Free Range on Food: Guest Expert Rose Levy Berenbaum on Pies and Other Baked Goods

Dish With the Experts

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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Madison, Wis.: Ooh, I loved the pie article today. Not because I needed the advice (I fancy myself a bit of a pie expert... she said smugly), but because I just love pie so, and love seeing pictures of pie and discussion of pie... Mmmm, pie. Oh yeah, and if anyone needs a cheap-o cherry pitter, a bobby-pin works great. Well, it works on sour cherries because they're pretty soft, I don't know if it'd work on the harder bing cherries.

Anyway, I wondered if you all had some ideas to use up a huge bundle of basil I've got in my fridge from my CSA this week. I've already made pesto (by the way, did I do something wrong, or does it turn out browner if you make it in a mortar and pestle? -- still tasted fantastic, but was not so green). Preferably something cold because it is hot here. Thanks! And thanks again for the pie!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I just must add that I always use a huge hairpin, inserting the looped end into the stem end of the cherry. not only does it keep the cherry rounder and less 'smashed', it also ensures that no pit escapes into the pie unlike some of the fancy gadgets that don't account for the smaller aberrant pit! I stick the two ends of the hairpin into a champagne cork so that the rounded part is comfortable nestled into the palm of my hand.
as for pesto--and I just made a batch last weekend--I cover the completed pesto (in a canning jar) with a layer of olive oil to keep it from browning. it does brown quickly so if you make it in a mortar in a large batch it may be less green than in a food processor. I love to make a small batch in the mortar and add the cooked pasta and eat it right from the mortar. the marble keeps the heat of the pasta and it feels very special!

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Pies: Thanks for the pie article, but wow, do those recipes take a lot of time. There wasn't even a note on, say, doubling the crust recipe and freezing it, nor could you make the crust in advance and let it sit overnight. It seems like you're talking 3 hours plus of kitchen time for a pie, not to mention a lot of plastic (bags, wrap, gloves...). I wish R.L.B. had mentioned which techniques could be reduced/eliminated with minimal sacrifice in quality. Personally, I've had great luck with Joy's basic pie crust recipe and my own homemade fillings - peach I make at the height of the season, freeze in aluminum plates so they're the right shape, pop out and put in gallon freezer bags. Peaches, lemon juice, sugar, and tapioca, for a perfect pie any time of the year, with relatively little prep time.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: you can make the dough and if you work quickly and it's not too hot in the kitchen, roll it out, fill it and bake it immediately. it may not look as perfect without the rest and chilling but it will still be wonderful. and of course you can freeze the dough. best to let it defrost overnight in the frig. so it rolls evenly. all this info. is in the book--there's only so much room in a article!

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Rockville, Md.: I'd like to make a batch of my favorite dinner rolls, but that batch makes about 50 rolls... far more than my husband and I can eat. But rather than just halve it, I'd like to make the dough, shape it into rolls, and then freeze the rolls. Then, I have my own frozen rolls waiting in the freezer. Anything wrong with this plan? Thanks!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: everything right! I recommend slightly underbaking the ones you plan to freeze--bake just til pale golden. then when ready to serve reheat them until golden brown and they will be like fresh-baked!

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Joe: Welcome to the chat today, everyone. In case you're wondering, that's the fabulous and talented Rose Levy Beranbaum jumping in like the eager baker she is and helping us get a jump on pie-related questions today. Thanks for joining us, Rose!
For the chatters out there, this represents a rare chance for you to get the direct attention of the Pie Queen and raise your baking game. So keep firing your pastry questions this way.
Today is our special fruit themed section, so we're also VERY up on our blueberries, peaches, etc. This is the paradise season around here, and we want to help you take advantage of it.
And for our favorite posts, we have giveaway books: From Ms. Rose, a signed copy of "The Pie and Pastry Bible" for your baking pleasure. And for other seasonal cooks, "Outstanding in the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook" by Jim Denevan.
Now, back to your questions...

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Washington, D.C.: hey Free Rangers,

I was glad to see the Nando's mini review today, although my initial experience was less than enthusiastic. The chicken was kind of bland and the butternut squash with corn side was missing the corn! I talked to someone else with similar experiences.

I'm hoping those were initial hiccups and things are better now. I'm willing to give it another shot based on Jane's visit.

washingtonpost.com: Good to Go: Nando's Peri-Peri in Penn Quarter (Post Food Section, July 16)

Jane Black: I think it probably was a question of being inundated from the start. (I ordered little cream pies for dessert which didn't make it into my bag.) Keep us posted on your experiences. They're obviously planning on going big. In addition to the new spot in Dupont, I passed a place on 19th Street today with a sign that said Nando's was coming soon.

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Peach lover : I love peaches along with peach cobbler/pie/ice cream and all other things peach. Would you dare serve a peach/blackberry cobbler w/ fresh peach homemade ice cream? Overkill?

Jane Black: I would certainly dare to do so. Vanilla is a nice contrast but that sounds delicious.

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Richmond, Va.: You've given me such good news that the Peach crop is good this year! This winter I read Ruth Reichl's Comfort Me With Apples and have been waiting months to make her peach pie!

Jane Black: I just reread that book a few weeks ago. (And I don't often have time to reread books.) So good. I'll look up the recipe, though my plan was to use Rose's.

