Free Range on Food: Slow Cooker Cooking, Weight Watchers Snacks, Inauguration Day Meals and Food for Watching the Ravens vs. Steelers Game

A chat with the Washington Post Food Section staff is a forum for discussion of all things culinary: food trends, recipes, ingredients, menus, gadgets and more. You can share your thoughts on the latest Food section, get suggestions from fellow cooks and food lovers, or swap old-fashioned recipes the new-fashioned way. The Food section staff goes Free Range on Food every Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

A transcript follows.

Transcripts of past chats

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Joe Yonan: Welcome, nation, to Free Range, the chat that brings you answers with your lunch, or lunch with your answers, depending on how you look at it.

We've got two great guests on board today: Cookbook author Nancy Harmon Jenkins, who can answer anything, of course, related to the fascinating community-supported fisheries story in today's section, but also about Mediterranean (and Maine!) cooking generally. And former Food section staffer and frequent contributor Candy Sagon, who wrote the slow cooker story, to answer anything on that very popular subject. Jane Black is out of the office today, but Bonnie and I are holding down the Food fort. (Hmm... a food fort! That's a nice image.)

We will have giveaway books: two of them related to an upcoming sporting event that you might possibly be cooking for, and one diet-related.

Now, let's do this thing.

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Newton, Mass.: Thank you for the slow cooker article. Yours is my favorite food section! I have mixed feelings about slow cookers. Since we are away from the house for about 12 hours, I haven't had great success with mine except for bean soups using unsoaked dry beans. I wonder whether I could hook mine up to a timer for a delayed start, to improve matters. I would want to do this to make a meat-based stew or ribs, but haven't because I don't know whether I should worry about cooking up a batch of E. coli inadvertently this way. Have a meeting so am asking early.

Candy Sagon: You're right to be cautious about delayed starts to your slow cookers. None of the slow cooker experts I talked to recommend it because food sits at room temp and nasty things can happen. And you're right --12 hours is a really long time to cook. One suggestion is to slow-cook on the weekend and reheat during the week.

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Re: Slow Cooker: I currently have a programmable slow cooker, however I cannot set it to START at a certain time. As the article said, I am gone about 10 hours between work and commuting, and most recipes I have seen need things to cook six hours max.

Does one exist that I could fill in the morning before work and tell it to start cooking at 10 a.m.?

I have tried using an auto-timer for lights on the slow cooker but when it turns on, the cooking time still needs to be entered, so that did not work.

Candy Sagon: You have discovered one of the main drawbacks to slow cookers. None of the machines I've checked have the delayed start because of food safety problems. Letting the cooker sit with raw food in it for a couple of hours before heating is just asking for problems, even if the ingredients are assembled the night before and refrigerated. The best I've come up with is to look for recipes that can go the 10 hours, or use the slow cooker to prepare some soups and stews on the weekend, then reheat portions during the week. You also could find recipes that call for 8 hours, and could take 2 hours on the warm setting.

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Columbia, Md.: Thanks for the slow-cooker article. This seems to be the year of the slow cooker. It seems that all of my friends and co-workers went out and bought them. My wife and I bought a new (programmable) one a few months ago to make for fast dinners. With a two-year old and an infant I just can't make a decent week-night dinner anymore. I thought I would tell readers about the book "Not Your Mother's Slow-Cooker Cookbook." We have made about 10 recipes from it so far, and they have all been great. As I write this, a pot roast cooks at home. It's a recipe that didn't call for browning ahead of time, so I am a little skeptical of this one.

Candy Sagon: Thanks, Columbia. I agree that the "Not Your Mother's Slow-Cooker" cookbooks by Beth Hensperger are very good.

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slow cooking: Thank you very much for the rules for converting a regular recipe to one for a slow cooker. I do not own a slow cooker and often want to try slow cooker recipes. Now I know how to convert in the other direction. (and I may yet be converted to a slow cooker. Has anyone tried the combos that are also rice cookers?)

Candy Sagon: You're welcome. Yes, converting slow cooker recipes to traditional ones will mean adding liquid and, obviously, speeding up the time. I haven't tried the rice cooker combos, but maybe some of our chatters have.

