell here, for the carbon-steel pan version you are searing the chicken and then roasting it for less time than you were before, instead of just relying on radiant heat as the only cooking method. I'm not sure the pan is making the difference as much as the methodolgy is, though a carbon-steel pan does conduct heat very well. I'm all for the initial searing and the reliance on residual heat to finish the cooking job while the chicken is resting.

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Chowdah woes!: Big fahn of Deborah Madison, like the looks of this chowdah recipe. Nah ah'm an old downeast chowdah hand from way back, but ah'm having a very hahd time coming up with eight to ten vegetables to fill up the paht if yah leave the leeks and carrots aht of the total. What can yah affah me that won't break mah boat motah? (Not that I have a boat motah, but if ah did, hmm?)

Bonnie: Woe Nelly. That's 8 to 10 cups.

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R.I. chowder: I once sat on a plane next to a 10 year old boy from R.I. who spent the entire flight regaling me with a description of what is authentic RI chowder (salt pork, onions, potatoes, clams, water). He exclaimed that it's actually against the law in RI to use tomatoes or dairy. If only he knew I used to dig my own quahogs (clams) on the rocky shoreline of Portsmouth, RI, then make my own chowder ... that's another story.

Anyway, I read a few months ago in a vacation newsletter that a gentleman who had New England chowder in a Disney's Epcot Resort restaurant complained that the chowder was altogether wrong. He went on to disdainfully describe R.I. chowder, then later explained that it has been improved and is now the thick, white, gloppy stuff it should be. Yeah, right!

Domenica Marchetti: Thanks for sharing that story. That 10-year-old boy sounds like a chef in the making! I have found that people definitely have their opinions about chowder. In general, I find restaurant chowders disappointing, which is why I started making my own.

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sugar-free desserts: I'm having a dessert party on the 1st, and the guest list includes at least five folks with diabetes. I'm planning to have plenty of fresh fruit, and I'm making crepes filled with sugar-free vanilla pudding and sugar-free raspberry jam (which are quite tasty, if I do say so myself). Any ideas on a third option, or should two desserts do it?

Jane Black: Personally, I'd say two desserts will do it. But if you need some more inspiration, check out this roasted pear recipe, a "guilt-free" makeover from the Culinary Institute of America. There's a little sugar in the poaching liquid but you could substitute honey or agave nectar.

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Petworth, D.C.: I love my KitchenAid immersion blender, and all its attachments. It's proven very durable.

I used to have a Braun. I liked it, but it didn't last very long. The motor burned out very quickly.

Bonnie: I had a Braun for a long time that I managed to kill, too.

Jane Touzalin: And my 400-watt Braun is still chugging away after several years. So as always, mileage may differ!

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Hooked on Cream Tea: I just returned from my 4th trip to London. I love having cream tea -- tea with scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream. I recall the Food section once listed some stores where you can buy British food goods in this area. Any recommendations?

Jane Touzalin: The one I've been to is Classic Cigars and British Goodies, at 3020 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon (Arlington). And Walter tells me he's going to add another one.....Walter, you're on!

Walter: How about the British Pantry, 41153 John Mosby Hwy. in Aldie (703-327-3215).

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Arlington, Va.: I have a question related to how to best thicken soup. I made a red lentil soup last night, doubling the recipe I usually use. In hindsight, I should not have doubled the liquid (stock and water) because it was too brothy after cooking for about 40 minutes. My first instinct was to turn up the heat and let it reduce, but I'm thinking that vigorously simmering / boiling the soup is not a good thing. Any other ways to thicken a soup like this? Maybe a roux? Would blending part of it help?

David Hagedorn: I would puree some of the cooked lentils with some of the cooking liquid and add it back to the soup.

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Verona, Italy: In the morning I make a simple soup with fresh carrot pieces, some chopped onion, a couple of small potatoes and vegetable broth. Before dinner, when it has cooled, I use an immersion mixer to smooth it out. Then I add some canned coconut milk to taste and re-heat it. I sprinkle each bowl with some chopped macadamia or walnuts and a dusting of chopped Italian parsley to give it the "look" that makes my family want to ask for seconds.

Domenica Marchetti: Ciao, Verona! I will be visiting your beautiful city next month.
Thanks for sharing your soup recipe. Sounds delicious.

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Rockville, Md.: I ate at a Japanese/Chinese restaurant last week and they had a great salad dressing. Do you have a recipe or even know what's in it? I don't know the ethnicity or even if its just made for American palates. It's creamy and sandy in color-maybe carrot or ginger? I think it's served at similar restaurants, so it's not exclusive. Thanks!