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Dayton, Ohio: Hello! Last week in the chat you posted a recipe for a Peach Gelato from Russ Parsons' book, How to Pick a Peach, which didn't require an ice cream maker. I tried it out this weekend, and wanted to let anyone else who might be interested know that it turned out great, but it took several times longer, and required a lot more effort, than I expected. The juice from the chopped-up peaches froze everything into a solid sheet on the baking sheet, and neither my food processor nor blender could deal with them except in very small batches. Then, rather than taking another 20-30 min. back in the freezer to reach the right consistency, it was about 3 hours. Even with all that, I don't regret it because it tastes fantastic, especially with the Prima Sweet peaches they have in our local fancy market right now. When I make it again I think I will totally skip that first peach-freezing step and see how that works - it will certainly cut down on the time and effort!

Jane Black: Good to know since I definitely want to try it. But I don't know if it will work without freezing the peaches first. From reading the recipe, it seems that cold from the peaches helps turn it into "ice cream" when you mix it with mascarpone. The final freeze is just to chill it after it warms up in the food processor. But...then, you've made it. Glad it all worked out in the end.

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Tres Leches cake: Is it possible to buy a store-bought angel food cake to make tres leches cake? I know you have to mix 1 can condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, and 1 cup whole milk or half and half. I would like to avoid baking, so I'm wondering what ready made cake I can use that would be strong enough to absorb all the liquid.

Joe: You certainly can use store-bought cake for tres leches cake (one of the best things about this dessert is how forgiving it is), but I'd go for a more substantial cake, indeed, such as pound cake.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I've never used a store bought cake for this recipe but if I were to hazard a guess, angel food would be my first choice as it is porous enough to absorb tons of liquid and rubbery enough to hold it well and then become tender without falling apart.

Joe: I absolutely defer to Rose!

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Corn flour: I have a recipe that calls for corn flour. I have corn meal, is this similar? If not, could I substitute another flour? It's just for coating a vegetable to fry it.

Bonnie: It could mean finely ground cornmeal like masa harina, or it could mean cornstarch. What's the origin of the recipe? Sometimes cornstarch is referred to as corn flour in British recipes.

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Some hotel room, somewhere: Hey there, foodies! I have a vexing issue I hope you can help me with. I have been sent out of state for several weeks by my employer. I'm working 12-hour days, 6 days a week, and am in a hotel room with a standard microwave and dorm room-sized fridge, plus a toaster oven I bought because I couldn't stand the lack of cheese toasties anymore. I'm an avid cook, but you wouldn't know it from my diet these last couple of weeks: some frozen foods, plus baked potatoes and such. Which brings us to my question: With these hours, and this equipment, what original cooking can I hope to do? What can one whip up with a microwave and toaster oven? As for equipment, I have a pie plate, a small glass bowl, a whisk, and a small spatula, plus measuring cups bought in a fit of wishful thinking.

Bonnie: Great question for chatters to chime in...offhand, and assuming you have a small freezer space in that dorm fridge, you could:
1. Keep a variety of vegetables and fruits on hand to make composed salads, which you could augment/change up with crabmeat and store-bought rotisserie chicken. Make quick salsas with the fruit, which can dress up thin cuts of chicken, turkey or steak that broil in the toaster oven quite nicely. The salsas will last several days...
2. Use some of that aforementioned protein to build enchiladas and/or quesadillas; some brands of prepared sauces are pretty good (Hatch comes to mind) and you could heat them in the toaster oven with melty cheese).
3. Stuff zucchini with a mixture of fresh bread crumbs, olive oil, fresh herbs, whatever else; pop them in the toaster oven.
4. Lots of egg dishes -- omelets, frittatas -- can be made in either appliance.
5. Keep a package of frozen puff pastry on hand, for making fast tarts with tomatoes, cheese and herbs or whatever pizza fixings you like.
6. Buy a roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil, which can be used as a plate/pan for your toaster oven dishes.

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pie crust: Could you please explain the difference in using lard vs. shortening vs. butter in pie crust?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: lard is the idea fat for pie crust, though the flavor is most compatible with savory pies, quiches, tarts....it will produce the most flaky crust.

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Hampton, Va.: I loved the article about pies and piecrust - it took me a long time to finally be able to make a piecrust I'm happy with. (Mine is less elaborate than Rose's, but I may give hers a shot too! I love making pie and the cream cheese sounds like it adds a great flavor.)

I'm a little puzzled by the nutrition information, though. Some of the comments on the article already pointed out how high the fat and calorie count per slice looks, even without the filling. While I know pie crust isn't a health food, the numbers looked off to me, so I ran my own amateur calculations. This is only based off the flour, butter, cream cheese, and cream (since salt/vinegar/baking powder won't significantly affect the calorie or fat count) but I got very different numbers: around 28 grams of fat and 380-400 calories per serving, with a serving as 1/6 of the crust recipe.

Of course my data isn't scientific; I did an online search for calorie counts for each of the ingredients. But I still wonder if the info with the recipe is a little off...?

Anyhow, thanks for the pie inspiration. Maybe if we finally see some more good peaches down here I will give the cream-cheese crust a try, regardless of its calorie cost!

Leigh: Because there were pies for single as well as double crusts we decided to run the nutritional information per crust, rather than per serving. The recipe makes a double crust so the information you see is for a single crust. If you want to figure out a single serving you can divide by the number into which you cut the pie (i.e. 6 servings). I hope this helps clarify the numbers.

Bonnie: I see the source of confusion -- the NA says "per serving: crust only, based on 6" where it really should say "per crust." It's fixed now.