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Lothian, Md.: OK, I guess I will finally buy a slow cooker. I had the most amazing white chili (slow cooked) at my sister's last spring and she couldn't believe that I, as a single person, didn't have a crockpot. Even if I don't get one soon, I'll be able to convert the white chili recipe to regular cooking by reversing the steps in the article, correct?

Candy Sagon: Lothian -- you can convert your sister's chili recipe to a stovetop version basically by increasing the liquid and reducing the cooking time. Just keep an eye on it the first time to be sure the liquid-to-meat ratio is working and it tastes like you remember.

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Spam Q: Since Mr. Obama is from Hawaii, will there be an increase in Spam consumption? I love the stuff! Spam burgers, mac and spam, spam reubens, spam omelettes...

Bonnie Benwick: Time will tell. But there's no need to take culinary cues from our commander in chief; food freedom is just one of the benefits of America the Beautiful.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: My sainted mother, may she rest in peace, used to make a fabulous Spam casserole with ground up Spam, canned corn, and crushed saltines -- imagine!

Joe Yonan: I have one word: Spambalaya.

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On our way to Warm Springs, Va.: Hello and thanks for taking my question. My boyfriend and I are renting a house near Warm Springs for a much needed weekend retreat. We will need to bring all of our food and, I assume, spices. I'm excited to cook for fun and meditation, and want to create a menu that doesn't 1) require us to bring our whole pantry on the trip, 2) make us waste a ton of food, and 3) allows us to have variety for (almost) every meal. I was thinking of making cassoulet, but don't want to be stuck eating leftovers for two days. Can you recommend some dishes for two days of retreat? Maybe one pot dishes? I really appreciate your help!

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: I wouldn't do cassoulet because it's hard to make a good one without doing it in quantities -- for, say, 8 people minimum. Why not take along a plump free-range chicken (not a live one!) and roast it the first evening with some garlic, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil. Next day (I'm assuming it's just the two of you), make the carcass and any leftovers into a delicious, substantial chicken soup, adding a couple of carrots, maybe some cut up small potatoes, some celery, a couple of bay leaves, et cetera. That evening, make a pasta dinner with shrimps (Maine shrimps if you can find them), black olives, chopped onions, garlic, peppers. Then for Sunday lunch, have a quickly grilled steak (small) and greens that you've steamed and sauteed with olive oil, chili peppers, and garlic. I haven't talked about breakfast but this should be an easy bunch of menus without requiring lots of equipment or an SUV full of ingredients.

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challah French toast: I have half a loaf of challah that is a bit dry and nobody seems to be touching. It just sits in the front of the fridge, completely ignored by all. Do you have a good French toast recipe, and is there a trick to making French toast with such a thick bread?

Bonnie Benwick: Oh that's very sad, but lucky, lucky you. Challah and brioche make superior French toast. Here's a nifty recipe, but there's really no adjustment needed in however you usually make it. Wait. I take that back: Maybe you'll need to squeeze it slightly before cooking, and cook it a few more minutes. Try this.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi guys -- My boyfriend accidentally bought spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour the other day. I'd never heard of spelt flour before and don't know what the difference is. Any suggestions for using it up? Thanks!

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Spelt is a form of wheat called Triticum speltum. (The wheat that goes into all-purpose flour is T. aestivum.) It can be used in any recipe that calls for wheat flour. However, because it's probably ground whole-wheat, expect the same results you would get by using whole-wheat flour of any kind. That means, in pastries and other baked goods, you won't get the high, light texture that you may be looking for, rather a denser, more chewy texture. I'd say, if you want to use it up, mix it half-and-half with all-purpose flour and then substitute for a.p. flour in any recipe from bread to brownies.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: I wanted to add a caution to this because there's an urban legend (maybe rural too) circulating especially in health-food stores that spelt is lower in gluten than regular wheat and thus to be recommended to people with gluten allergies. That's a very dangerous recommendation -- anyone with celiac condition should not be using this as a substitute for wheat because it isn't.