Bonnie: Send an email to food@washpost.com with the name of the place and we'll try to sort it out. Ginger's a likely candidate.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hey Free Rangers,

I have a recipe that calls for sea bream, but I haven't been able to find any place that has it. I checked the Asian markets near me but haven't seen it.

Does it go by another name, or is it the wrong time of year to get it? Do you know where I can go to get sea bream or can you recommend another fish that might work well? If it makes a difference, it is a Japanese recipe for yaki tai (roasted sea bream) out of Harumi Kurihara's book.

Jane Black: According to Wikipedia, bream is a general term for a number of species of fresh water and marine fish: "Fish termed "bream" tend to be narrow, deep bodied species." If you have a recipe that calls for sea bream, use sea bass or what the French call "dorade" or the Italians "orata."

Bonnie: And Aliza Green's "Field Guide to Seafood" indicates that sea bream is also called porgy. Looks like the U.S. East Coast season for sea bream and porgy runs from May or June until October.

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Pantry Surprises: I opened up my pantry the other day and discovered a large unopened can of grapeseed oil that I had received as a birthday present a few years ago. How long can it sit there unopened, and still be safe to use in cooking? How long can it sit, once I have opened it, before I would need to throw it away? Does this length of time differ depending on the type of oil it is?

Thanks.

Bonnie: Bummer. Check to see if there's any coding on the bottom or top, but I think 1 year is about the recommended shelf life, and that's assuming the can has been kept in a cool, dry place. Shelf life varies among different oils, it's true.

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Chicago, Ill.: Fondue Girl from last week! So I made chocolate fondue that was delicious (a cup of heavy cream will make pretty much anything amazing), but my cheese fondue didn't turn out quite right. It was a mixture of butterkase, fontina, and blue with white wine, shallots, and garlic. It tasted great, but never melted to quite the right consistency - the wine and cheese didn't blend well. The recipe didn't call for cornstarch, but I see many other recipes have that ingredient. Do you think that may have been the problem? What does cornstarch do, anyway? Thanks!

Jane Black: The cornstarch may have been the problem. Cornstarch is a binder and a thickener. It's why you always find it in commercial puddings and why you use it to cheat and thicken up gravy. I doubled a cheese fondue recipe for new year's eve but only added the original amount of cornstarch and had a similar problem. When I realized and added it, it soon became the right consistency.

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Washington, D.C.: As someone who had a lot to say about how the WP food section could be improved when Joe Yonan first arrived, I'm writing to say how much I've enjoyed it since the first of the year. Today especially it was a pleasure to open and see the soup issue, plus advice on immersion blenders and cooking for important guests with dietary issues.

Previously I complained about a tone I detected, in both the chats and the paper, of "a shudder at the thought of something that might possibly be healthy." That tone has vanished, without becoming preachy or polemic.

The "new" food section acknowledges that good nutrition, portion control, and moderation and are compatible with good food, good wine, and good living. I asked for (1) well-written articles that both entertain and inform about food I would never attempt to cook myself and (2) recipes, techniques, and food finds that I can use. I got 'em both! And the recipe archive is, needless to say, invaluable.

Thanks and keep it coming.

Bonnie: Oh, that was YOU! A chatter of good taste and proper manners. We aim to keep improving -- thanks for your support.

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Midwest: Do you happen to have a recipe for homemade granola bars? I'm looking for something not-too-sweet (think breakfast, not dessert) and thick and chewy, not thin and crunchy, with lots of dried fruit and nuts. Any ideas? Thanks!

Jane Touzalin: Alas, there isn't one in our Recipe Finder, but I recently saw an Alton Brown "Good Eats" rerun on Food Network where he made some yummy-looking bars. They were packed with seeds, nuts and dried fruits and looked like they might be fun to make. Go to the network's Web site (www.foodnetwork.com) and do a search for granola.

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formerly Mexico City: Please ask Editor Joe to try to notice how seldom cumin -- "comino" in Spanish -- is used in Mexico, as compared to how often it is used in States-side Mexican food. I'm always amazed to see recipes that call for cumin in dishes that don't use it in Mexico, like guacamole. Gracias!

Bonnie: Va bene! (sorry, that's Italian).

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Bethesda Mom: Many thanks for the pantry/soup recommendations--I can't wait to try most of them! Also for the immersion blender info.

I recently made a great cabbage soup, with shredded green cabbage, garlic, chopped onion, spicy chicken sausages (browned first), chicken stock, a left-over half can of peeled roma tomatoes in sauce and tomato paste with some fresh thyme and a can of white beans thrown in at the end.

I have a question about immersion blenders (I don't have one but am thinking of buying one)-- would it be a better tool to break up large chunks in soup without making a smooth puree? Sometimes you want some texture, but you don't want just lots of pieces.