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Richmond, Va.: Greetings! I watched an episode of Iron Chef a few weeks ago where the challenger wrapped some boneless chicken in plastic wrap and then put it in a bamboo steamer to cook. My boyfriend thought that was really fascinating and wants to try it. I tried looking it up in a Google search to get more specifics - prep work, how long it should cook, etc. Could not find anything and I like to think I'm pretty good at my search skills. Have you all ever heard of this method of cooking chicken?

David Hagedorn: Hey, Richmond:
I have heard of this method of cooking, and so have you! It's basically sausage-making, with film wrap used instead of sausage casing. The French make galantines and ballotines of meat and forcemeat wrapped in skin and poached in stock. I did not see this episode of Iron Chef, but I have made a dish where I pounded out chicken breast, spread forcemeat on it using whatever scraps of chicken there were, and strips of multi-colored peppers. I rolled them up, wrapped them in plastic wrap (like wrapping candy) to resemble sausages and "poached" them in simmering water. You could also cook them in a steamer. They took about 7-10 minutes in water; probably 12-15 minutes in steam. Cooking juices get heated up and are trapped inside, so the meat cooks quickly and stays juicy. Test temp; cook to 160, then let them rest to go up to 170. (Some insist on 180; I find that dry.) They are lovely served cold with a light mayonnaise-based sauce.

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Tyson's : I was astonished (and sad!) at the amount of calories in pie. I think I would have preferred not knowing.

By the way, the crust recipe said 1372 calories per serving?

Bonnie: It should have said 1,372 cals per crust (single crust). It's been fixed.

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McLean: I made a Raspberry Buttermilk cake last night and it was wonderful but now I'm thinking it would have been even better with some peaches on it, too.

Joe: Sounds good as is to me, but I never say no to peaches, so I won't discourage you...

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Don't be so trifling, you fool: What is the difference between a trifle and a fool?

Jane Black: Both are traditional English desserts. A fool is pureed fruit that is strained and folded into whipped cream. (They usually use gooseberries but you can use any fruit you like, with or without sugar.) A trifle, in contrast, is a dessert that is made up of sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked in sherry or other spirits and covered with jam and custard. It is garnished with whipped cream as well as fruit, nuts, chocolate, whatever you like.

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banana cake: Dear Rose,

I'm so excited to get an opportunity to ask you for a recipe. I would love to make my husband a banana cake, something that uses simple ingredients (full fat and sugar!). I have made your banana cake with chocolate icing (that's not the correct name for it), but I would like an old fashioned banana cake with a good icing, but he's not a big fan of cream cheese. Thank you so much for your time today!!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I do hope he has the patience to wait for the exact recipe as I have a fabulous refrigerator banana cake in my upcoming book--fall of 09! meantime, if he doesn't like cream cheese how about just making some lemon curd whipped cream to serve on the side?

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Ellicott City, Md.: re Germantown (last week):

What to do with all those sour cherries.

I am a self-described sour cherry fanatic, and don't feel comfortable unless I have at least half a dozen bags of sour cherries in my freezer. Of course you can make pies (which you can freeze unbaked, for a fabulous, easy "bake and serve" dessert in the off season). I also make turnovers: Cook up about 3/4 lb pitted sour cherries with their juice and about 1/2 c sugar (or to taste). Thicken with cornstarch and flavor with a bit of almond extract. Fill packaged puff pastry and bake at about 375° for about 20 minutes. Any excess filling can be made into a cherry pie. Use sour cherries in place of blueberries in your favorite muffin or scone recipe. (Drain them first; chop if necessary. The juice can be substituted for some of the liquid in the recipe.) I like to make Sour Cherry and Vanilla Cream Scones, which ran in the Post a few years back, only with fresh or frozen sour cherries instead of dried (cut back on the liquid in the dough a little bit). For a savory dish, I cook lamb rib chops, then make a sauce with shallots, broth, balsamic vinegar, sour cherries, finished with a bit of butter. My recipe is derived from one that ran in Gourmet magazine in 2003.

By the way, thanks Washington Post Food Section! I basically learned to cook through reading the Food Section.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: here's my recipe I posted on my blog last year for "cherry piececream!"
here's how you make cherry pie filling without the crust and on top of the stove.: Use my recipe a few postings down for the cherry pie (filling) [note same as in the Post] but decrease the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon. (If you're too lazy to look, it's 20 ounces (3 1/2 cups) pitted cherries: 6 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract. Let the pitted cherries sit with the sugar and cornstarch for a minimum of 15 minutes (up to about 2 hours), until the sugar mixture is moistened and a syrup starts to form.
Bring the cherry mixture to a boil on medium-low heat, stirring constantly but gently so as not to break up the cherries. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil for about 10 minutes or until the liquid and cherries are bright red and the juices thickened but still possible to pour off the spoon.
Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the almond extract (it makes the cherries taste cherrier). Allow the mixture to cool a little or use it at room temperature to spoon atop your favorite ice cream. Bliss!

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Washington, D.C.: The waffle recipe in today's paper calls for lemon and orange extract. Are there any differences between supermarket extracts and the more expensive brands, especially when used in baking?

Bonnie: Lisa Yockelson says it is a good idea to always use PURE extracts, no matter the source or manufacturer -- not imitation extracts. So a pure name brand, available at major grocery stores, would be just fine for adding to the waffle batter.

Jane Touzalin: I tested that recipe and used extracts I bought in my neighborhood supermarket (and had forgotten I had....a testament to their storage life). I thought they worked fine.