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D.C. Birthday: My hubby is going to help me make a Chocolate Overdose cake for my birthday tomorrow and I don't have unsweetened chocolate, but was wondering if I can substitute semisweet chocolate and just reduce the sugar called for.

http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/?p=858

Joe Yonan: If you like the looks of that cake particularly, no, I wouldn't experiment or substitute with something like the sweetener when you're doing it for a birthday. You could send your question to the blogger who wrote the recipe, of course, because she has made the very thing and may have an idea. But I'd play it safe and go get some unsweetened chocolate so you can follow the recipe, at least the first time.

Bonnie Benwick: "The Food Substitutions Bible" by David Joachim (yes, there is such a thing and it's a handy paperback to have around) suggests using 1.5 to 2 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for every 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate that's called for, then decreasing the sugar in the recipe by 3 tablespoons AND decreasing the butter by 1/2 teaspoon.

Joe Yonan: Nonetheless, I say go at your own peril.

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Richmond, Va.: I am now on the Weight Watchers Points Plan. Can you suggest what evening treat would be low in calories? What alcoholic drink is best -- Michelob Ultra? Also, is there a food that helps one's complexion? Thanks!

Joe Yonan: Welcome! I'm a lifetime WW member, and am back on the program to re-lose (!) some of the weight I've gained back. By treat, do you mean snack? I'm a big popcorn eater, and love putting on spices (smoked paprika, ground chipotle) to liven it up. (I spray on a little olive oil cooking spray to help get the spices, and the salt, to stick.) As for booze, I'm not a big fan of big-brand light beers, preferring to save my points for a nice glass of wine or a microbrew. Complexion? Wow -- you're really going for it today, aren't you? Look for foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fish. Those are supposed to help.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: And plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet -- all those antioxidants won't do you any harm at all. In fact, I'd say for a snack, cut up a crisp apple or buttery pear in slices and eat them slooooowly.

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Vienna, Va.: Hi Food Team,

Thanks for the great section and chats each week. I've been interested in expanding my slow cooker repertoire for a while, and I was delighted to see today's recipes (esp. slow cooker Indian curry -- what a neat thought!). A question for you -- if one tried to save time by omitting some of the pre-slow-cooker saute steps from the beef stew recipe, which would be OK to omit? Does meat generally need to be browned before being placed in a slow cooker?

Thanks a bunch. I know that I sound lazy! (I actually have to be at work before 6 AM on many days, and I am always looking for ways to make the mornings breezier)

Candy Sagon: Hi Vienna. Lazy is not a bad thing. I'm lazy too, but I really think browning is worthwhile. It really kicks up the flavor and helps the appearance. Here's a suggestion: Think about browning and assembling everything in the cooker insert the night before, refrigerating the insert, then just pop it into the cooker in the morning. On the other hand, would something bad happen if you didn't brown the ingredients? No.

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January 20: So, how long can one go without food and water in 32 degree weather?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: An interesting question. As far as food is concerned, I don't think the weather has much bearing on it. You could go as long without food in 32 degree weather as you could in 92 degree weather. But water is a little different since we sweat more in hot weather. So if you're planning a total fast, probably better to do it outside in cold weather. I'm not sure that's the answer you're looking for.

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Slow Cooker Veggie: Would you recommend a slow cooker for a vegetarian, or is it best for meat recipes?

Candy Sagon: Absolutely, a slow cooker is great for vegetarian meals. It might even be better, because a lot of vegetarian ingredients can stand up to longer cooking than meat. Bean recipes are great in a slow cooker, ditto for lentils, vegetable curries, vegetarian chili, etc.

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Greenbelt, Md.: What will people be making for the inauguration lunch or dinners? I need some suggestions. I'm inviting friends up to my place for some celebration.

Bonnie Benwick: Are your guests attending the festivities outdoors? I'd say a vat of something warm and filling would be in order. How about a Gingered Butternut Squash and Pork Stew? Or this make-ahead Overnight-Marinated Swordfish Stew? With warm, crusty bread a salad, a chocolate something for dessert, you'd be set.

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Melbourne, Fla.: I loved the sound of today's Black Bean Soup slow cooker recipe but I would like it to cook while I am at work (about 8 hours). Could I cook it longer if I used pre-soaked dried black beans? Or maybe not pre-soak them at all and just up the amount of liquid? Thanks!