Bonnie: Sounds like you're our kind of cook. The immersion blender's good for spot-disintegrating chunks (just plunk it down right on top of 1 particular item in the pot). I've gotten along without one for several years, but this testing reminded me what a boon they can be. And they dont have to be expensive...I'd get one without all those attachments, which do things my current stock of appliances already can handle.

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Tagine of lamb shanks!!!!!!: I made this Friday, ate it Saturday and last night. It was fabulous on Saturday, absolutely stunning last night, my husband and I are still drooling! I made the couscous, and served with a salad of mixed greens, red onions, orange segments, avocado, and a pomegranate molasses vinagrette. And the harissa (it's HOT!).

So I hope you can answer a couple of questions: How do you make this for a crowd? Do the lamb shanks need to be in a single layer? I can fit only 6 shanks in one layer in my largest oven-safe casserole. If so, could an alternative container be used, such as a roasting pan covered in foil? Also, I wonder what wines will complement this menu?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for the chats.

David Hagedorn: I love lamb shanks, too. Here's how I made them to serve at one of my restaurants:
I "seared" them on the grill, placed them in a large roasting pan (maybe twenty at a time!), added a bottle of full-bodied red wine, thyme, rosemary, whole garlic cloves, a couple of cups of dried apricots,and water or stock to cover the meat. I overlapped the shanks so the meat was immersed in liquid with the bones resting on the adjacent pieces. Cover with heavy-duty foil, pressed right down onto the meat and seal the foil around the rim of the pan as best you can. Oven-braise the shanks for about an hour, or until fork tender. I made a suace by removing the herbs, skimming the fat and pureeing the apricots with the broth, then adjusting the flavor iwth harissa and adding some diced dried apricots and chopped cilantro at the end.
Any full-bodied red wine will go with lamb shank, but a chunky zin would really sing.

Bonnie: Bless you for sending this in. I loved, loved, loved that recipe. They really do need to cook in 1 layer so the bones can render their precious goods. I've never braised in those heavy-duty alumnium foil roasting pans, but maybe you could set one on a large baking sheet in the oven.
And I might try a Cab with this version.

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Today's soups: I love the soup ideas, but am disappointed at lack of nutritional info. One reason I love your food section is the presence of that info. Any way you could edit the recipes online to put them back in?

Bonnie: Sure. When we get this into the database, we'll run the nutritionals. Should be within the next 2 weeks or so.

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Louisville, Ky.: I love to cook and was on a big soup kick before my boyfriend and I broke up. How do I go about making soup for one? I'll eat a couple of meals of leftovers or freeze some, but I find that I end up with enough food for 4-7 meals. Can you make a small batch of soup or am I stuck without soup unless I plan to throw a soup party? If you can make soup for one, I'd love a recipe for French Onion soup. That was next on my list to try.

Domenica Marchetti: This is a good question, Louisville. I have a recipe for pastina in chicken broth (it can be found online at washingtonpost.com/food) that serves one. I often make it for myself for lunch. You can also try experimenting with recipes and try cutting the amount of ingredients in half. Freezing is another good option. It's always good to have a well-stocked freezer. Here is my recipe for Italian onion soup from my book The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy--it calls for pecorino instead of gruyere cheese, and crostini (toasted baguette slices). I've cut the ingredient amounts in half, so this should make two servings.
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dry Marsala
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
Freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
Toasted croutons
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot placed over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat well. Sprinkle in the marjoram and salt, reduce heat to low, and let the onions cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until they are golden and velvety soft. Be sure to stir them now and then to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low if necessary. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir in the Marsala and then the tomato paste. Pour in the broth, reduce the heat to low and cook another 15 minutes or so, until the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Serve the soup over crostini and top with the pecorino cheese. Enjoy

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Philadelphia, Pa.: How long do vanilla beans retain their flavor? I bought one at a local spice store here more than four months ago and haven't had occasion to use it yet. Will sniffing it tell me if it's still strong?

Leigh: If you have kept your vanilla beans tightly sealed (in a zip-lock bag, or jar)they should stay fresh for at least four months, if not much longer. According to the staff at La Cuisine in Alexandria, beans past their prime will feel hard and shriveled. But don't let that stop you from using them. They can still be steeped in custards and can even get a second life after that by placing them in a canister of sugar once dried from whatever liquid you've had it in.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: I'm a 66 year old woman who enjoys wine but I'm usually either a bit skeptical or in awe when people speak "wine lingo" and really just find the wine one part of a great meal. I love to cook and have been to many cooking classes in the area especially L'Academie de Cuisine. I'd love to participate in the wine tasting.