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Salade nicoise: After last week's chatter had asked about the salade nicoise, I did some research on it and read that the original French salad didn't use green beans and potatoes, and that there were eggs, as well as tuna fish. I was wondering what would replace the green beans and potatoes to make it a respectable French salad?

Jane Black: I am eating a salade nicoise *right now* so this question interests me. I looked in a few books and believe the confusion might come over the name itself. Literally, a la Nicoise means that it is in the style of food in Nice. Practically, it means that it contains tomatoes, black olives, garlic and anchovies just as a la fiorentina, in Italian, has come to mean with spinach. Most salade nicoise recipes I see do have green beans, potatoes, eggs and tuna fish (canned, not fresh.) That includes Julia Child's. But technically, it's probably true that you could make a salade a la nicoise, without those ingredients and still call it nicoise.

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Richmond: Quick and yummy for traveling worker: Mix 1/4 bag cole slaw mix with 1 tablespoon Asian Sesame salad dressing (Paul Newman's) for an easy yet complex dish.

Joe: Add pieces of rotisserie chicken for some protein, maybe some cut up tomatoes, some dry-roasted peanuts, a little mango...

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pie video: Do you have a pie kneading/making video we could watch to see how it's done first hand?

washingtonpost.com: Would a step-by-step photo gallery do?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: it's on a CD I made available through Amazon called "cookies pies and cakes" but I think one of my bloggers Hector made it available on my blog. do a search on www.realbakingwithrose.com or post a request and I'll make sure Hector sees it. he has great technological expertise!

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Columbus, Ohio: Hi, Novice pie maker here... My crusts keep breaking apart while they bake, leaving me with a ring of crust at the top of the pie plate, and a layer at the bottom, but nothing holding the two together. What causes this and how can I fix it? Thanks!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: it sounds like the recipe is the culprit. if the dough is too tender instead of pulling in slightly during baking it will tear. try kneading it til it is slightly stretchy and do try my recipe in today's Post!

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Washington, D.C.: For me, the best use of pie crust is not in a pie, where it gets all soggy, but rolled out, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and baked until crispy. My Mom always did this with the leftover dough, so tasty! I guess I should lobby for a 'deconstructed' pie, a nice fruit crisp with cinnamon-sugar crust on the side!

Joe: My mom would roll up the extras into little crescent shapes. Mmmmmm.

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Pitting Cherries: How exactly does one pit a cherry? Especially without the aid of a pitter? Is it dreadfully wrong to cut them in half?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: use a large old-fashioned hair pin--insert the looped end into the stem end of the cherry and fish it out. this disrupts the cherry the least. I wouldn't cut them in half--it changes the texture and therefore the flavor perception as well.

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Oh My, Cherry Pie!: Regarding the Cherry Pie, can the filling be prepped ahead of time (say a day or two) and kept in the fridge?

Also, is it safe to place a Pyrex glass baking dish on the pizza stone that lives in the bottom of my oven?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: yes it is! but don't take a Pyrex dish directly from the freezer to a hot solid surface such as a stone.

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speaking of leche: I made my first dulce de leche, i.e., condensed milk cooked in the can. Despite the warnings not to cook an unopened can, it turned out great by using a crock pot and keeping the cans fully submerged in water. I cooked for 8 hours on low but have a very pudding-y result. Is that normal, or should I go with less cooking time next time? Also, other than dipping/spreading on apples, bananas, etc. or pouring over ice cream, what else do I DO with it? (apart from eating it by the spoonful that is... mmm)

Joe: You're a brave soul!
Indeed, I like dulce de leche to be pudding-y rather than runny...
You can fill crepes with it (along with bananas and/or nuts), and you can make these Dulce De Leche Crumb Bars or these Caramel Swirl Hunks.

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Pastry: I started to make cookies and had gotten as far as creaming butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. I've now decided I'd rather make a free-form crust for a fruit crostata. If I just add the appropriate amount of flour (and an egg yolk), will the resulting dough be rollable and taste OK even though not made the standard pastry way? Would it help to chill the butter mixture first? Thoughts? Thanks!

Bonnie: Baker Lisa Yockelson (author of today's waffles story and recipe, says: Although some rich pastry doughs, also known as "cookie dough," can work as a free-form tart dough, the formula is specialized to control moisture and texture. For that reason, a drop-cookie dough is not easily converted to a rolled dough due to what needs to be an exacting proportion of fat/flour/liquid if it is to bake properly and respond according to the contents (of fruit).

Joe: But you could easily press that drop-cookie dough into a tart pan if you decided not to do the free-form thing, I would think.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I agree with Joe--not all sweet tart crusts are suitable for rolling.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I meant Joe and Lisa! but I'd like to add that a more tender dough pressed into a pan would yield a more delicate and to my mind delicious crust.

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Washington, D.C.: I want to make a layered vegetable terrine in single-serving ramekins. Ideally, the layers will be visible when turned out on a plate. I'm thinking potatoes, ricotta and egg for the binder... what else? Spinach? Other ideas for something to hold it together would be welcome. I'm also thinking I could make it in a baking dish, and serve it in pretty stripy squares... Thanks!

David Hagedorn: The best way to do this is with gelatin mixed with stock, and there will be a recipe for a similar dish coming up soon. You chill the mixture over ice until it is syrupy, then set each layer of vegetables in the refrigerator with a bit of the gelatin mixture. Take the time to let each layer set before adding the next one. If you use spinach, squeeze all of the water out first or else it will bleed out and make your terrine watery. The best dish to use would be a loaf pan. Line it with Saran wrap; that way it is easy to unmold.