Candy Sagon: Hi Florida. I haven't tried this recipe using soaked beans, but judging by other recipes, if you used pre-soaked dried black beans, you could cook it longer -- like 8-10 hours on low. I definitely would pre-soak the beans. All the slow cooker bean recipes I looked at that used dried beans, pre-soaked them overnight (cover with 3 inches of water) or do the speedy pre-soak by putting them in a pot, cover with 3 inches of water, bring to boil, boil 3 minutes, take off heat and let sit 1 hour. Drain.

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Richmond, Va.: Greetings! What would you recommend for my boyfriend and I to disabuse us of the notion that sweet potatoes in a recipe are going to taste... well... sweet?

This past year we've been expanding our culinary horizons and challenging our preconceived notions. This week we are throwing down the sweet potato gauntlet.

Joe Yonan: Spice -- or tart -- those puppies up! I think sweets take very well to things like chili peppers. They are a little sweet, of course, but you can play that down or play against it rather than playing it up. I think lime is also great with them. Did you see my piece on roasted sweet potatoes with toppings recently? Maybe something in there will tempt: I did a pork-miso combo with broccoli rabe on one, and a curried shrimp thing with the other.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm going to have a few people over after the inauguration, and I thought I'd just have some sandwich stuff ready that I could just put out when we get back from the Mall. I have a whole turkey breast that I'm going to cook off the day before... but what else? There aren't going to be TOO many people, so I don't want to have a full smorgasbord, but I also don't just want to have lettuce and cheddar cheese. What great turkey toppers do you suggest?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Well, since turkey, IMHO, is one of the blandest sandwich fillers, I'd say spice it up with a savory salsa or harissa, preferably one you make yourself (since it is a very very special day -- and you can make it ahead). Or if you don't mind the calories, how about a garlic-laden aioli or another mayonnaise-y kind of sauce from the Mediterranean, rouille (all recipes in The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook).

Bonnie Benwick: You could take the Thanksgiving-leftovers route and offer cranberry sauce and cold stuffing or even warm mashed sweet potatoes. Don't be afraid to go meat-on-meat, too. A nice prosciutto or charcuterie board of salamis and cheeses would allow your guests to mix and match.

You could take some of the roasted turkey breast, cut it into chunks and add to a wild rice salad (happens to be a Dinner in Minutes recipe next week) OR make a flavorful, chunky turkey salad. The last idea stretches your food dollarzzz...

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Alexandria: I like to use gas stoves to cook, and recently I upgraded to a nice European 5 burner. Problem is, the 5 burners are all too powerful. I can't get a nice low simmer that won't burn whatever I'm cooking. The two burners in the back are smallest, I use them for almost everything, but being small, bigger size pans don't fit on them well. The front burners are so strong, I can boil water on them but for anything else, it burns the bottom. (I have Calphalon anodized pans, and a Le Creuset Dutch oven). Did I miss something here? I guess I got sucked into the look, but any tips on how cook on these more powerful stoves??

Joe Yonan: You're not alone. This is one of the problems with very high-powered stoves. Some have special simmer burners (including some that turn on and off to keep things super-low), but without such sounds like you need one of these to diffuse the heat and help you keep things simmering not boiling.

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pinch bowls: I have a big box of kosher salt that I would like to keep in a bowl on the counter for easier access. What material should the bowl be? Many of the bowls I've seen in catalogues are wooden, but I would think that would corrode, same with steel, maybe? Would ceramic be the best bet? Many thanks.

Bonnie Benwick: Hi, pinch. I don't think the salt would harm the wood. But the salt keeper I have is glass, and you can't go wrong with that (or ceramic).

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Boulder, Colo.: Hello Food People! Thanks for the slow cooker article today - it was just what I needed. I have an old crock pot and am in the market for a larger, programmable slow cooker. Any suggestions from you or the chatters? The All-Clad slow cooker looks amazing but a little too pricey for me.

Also, wondering if smoked paprika would work or overwhelm the pulled pork recipe (instead of using sweet paprika)? thanks.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: If you like the smoky flavor, I would say go for it. Pork adapts especially well to that smokiness. But fine paprikas from France, Spain, Turkey, and Syria (Aleppo pepper for instance) can have more complex flavors that are very pleasing. Another favorite of mine is piment d'Espelette from the Basque region of France -- it has a nice piquancy but isn't anything like what we call chili. Remember that paprika is really just a word for ground red peppers and can be hot, sweet, or in-between.