Bonnie: Send your info via email to food@washpost.com

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Dumpling Soup: Hi All,

Thanks for the wonderful issue today. I can't wait to try them. My question -- I make a Chinese dumpling soup at home with chicken broth, veggies, ginger, etc. and add in store-bought dumplings. I thought it would be fun to try and make my own dumplings, do you have a recipe? Thanks!

Jane Black: It couldn't be easier. All you need are store-bought wonton wrappers. Fill them with a mix of chopped chicken or vegetables, a little ginger and scallion and seal the edges with water. Pop them in the soup to cook.

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Chantilly, Va.: Hi foodies. Thanks for the great soup recipes. I just bought an immersion blender, so your tool test was of interest, except that I paid much less than you noted for the KitchenAid one. I got a white one at Target for $50. I can't imagine that the red one is $30 more!

Bonnie: You are one smart shopper. Are you using all those attachments?

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Washington, D.C.: When is "lite" coconut milk not OK to substitute for full-fat coconut soup? I'm wondering first about soups like tom gor but also curries and anything else. I know anything will taste less rich and creamy with less fat, but wonder if other things maybe won't taste good at all.

Domenica Marchetti: Hi Washington,
You could certainly substitute lite coconut milk for regular in any of the recipes in today's section (and online). You are right that they will lose some richness, but if you are making a soup or other dish with other flavorful ingredients, such as in the peanut and coconut soup and butternut squash and coconut soup, you should be okay. You can also use regular coconut milk but 'lighten' it a little by letting it settle in the can and then skimming and discarding the layer of thick coconut cream off the top.

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Buckeystown, Md.: Rangers,

I have a pronunciation question for you. I use to work with a Thai chef and he pronounced their national dish "Pud Thai" and now I have heard twice on the Food Network it pronounced "Pad Thai". First by Paula Dean which I just chalked up to her southern accent but just last night I heard Alton Brown, who I thought researched everything on his show, pronounce it the same. Which is it? Thank you, as I would hate to think I've been pronouncing wrong for 20 years!

Walter: We turned to Damrong Kraikruan, deputy chief of mission of the Royal Thai Embassy: It's "Pud."

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Bethesda, Md.: In addition to the CSAs that you mention in your story there is Polyface Farm's Metropolitan buying club which delivers to several locations in the DC/VA/MD and does not require customers to pre-pay for a share. You simply order when you need items and pick them up at the set delivery date.

Jane Black: Wow. Great to know. Polyface meat and vegetables are amazing.

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Washington, D.C.: I'd be happy to share the recipe for R.I. Quahog Chowder! (If freerangers would like to learn more about this kind of chowder, the link to the story and recipe is http://www.leitesculinaria.com/writings/features/ri_chowder.html)

This recipe actually comes from a cookbook, The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook: Big Recipes from the Smallest State by Linda Beaulieu (Globe Pequot Press, 2006).

Rhode Island Quahog Chowder

Ingredients

10 to 12 quahogs in the shell

1/4 pound salt pork, cut into ½-inch dice

1/2 cup onions, cut into ¼-inch dice

3 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch dice

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Scrub the quahogs and rinse clean under cold running water. Discard any that aren't tightly closed. Put the quahogs in a stockpot and cover with 6 cups of cool water. Bring to a simmer over medium- to medium-high heat. Cover the pot and cook just until the quahogs open, about 8 to 10 minutes. Don't overcook. Immediately remove the quahogs from the pot.

2. When cool enough to touch, remove the cooked quahog meat from the shells and chop it into 1/8-inch dice. Set aside.

3. Cover the stockpot and place over low heat to keep the broth-infused water warm while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

4. In a skillet, cook the salt pork over medium heat until the fat renders and the meat is browned and crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the onions to the skillet and sauté until they're translucent but not colored.

5. When the onions are cooked, scrape them, along with any brown bits stuck to the skillet, into the clam broth. If necessary, deglaze the frying pan with a ladle of broth and then pour the liquid back into the stockpot.

6. Bring the broth to a gentle boil over medium-high heat and add the potatoes. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the salt pork. Season with the pepper and the Worcestershire sauce.

7. Add the cooked quahogs and heat through for a minute. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve immediately. Or, if you prefer, let cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat the next day.

Enjoy!

Domenica Marchetti: Thanks!

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Side dishes: Any idea what to serve with Salmon and Corn Chowder? Thought I would make it for a friend this weekend and seems too cold for salad.

David Hagedorn: Skillet cornbread?

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Correction: Correction for the person making a fig dessert: Shouldn't this say one cup sugar, one cup water .... etc.?