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Getting 30 grams of Fiber: I hear that we're supposed to get at least 30 grams of Fiber, plus it helps you maintain or even lose weight. Besides Kashi, what other high fiber foods would you recommend I eat? I'm having a hard time coming up with 30 grams!

Bonnie: There are several health-related Web sites that offer sample daily menus with 30 grams of fiber or more. Heck, a single cup of lentil soup will get you almost halfway there (14 grams). Presumably, you could work these into a day:
1/2 grapefruit (6+)
3/4 cup of oatmeal (3)
1 cup of raspberries (8+)
1 cup of cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta (6 to 7+)
1/2 cup baked beans (8+)
1 ounce of almonds (4+)

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Washington, D.C.: Hi, I'm looking to make decorated cookies for treats for my daughter's first birthday party, like flowers or ladybugs, or similar. Do you have any recipes for the cookie or the icing (frosting?) or books that I could look to for guidance? I'm new to this, but could do a couple of test batches. I'd like to take them in plastic bags for people to take home as treats. Thanks!

Bonnie: These should work for you. Local custom cookiemaker Raeanne Hytone adapted the recipe for a Chef on Call feature concerning a Girl Scout troop, which is why they've been named thusly. Her techniques of outlining with icing, letting that dry and then filling will make your decorating easier. Just be sure to give yourself enough time....Cookies can be baked and frozen, then decorated later.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: Nordicware makes a pan called back yard bugs which has several cavities. you could even use a mix and produce the most adorable little cakes.

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golden syrup: Can Lyle's Golden Syrup always be used to replace corn syrup in desserts? Would it work in making candy, like toffee?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I use golden syrup in place of corn syrup almost without exception unless I want a more white effect such as for fondant. I haven't used it for toffee so can't be 100% sure but it's worth trying the flavor is so superior.

Joe: I (Heart) Lyle's. It's the key ingredient in, among other things, these.

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toddler snacks: I found a great looking snack on the SunMaid website, of covering a pretzel rod with white frosting and sprinkling dried fruit bits and nuts over it. While I would probably have to omit the nuts, as everyone is suddenly allergic to them; I am concerned about giving toddler frosting as that is just too much sugar. So what else could I use as "glue" to stick dried fruit bits to a pretzel rod? I first thought honey, but that thins out in the heat and everything might drop off. What do you guys think?

Joe: Sticky, goes with pretzels and dried fruit, and doesn't have too much sugar? My first thought is peanut butter, cause I think it goes so well with pretzels and could be a nice offset to the tangy fruit -- kinda like a PBJ, really, although it doesn't address your nut-allergy worry, does it?
Here's another thought: What about an all-fruit spread, like those made by Polaner? They have less sugar, they're sticky, and they'd certainly match the dried fruits, since they're already fruit.
Any other ideas, chatters?

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Silver Spring, Md.: Here's a good way to use up basil, be careful, it can creep up on you. 12 oz citrus flavored vodka 5 oz club soda 2 1/2 cups pineapple juice 1 lime, thinly sliced 1 bunch of basil, chopped small 1 T sugar, optional

Muddle lime, basil and sugar (if using) in a pitcher Add liquid ingredients Let sit at least 20 minutes Strain over ice

Jane Black: This sounds lovely. I bet you could do it without alcohol too, if you like.

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Wine question: My boyfriend bought a bottle of (probably) very good sparkling shiraz. I'm baffled by what to serve it with. Thoughts?

Jane Black: Is it slightly sweet? We drank a bottle of sparkling shiraz with a strawberry pasta I made recently. The sweetness and the bubbles went perfectly with a fun, if experimental, dish.
If you're interested, the recipe is here. I adjusted it by adding pecorino cheese and chiffonade basil as a garnish. I loved it.

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no bake cherries please: Do you have any cherry dessert recipes that would not involve my oven? I just can't see the point of heating up the place with the AC on. Thank you.

David Hagedorn: You could heat up the grill instead, using it as an oven by baking a crisp on it indirectly, as Steve Raichlen did in Chef on Call recently. Sub cherries for the raspberries and/or pear; it would be excellent!

Bonnie: And there's Elinor Klivans's Cherries and Fudge Ice Cream Cake.

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Rockville, Md.: Do you know where one can purchase wild American shrimp? I'm concerned about the effect Far East shrimp farming has on the environment and also want to support American shrimpers. Thank you

Joe: The people at Blacksalt carry ONLY wild domestic shrimp, and right now they've got fresh (never frozen) Florida whites, frozen-on-the-boat Gulf browns, and ... wait for it ... Royal Reds! Woo-hoo! These are the most amazing shrimp, which John Martin Taylor wrote about for us a couple months back in this piece. They're not always available, so I highly suggest you get over there and try them. They're $11.99 a pound, which is a bargain given how succulent and sweet they are.

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Toddler snacks - pretzels: I was thinking maybe yogurt - but that might get messy...what about cream cheese?

Bonnie: That has possibilities.

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David Hagedorn: The peach ice cream: it's a summer ritual at the family lake house for my stepmother to make peach ice cream in the White Mountain freezer. The beauty of it is that the custard does not have to be cooked. It's best to let it ripen (take the dasher out when it's done, pack it down, and freeze it for a few hours or leave it submerged in the freezer's ice, covered with layers of newspaper) but we never manage to make it to that stage.
Peach Ice Cream
3 cups ripe peaches, (the explode down your arm kind, smashed in a blender)
2 cups half and half
2 quarts whole milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups sugar
Blend everything well and get it very cold. Turn in a chilled freezer can until the motor starts to choke.