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grocery store flubs: so, I bought steel cut oats instead of regular rolled and ground flax meal instead of flax seeds (trying to be healthy here). What can do I with these items? Steel cut oats in oatmeal is a wee bit chewy for me and the ground flax meal tastes kinda earthy, like what dirt might taste like.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Did you try soaking the steel cut oats overnight? That's what I do, then cook them up for breakfast, very slowly, in a double boiler. Actually, soaked overnight they cook more quickly than unsoaked. The result is pleasantly chewy rather than too much so. As far as flax meal is concerned, you're right, it does taste a bit like dirt. I've added flax seeds (not meal) to recipes for muffins and they blend in so you don't notice the flavor quite so much and they give a little crunch to the muffin. But it is possible to go too far with this health business, you know. I don't know of any cuisine that traditionally uses flax seeds, though I could be wrong.

Joe Yonan: The soaking suggestion reminds me of what the Swiss traditionally do with muesli. I've been buying Bob's Red Mill Muesli lately and eating it for breakfast, and if you soak it overnight in equal parts milk, everything softens just enough that it's pretty great to eat just like that, without cooking.

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Baltimore, Md.: Submitting early because I will be working during the chat...

I'm sorry I missed the last chat. Please allow me to clear up a few things about butter bells. The point of a butter bell is to keep the butter's exposure to air at a minimum while keeping the butter at a soft, spreadable consistency. This limits the oxidation of the butter, which can make the butter turn rancid. The bell portion should be filled with soft butter to just inside the rim, the cup portion filled with 1/3 cup of water. The bell is inverted and rests inside the cup, submerging the bell portion in the water. Like a person in a diving bell, the butter should not touch the water. Change the water frequently, once every 2 or 3 days, (I change mine daily because otherwise I'll forget). The poster who insisted the butter be kept cold is incorrect. Limiting the butter's exposure to air has the same effect as keeping it in the fridge, reducing oxidation.

Joe Yonan: Thanks for the posting. My only disagreement would be that I believe the butter does touch the water -- at least according to these folks, who I think would know!

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Springfield, Va.: Slow cooker question... is there any hard and fast rule as to whether or not meat should be cooked before placing in a slow cooker? I've always at least browned everything, if not fully cooked (as in tne case of ground beef, chicken...) But I have recipes that say you can put an entire, uncooked roast in a slow cooker with spices and veggies and cook like that. Can that be true?

Candy Sagon: Ah, the dump/don't dump debate. Browning the meat helps the meat's appearance and the caramelization (the darkening on the surface of the meat) helps the flavor. However, with large cuts like brisket, it's not necessary. And large cuts are also harder and ungainly to try and brown in a skillet. In general, I vote for browning if possible (and I'm glad to hear you pre-cook your ground meat), but for large cuts you might be able to skip that step.

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Alexandria, Va.: Thank you for the slow-cooker recipes! Can you recommend a cookbook or online source for more recipes? I'm especially looking for low-fat ideas.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: This is a great opportunity for me to recommend my new book, just out, The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook (Bantam). It's an update with lots of new recipes of a book I first published almost 15 years ago. It's not specifically low-fat, nor is it high-fat, since I truly believe a focus on fat is the wrong way to go if we're looking for healthier eating habits. The kind of fat is far more important than the quantity (within reason of course).

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: I should add that a lot of the recipes in that book are easily adaptable to slow cooking -- since most Mediterranean dishes are either fast-cooked, thrown on a grill, or very slowly cooked over a long period of time. A slow cooker, after all, is just mimicking the action of an old-fashioned terracotta pot that gets filled with good things and then buried in the coals of the fireplace to stew all day.

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To the WW person: Beck's Premiere Light and Miller Genuine Draft 64 are 1 point each. I like them both.

Joe Yonan: Thanks!