David Hagedorn: Here's an easy solution. Buy one of the small, plain cheesecakes from Whole Foods. Make a simple syrup of one cup water, one cup water (or red or white wine), and a scraped vanilla bean. Halve the figs (a cup should be plenty; 2 for a larger cake), add them to the syrup and cook for a few minutes, until the figs are soft. Top the cheesecake with the figs and drizzle with a bit of honey.

David Hagedorn: yes, sorry: one cup water, one cup sugar...

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Baking powder: I have a can of baking powder that expired in 2006. It still seems fine, but is there a test to know for sure that it is still ok to use?

Jane Black: Mix 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/2 cup hot water. The mixture should bubble immediately.

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D.C. via Italy: Friends from Italy brought me several bottles of good things, including Vino Santo and liquore de limone (lemon liqueur). They served one of them in little chocolate cups, but I can't remember which one. Do you know which one properly is consumed through chocolate? Or is it safe to figure that everything is better filtered through chocolate?

Jane Black: I lived in Italy for a year and never was lucky enough to drink Vin Santo or Limoncello out of chocolate cups. The vin santo combo sounds better to me than lemon-chocolate but I'd say anything goes.

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Madison, Wis.: I would like to suggest that when you post recipes that you include whether the recipe can be frozen, and for how long. I appreciate that the best case scenario is that these recipes be used the day they are made, however, I do believe that quite a few of us do not have the time to throw something together every night. Also, if you could tell us if something can be made ahead that too would be helpful.

Thanks, and I enjoy your column.

Jane Black: We do try to do "make ahead" tips and storage/reheating. But point taken on whether and for how long things can be frozen. Thanks for reading.

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Coconut milk: I find it loses its coconut flavor when cooked. I have taken to using milk instead, and stirring in a little coconut milk at end for flavor.

Am I doing something wrong when cooking with it? What do you think of my alternative?

Domenica Marchetti: Maybe you are cooking the coconut milk too long? Many soups with coconut milk, like those in today's section, call for adding the coconut milk at the end of the recipe and cooking until just heated through. But if your method of mixing regular milk and coconut milk works for you, I say go with it.

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Vienna, Va.: Thanks for the roast chicken recipe! Question though, if I don't have a roasting pan (and don't have the money or space yet), can I use a clear pyrex pan instead? Also, what's a V-rack? Not sure... Thanks!

David Hagedorn: Yes, you can use a pyrex pan or the broiler pan your oven probably came with. A V-rack is like a cake rack, but V-shaped so there is a well for the bird to rest in without tipping over. you can use a cake rack or, Shhhhhhh...you don't even need to use a rack. The chicken won't tell. You can roll up some foil into a ring around the chicken if you want to make sure it stays upright.

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Vegetable substitutions: If you're looking to cut calories and carbs from soup, I have successfully substituted steamed cauliflower and yellow bell pepper for potatoes. When pureed and added to a soup, the color and consistency work well (and it tastes good too).

Domenica Marchetti: Thanks for the tip. Sounds good.

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U Street, D.C.: My mom gave me her rollout cookie and icing recipe for Christmas. They are my favorite cookies in the whole world... but I've made the recipe twice and my handheld, cheapo electric mixer can't handle the dough.

I need a new electric mixer but can't afford something expensive. Any thoughts on a cheap, but powerful enough mixer to buy?

Thanks and love the chat!

Jane Black: How expensive is expensive. I have the low-end stand mixer from KitchenAid that runs about $250 and it's fabulous.

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Chocolate cake: I was referring to the plain chocolate cake, the recipe was taken from the back of a Hershey cocoa box. Is that really good?? And if it's 3 layers, how will it fit on a plate when sliced?

David Hagedorn: I can attest to the excellence of that cake. It was on my mneu at David Greggory and was by far the best-seller. As to it fitting on the plate, if the slice is thin, serve it on its side. It doesn't really matter; it won't be staying on the plate for very long!

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Lavender goat cheese: I have some lovely lavender chevre from Cowgirl Creamery. I have been eating it plain with bread or fruit or tossing it into salads.

But can I use it in recipes? Any good ones that would make full use of this beautiful cheese.

Walter: Peggy Smith, co-owner of Cowgirl, says the cheese is "fantastic in mashed potatoes."

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Bonnie: Hit the immersion blender button; we're done for the day.
Thanks to Domenica and David for their thoughtful advice. Chat winner honors go to Verona, Italy, for another quick soup idea from the homefront, and to Buckeystown, Md., who has helped us with our pad Thai pronounciation. Send your mailing info to food@washpost.com.
Next week, look for a Food section feature on tasting menus -- food critic Tom Sietsema lets loose!

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