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Washington, D.C.: I'd steer clear of using angel food as a base for tres leches cake. Store-bought angel food is so, so sweet, and the milk you are adding is sweet because of the condensed milk. My teeth hurt just thinking about it. If you can stand to bake, just a white cake mix will be better. If not, then yes, the pound cake might be better.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: that's true--I didn't think about how very sweet the store bought angel food cake is. you could, however, make the tres leches filling less sweet by cutting it with heavy cream as part of the filling. I tried pound cake and it didn't absorb well and fell apart. I would choose the white cake mix over that.

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Yummy... tres leches: Do you have a fail-proof recipe? I have tried to make it several times and each time it has been quite disappointing.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I'm really thrilled with the recipe I developed for my upcoming book. I tried seven different cakes to get the right texture and ended up using four different 'milks' (one was cream) so had to rename it!

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French toast: Do you have a recipe for the French toast that you pour an egg/milk over and then bake?

Jane Touzalin: Here's just the ticket: a recipe by Stephanie Sedgwick that we published in 2005. You could substitute other kinds of berries or even stone fruit for the strawberries, but when this recipe first ran, it was the middle of winter, so it called for frozen berries. Baked French Toast With Strawberry Sauce

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re: red cabbage salad: From last week's post, I was requesting a recipe for red cabbage salad. I don't mean a mixed Israeli salad with cucumber and tomatoes, but really just only red cabbage and some sort of mayo mixture added in, I think. Any idea what I'm talking about?

Bonnie: Hey, glad you came back. I asked Israeli catered Vered Guttman, and here's what she said: The red cabbage salad is made with shredded cabbage, salt, little sugar and vinegar, and then oil or mayo. The Kosher Mart sells Sabra's red cabbage salad, I think the one with the mayo. It's nice.

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Peppadews: That's a good tasting fruit.

The package said they were a 'new' product.

Without having to rely on the google, can you tell me more about them?

David Hagedorn: peppadews are pickled cherry peppers; they are sweet with a bit of a kick and are wonderful stuffed with almost anything (cream cheese, fresh mozzarella). I buy them in the olive bar at Whole Foods Market and keep them on hand for a quick hors d'oeuvre or slice them up and add them to salads or pastas. The other night, I sauteed salsa fresca, sliced peppadews and garlic in olive oil, added some fresh seafood and herbs and had a quick pasta sauce for linguine.

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Chocolate Pie?: I do not like cooked fruit. What about a good pie using chocolate?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: one of the absolute best is chocolate cream pie!

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Petworth: Can the chatter from McLean share the raspberry buttermilk cake recipe please? Thank you.

washingtonpost.com: I bet it was this (Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake, 101Cookbooks.com).

Joe: Is that it?

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Falls Church, Va.: Do you have any suggestions for us in the Northern Va. area about where we could go out and pick our own peaches (among other fruit?)

Jane Black: I'd definitely hit the Peach Way, out in Delaplane. It's probably 30 minutes from Falls Church. More information on the farms, what they offer and hours is here:
http://hollinfarms.com/pages/peachway.html

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Charlotte: So I am early in pregnancy -- and sick as a dog. I am really tired of lemonade, salt n vinegar chips, and ginger chews. Do you have any ideas for simple, quick, easy but tasty meals that won't leave a smell in the house for a long time after cooking (made the mistake of cooking maple bacon and ugh, I had to open the windows and Febreze everything after an hour -- BAD!). I know this is so random but I'm dying for something that will sound good and be healthy -- thanks!

Bonnie: How about salads -- either composed, with cooked elements such as all that Nicoise talk that's been going on today, or whole-grain salads that use quinoa or wheat berries; cook up a batch and choose different add-ins each day to keep things interesting.

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honey bee heaven: I would just like to inform the public that Haagen-Dazs has come out with two honey ice creams. One is Vanilla Honey Bee, which I am just so addicted to right now (no Haagen-Dazs affiliation, but would like to live in a pint). It tastes like you are spooning out honey, pure and simple. My mother, mother-in-law, and myself are all just gangbusters about the stuff. The other one is a reserved Hawaiian Lehua Honey and Sweet Cream. I have it in the freezer, but haven't tried it yet. I'm still working my way through their pomegranate chip. Oh, where do they come up with these flavors? Anyway, it just makes the summer heat a bit more bearable for me. So I wanted to share my joy.

Jane Black: Yum. I saw the sign for that in the Haagen-Dazs store in Georgetown and thought...I should make honey ice cream. Well, forget it. If it's that good pre-made. I'll save myself the trouble and just enjoy. Thanks for writing in.

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Blendtek, Arlington, Va.: I have a Blendtek blender and gestational diabetes. Any suggestions on a frozen-treat recipes for it given my condition? I was thinking about buying an ice-cream maker, do you think that I could skip it and just use my Blendtek???

Joe: Yes, I do...
And that reminds me, have you seen the Will it Blend videos by Blendtec online? They're pretty funny, a throwback to the Bass-o-matic skit on SNL: They blend up all sorts of things. My favorite: glow sticks.

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20009: I'm lusting after those blenders, but really? $400? Any recommendations for something under $100 that can still make a nice silky smoothie? I don't want one of those silly smoothie makers with a tap.