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Annapolis, Md.: The Post has Carolyn Hax offering relationship advice and Michelle Singletary writing about your money and your man; can the Food Section provide some culinary matrimonial suggestions? I'm just married and trying to figure out recipes to mesh our 2 diets. One is vegetarian and doesn't like eggs (e.g. eggs in cake batter is OK, but quiche is not), and the other eats meat but dislikes onions, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes. What's a hungry newlywed couple to do?

Joe Yonan: What vegetables does the meat eater like? I think you're going to need to start there, and work outward. Give me some more guidance, and I'll think of something to try. Also, you should send us your contact information to food@washpost.com, because Jane is writing a piece about just such couples and might want to talk.

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recipe help: My grandma used to make homemade spadinies. I hope I'm spelling it right. My mom has no idea how to make them and we can't find a recipe anywhere.

Have you ever made them, any recipes??

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: What was the nature of her "spadinies"? Could it be spiedini? That's a Southern Italian way of cooking small pieces of meat or fish on a skewer, either in the oven or over a charcoal fire. Sometimes a cube of bread and/or a piece of bay leaf is threaded between the pieces of meat for a great exchange of juices and flavors. Without more information it's hard to know exactly what your grandma was cooking.

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Weight Watchers evening treat: I was on WW much of last year and there are lots of things you can snack on. Popcorn is good, like Joe said, or other 1-point items: string cheese, for example. Certain fruits. If you're not really hungry but just bored, 0-point celery is always an option.

I think you can have 1/4 of a Hershey's Special Dark bar for 1 point, too. Pure chocolate is good for a craving. If cold treats are more your thing, Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia Frozen Yogurt was my companion many a night as well.

All things in moderation. Enjoy!

Joe Yonan: Absolutely. I eat a lot of fruit. In season, of course, it's all farmers market stuff, but given that I'm pretty sick of apples by this point, I'm back to grapes, bananas, and of course the glorious winter citrus that we're seeing. Had some delicious HoneyBells the other day. But I have to say, if my beautiful and talented sister Teri is reading this from sunny Florida, a TEENSY little shipment up to D.C. wouldn't be the worst thing in the world right now!

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Pine Plains: Every so often, our local market buys a pig from a good local producer. Yummy meat. Yesterday my husband came home with a package of beautiful, very thick cut fresh bacon. Could you suggest some uses for it?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Fresh bacon, meaning not salted or smoked? What a wonderful treat! In Tuscany we marinate the slices in some really good aged vinegar (not aceto balsamico, just good wine vinegar, well aged) along with crumbled bay leaves, dried red chilis, and black pepper. Then we grill them over the embers in the fireplace. If you suffer from serious Fear of Fat, you may not want to try this, but believe me, it's a quick and delicious way to overcome that affliction.

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Re: WW snacks: I love spiced popcorn as a light snack too (garam masala is my favorite), but I generally use the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray "topping." I know, I know -- I am a real butter fan in most walks of life, and it's all chemicals, and it really doesn't taste right on anything else. But it's got zero calories, and for some reason just really works well on popcorn. And the calories I save allow me to use KerryGold on everything else!

Joe Yonan: I hear you! Whatever works, really.

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Baltimore: Ms. Sagon, the slow-cooker article was terrific, and I especially appreciated the section on how to adapt recipes for use in slow cookers. So how would your recipe for Mahogany Short Ribs be done in a slow cooker?

I also loved the holiday pie contest article, and have made the caramel apple pie a couple of times... it's FANTASTIC.

Bonnie Benwick: We miss Ms. Sagon here at Food central.

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D.C.: Jan.20 menus -- I haven't selected mine but following the inauguration luncheon that presumably uses food from Lincoln's White House, I am perusing Pot Roast and Politics, which has favorite recipes of all presidents to date. Some are out of the question, of course, but others look good.

Joe Yonan: Thanks! Let us know what you settle on.

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slow cooker safety: Is it safe to leave a slow cooker plugged in all day while you're out of the house? I just worry about some house fire starting.