Joe: Keep in mind that these are an investment, and in the case of the Vita-Mix, are warrantied for seven years and can do MUCH more than smoothies.
But to your question. Cook's Illustrated ran through cheaper blenders a couple of years ago, and liked the Braun PowerMax MX2050 ($49 at the time) best. Said it did a decent job with smoothies.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello! I'm growing edible flowers on my balcony (specifically portulaca and nasturtium). Any ideas about what I can do with them other than just salads?

Jane Black: Full disclosure: I've never tried it but I think you can stuff nasturtium blossoms as you do zucchini flowers. I've also used the petals with strawberries soaked in a little prosecco with mint. After a little research, it turns out you can also use the leaves. I found, but have never tried, a recipe for nasturtium pesto.
Is portulaca just purslane?

Bonnie: Think of what flavors the edible flowers impart. If your nasturtiums taste peppery, maybe use them instead of the pepper you might add to a frittata, or a recipe in which they can be added at the end like sauteed vegetables. Or maybe in a cocktail.
Did you see this from Odessa Piper in last week's issue?

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Lincoln, Neb.: Anyone have a never-fail thickening agent? I've made recipes that call for corn starch, tapioca, flour, etc... and I haven't found one that is perfect. Any suggestions?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: some people swear by clear jello but having tried everything I find that cornstarch actually accentuates the flavor of the fruit best.

Joe: Rose, did you see the Cook's Illustrated blueberry pie recipe that calls for a little grated apple to thicken?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: yes and it didn't appeal to me because of the flavor. I like my blueberries pure blueberry heightened only by lemon or lime accents!

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Oh My Pie Follow Up: Thanks for the tip on the Pyrex and pizza stone. What are you thoughts on prepping the filling a day or two in advance and keeping it in the ice box? Does the texture suffer too greatly?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: since the fruit will break down somewhat on baking I don't think you'd notice a difference in texture storing covered in the frig. until the next day.

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Beltsville, Md.: I love everything pastry and aspire to open my own store one day. I've been caked-out recently (is that possible?) and am looking forward to a summer of fresh fruit pies, tarts, and cobblers. Can I prepare the same fruit fillings as in today's recipes and use them in tarts or cobblers rather than pies? Thanks!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: yes but I would suggest for cobblers using less thickening as you don't need them to set as firm since there's no bottom crust.

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Ohio: All the "oldtimers" used lard for their piecrusts when I was growing up and their pies were delicious. Now, with so many fats being "no-no's". I avert my eyes when passing the lard at the grocery store. Myself, I use Crisco and get a fairly good flaky crust. Have tried a few oil crust recipes but they either crumb apart or could be used for frisbees. Maybe our scientists could come up with a process to free lard of the cholesterol, bad fat factor.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: there are some people who think lard is healthier than the processed vegetable shortenings! when I use lard I render it myself from either leaf lard--the fat around the kidneys--or caul. it is SO delicious and incomparable texture but as I mentioned I don't like the flavor with say apple pie or peach pie or any other sweet type pie. for empanadas, quiches, it's worth it.

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McLean: The Raspberry Buttermilk cake was actually in the comments section at 101 Cookbooks -- see Amber's comment a few down.

I used half White Whole Wheat flour and sprinkled a little coarse sugar on top to make it sparkly. It would be even better with a bit of whipped cream.

washingtonpost.com: scroll down from here! (Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake, 101Cookbooks.com)

Joe: Boy, does that look good.

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Pine Plains, N.Y.: Many thanks to Rose - Your books and PBS show have so improved my pies and bread making, I'm contemplating entering the county fair baking contests. Dinner rolls are one of the categories and I've been thinking of the rolls in your bread book that are composed of three balls of dough in a muffin tin. However, they require the recipes so I must change it. Would some whole wheat and maybe a little less butter be worth fiddling with?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: thank you! I'd hate to decrease the butter but you could replace a little of it with oil and replace a little of the flour--not much--with whole wheat--see the amount I add to the basic hearth bread. it won't impair texture or add bitterness but rather increase flavor!

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brunch: Hi - I am looking for a menu for a baby shower brunch - any unusual suggestions to compliment the standard egg dish, some kind of sweet, fruit salad, etc? Bonus points if it can be done ahead of time. Or any other favorites for a brunch to share? Thanks!

Bonnie: Try Blueberry Cornmeal Cake or Pear Ginger Muffins.

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Lothian, Md.: Thanks for the wonderful pie article Rose! I get your e-mails -- these are wonderful and I look forward to receiving them.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: thank you! I suspect you mean from the blog right?

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Petworth: So now that I've found out that Lyle's is a cane syrup, this leads me to questions about using other cane syrups (like Steen's) in the pecan pie recipe. What changes would you have to make?

Although, that pie was so good, I'm not sure why I'm thinking about changes!

(Thanks again for the pie lesson)

Sarah

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I'm not familiar with Steen's but I've worked extensively with the Lyle's, even giving them my recipe for their packaging I think it is that fantastic!

Joe: Thanks for taking part in Chef on Call this month, Sarah -- hope you had fun!

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re: corn flour: It's an Indian recipe that wants me to use corn flour as a binding before frying.

Bonnie: I might think that cornstarch was what's intended, in that case.

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Rockville, Md.: Do you brush egg white over your crust when making pies?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: when I blind bake the crust that gives me the opportunity, after baking and before filling and while still hot, to brush one or two coats of lightly beaten egg white over the bottom and sides. it helps keep the bottom crisp--one of the major goals of pie baking!

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For gestational diabetes: I had this with my second child. I also had food aversions (no one talks about those). Best non milk based smoothie: banana, still frozen fruit from Trader Joe's, OJ (also from Trader Joe's) although apple juice also worked, all whizzed up in a blender or food processor. It's about the consistency of soft serve ice cream. This kick started the day... cool, full of fiber and goodness and no white sugar... although it does have a huge hit from the naturally occurring fruit sugars. It doesn't smell up the house either.

I also loved composed fruit salads -- making faces with cut up fruit (which amused the first child as well).

Joe: Thanks!

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Washington, D.C.: Boy, the picture of the pecan pie is hypnotic.

My question is this... a court in England recently declared that Pringles are not potato chips.

How is this possible?

Thanks

Rose Levy Beranbaum: as long as they don't declare them (or pecans for that matter ) illegal I wouldn't worry about it!

David Hagedorn: Everyone knows that Pringles are jumpers.

Joe: Have you ever had the paprika Pringles available in Europe? A friend brought some back over, and wow.

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Arlington, Va.: I bought the Weber Performance grill a few weeks ago. It has TRANSFORMED my food and grilling experience. 100X better than the gas grill -- and doesn't take any longer than gas. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I'm also a BlendTek owner. I'd say both items fall into the same category of culinary life-changing/worthy purchases. Next purchase - knives! Just my humble .02.

Joe: Great!

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Back to the frozen rolls...: So you're saying to slightly brown (by baking) all of them before freezing them? Would you then take them directly from freezer to oven or would you let them thaw for a bit before baking? Thanks again!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: freezer to oven probably best. bread stales in frig. they're small so the centers will bake just fine.

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I heart pie: After a lot of practice, I am pretty confident when it comes to making good pie crust.

What causes me more anxiety, however, is how much sugar and thickener (and what type of thickener!) to use in fruit pies since each batch of fruit always varies.

Do you have any good rules of thumb for what types of thickener to use with different types of fruit (say, blueberries, peaches, apples, and cherries)? Do you advocate on varying the amount of sugar based on the fruit's sweetness?

Thanks for the advice!

Rose Levy Beranbaum: I have a detailed list in the Pie and Pastry Bible for every fruit--how much sugar, how much thickener, by volume and weight. too long for here!

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For the French toast poster: For Christmas breakfast every year my mom makes this sweet and savory baked French toast. She puts a little vanilla and cinnamon in the egg/milk mixture. Does a layer of bread dredged in the mixture, then a layer of bacon (or sausage or ham) and a layer of cheese, then another layer of the dredged bread. You can make it ahead of time, then just throw it in the oven. It's a great sweet/savory contrast. Maple syrup is optional.

Jane Black: Sounds good.

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San Francisco, Calif.: I have a copy of the Pie and Pastry Bible, and I just made the cream cheese crust for the first time a few weeks ago (for that exact peach pie in the article), and couldn't stop raving to friends about how it was the best crust that I had ever made (I even emailed the recipe to two friends of mine to encourage them to make it). I was wondering if I could use that same dough recipe as the base for a crostata?

Rose Levy Beranbaum: you'll love it still more with the heavy cream! thank you very much. and yes--would be great for crostata. I'm doing a peach one in a few weeks.

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Washington, D.C.: I love the waffle recipe, but I always have the worst time getting egg whites to form peaks. What's the secret? I have a Pyrex bowl and a plastic bowl, if that matters.

Bonnie: Lisa Yockelson sez: Whipping egg whites to their fullest proportion is best done with a clean (free of all residual fat), extremely clean and very dry stainless steel bowl, not plastic (which can harbor fat) or glass one, which has a "slippery" surface.
Begin whipping slowly, then increase the speed to moderate, adding any additions (such as sugar) when the whites are softly stable. For the best volume, it is usually a good idea to test the "peak" before continuing -- pull up the beater and see if the peak stands up straight or flops over softly, for example.

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Lincoln, Neb.: Thanks for the thickening advice. One other question - when making pie crusts how do I know when to stop using the food processor and knead it by hand? My recipes usually say pulse until the butter is "pea sized" - any other guidance? Sometimes my "pea sized" butter does not roll out well and creates an unevenly baked crust.

Rose Levy Beranbaum: do read the recipe in the post carefully as it addresses this in detail. I know exactly what you mean and it can be a problem. I always stop at the pea stage and knead by hand but using latex food safe gloves so it doesn't stick. the critical thing is to knead just til when pulled slightly it is a little stretchy--not too much. if you see any lumps of butter use the palm of your hand to spread them thin. that will give flakiness without holes!

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Pringles are only 42% potato: So the British court decided they weren't potato chips (or crisps) but a potato cookie (or biscuit).

Joe: I'm surprised they're that high in potato!

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Joe: Well, our juices are bubbling thickly and our center is slightly puffed, so you know what that means -- we're done!
Thanks to everyone for the great questions, and a big thanks to Rose for her expert help today. I gotta go home early tonight and bake me up a pie...
Now for the giveaway book winners. The Beltsville chatter who dreams of opening a shop one day will get Rose's "The Pie & Pastry Bible." And the DC chatter who asked about edible flowers will get "Outstanding in the Field." Just send your mailing info to food@washpost.com, and we'll get you your books.
Until next time, happy baking, eating and reading!

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