Candy Sagon: It's safe as long as you follow slow cooker guidelines, meaning both the ones recommended for your machine and the recipe you're making. One important thing to keep in mind: Slow cookers work best if they are between halfway and two-thirds full. Less than half-filled and the ingredients may heat up too much, scorch or burn. More than two-thirds full and things could overflow and cause problems. If you know you're going to be gone a long time, be sure you use a recipe that calls for long cooking. You probably don't want to make a 4-hour recipe and leave it cook for 8 hours.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm starting to experiment more with dried beans. This weekend I put some in a bowl to soak. When I came back 4 hours later, half of them were floating. Should I have gotten rid of the floaters? (The dish was terrible... not sure if it was bad beans or a bad recipe.)

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: I'm not sure what the problem is but it sounds like old beans that had dried out too much. I buy beans in health-food, natural-foods stores because they usually have a more rapid turnover than ordinary supermarkets. The floaters probably weren't bad, in the sense that they'd make you ill, but they probably didn't add much to the dish. I soak beans overnight, throw out the water next day (my daughter says it's not necessary), then put them on a very slow fire with fresh water, bring to a simmer, simmer slowly, covered, till done. Maybe add a couple of bay leaves and a dried chili pepper to the simmering water.

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Appetizer question: Having a few friends over for the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game this weekend. Making a few Baltimore themed snacks is not too tough; lump crabcakes, individual crab gratins along with my version of pit beef on toast with arugula. I know Pittsburgh is not a dining hotbed, any western Pa. themed ideas would be great.

Thanks

Bonnie Benwick: Um, beer-battered something? Use Iron City, of course.

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London: Does it make a difference whether you use baking soda or baking powder when making cake/banana bread? Can they be substituted for each other?

Regards

Joe Yonan: No, they can't be directly substituted. Baking soda requires the presence of an acid elsewhere in the recipe, while baking powder doesn't. And it's easier to sub one way than it is the other. That is, if your recipe calls for baking powder, you can sub in 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every teaspoon of baking powder called for.

But the other way around is MUCH more complicated, since a recipe that calls for baking soda is going to have an acidic ingredient, so you'd need to take that into account, too. Here's a thought: Why not just have both on hand? They're small!

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flavored mayo: I have noticed that fancy places don't just offer mayo on sandwiches, but instead offer wasabi or horseradish mayo or roasted red pepper mayo or pesto mayo. How can I make my own?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: So very easy! You can buy wasabi, and horseradish, and just stir a spoonful into a cup of mayonnaise until you reach the flavor you're looking for. For roasted red peppers, there are some magnificent red peppers imported from Spain in jars -- often called pimientos de Piquillo. Chop them or crush them with a fork and, again, stir in (in this case, you might want to add a pinch of paprika or ground red chili to spark the flavor a bit). Pesto mayo -- well, that's a little more difficult since you'll have to make the pesto from scratch (recipe in The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook but also many places on-line) and once you've done that, I'd hate to see you dilute its remarkable flavor with mayonnaise. The kind of pesto you buy already made in a jar just doesn't do it for me -- has a kind of tinny, un-fresh taste. And for real pesto, you'll just have to wait till the fresh basil is in season once more.

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Pittsburgh Themed Foods: Pierogies are the perfect party food for Pittsburgh! Like most of Western Pa., Pittsburgh has a lot of Eastern European roots, and pierogies are a staple food. And while I would always suggest making your own, you can always buy a couple boxes and fry or saute some of them up.

Also, putting fries in your sandwich is Pittsburgh sporting event food... another thought for your party platter.

Bonnie Benwick: Good one.

Joe Yonan: On the latter idea, you just MIGHT see a reference to that in an upcoming story...

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Washington, D.C.: Joe - How about a slow cooker recipe that is more points- friendly than the ones in the paper today. Did you see how many calories and fat grams those have?????

Love, Not yet at lifetime

Joe Yonan: Well, you know this is not a Weight Watchers publication, right? ;-) Having said that, the Chipotle Black-Bean Vegetable Soup is actually very points-friendly: Only 4 points per serving! Elsewhere in the section, Stephanie's Panko-Crusted Cod is 3 points per serving, and the Maine Shrimp Salad is 6. Not bad...

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Greenbelt, Md.: I loved the CSF article today. I wish that the Bay could support something like that today. Of course, I'd probably go mad trying to deal with all that seafood, but it would be a great way to go.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Thanks for the compiment! It would be a great way to go. Interestingly the Pew foundation is very committed to promoting this as a way to conserve the resource while giving us all the high-quality fish we deserve.

And there are so many wonderful ways to deal with seafood -- grilled, steamed, roasted, turned into soups and stews and risottos and pasta sauces. We Americans are way down at the bottom of the scale in terms of seafood consumption. I'd love to see us moving up -- we'd all be healthier if we did.

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Washington, D.C.: What cuts of meat are best suited for slow cooking?

Candy Sagon: Tough, cheap cuts of meat that will be tenderized by long, slow cooking. Low-fat meats like chicken breast do not do well. Expensive tender cuts of beef do not do well -- in fact, they're ruined by slow cooking. You want stew meat (beef or lamb), large cuts of beef like brisket, pot roast, chuck roast, or fattier cuts like beef or lamb shanks, and short ribs, because they stay tender.

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Lothian, Md.: Joe - I looked at the link for Butter Bell -- I still don't think the water touches the butter -- it IS the same theory as bell diving -- you can stand there in the water and put your hands (which are wet) inside the bell with your dry face and water still doesn't get inside the bell (unless, of course, someone puts you in the water sideways!

Joe Yonan: My reading of that diagram and their instructions tells me that it's fine to have the butter come right up to the rim, though, in which case it would touch the water. I see what you mean that as the butter is used it wouldn't, and I understand the concept of a diving bell, but their diagram shows the butter touching, with no air pocket.

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sage advice: Due to a shopping error, I am overloaded with rubbed sage. What can I use it for?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Sage tea is a great beverage to sip slowly if you feel a cold coming on, or to sooth an upset stomach. Or combine it with some other ingredients, such as crushed garlic and olive oil and turn it into a rub for chicken, salmon fillets, or pork chops. Let the meat (or fish) macerate for an hour or two and then just grill or bake in the oven.

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Re: Turkey sammies: Ooo -- rouille sounds like a great idea. What cheese do you recommend to go on the sandwiches if I do that? Do you think pickled onions would be too much, or would they work well with the rouille?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Well, since you ask, I'd like to see a nice spreadable young goat cheese with the rouille and I don't think pickled onions would be too much at all. In fact, I may come to your house after the Inauguration.

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Richmond, Va.: On Sunday we decided to use a ham bone leftover from Christmas dinner to make a crock pot bean soup. My boyfriend always jokingly says that you can never have too much garlic and puts way more than the recipe calls for.

A couple of hours into the slow cooking, we stirred it and noticed that it smelled reaaaaalllly garlicky. A couple hours later we tasted the beans for doneness -- the garlic really stood out, and there didn't seem to be any of the ham flavor. I went online and did a search on how to tone down the garlic taste, and saw something that suggested parsley. We didn't have any fresh, so I sprinkled some dried parsley into the soup. We turned it down to low per the recipe and cooked it about another hour.

The soup turned out fine. The sweetness from the ham finally came through, and the garlic wasn't nearly as bad as before. My question is, was it the parsley that did it, or was it just that it needed to cook longer?

Candy Sagon: Maybe you just got so used to the smell and the flavor, you didn't mind it any more! I'm thinking the extra hour did more than the parsley, especially since it was dried parsley. Garlic does mellow from long cooking. Does your BF own stock in Tic Tacs?

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Frederick, Md.: I've never tried bratwurst so I bought a package of Johnsonville Stadium Brats and cooked them. I didn't care for them too much. Are they a good representative of what bratwurst tasts like? Also, is yogurt cheese not made in the wintertime? I can't seem to be able to find any right now. Thanks!

Bonnie Benwick: How did you cook them, Fred? For a good idea of what very good bratwurst tastes like, go to Thirsty Bernie in Arlington, where chef Jamie Stachowski's bratwurst is served. (I think he may start selling in retail outlets soon, so be on the lookout.)

As for yogurt cheese, why, I guess you could make your own any day of the year, as long as you had access to a fridge. There are plenty of simple-process directions on the Web, including those at stonyfield.com.

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Alexandria, Va.: Candy and/or Nancy -- can you think of a slow cooker fish recipe with a Mediterranean slant that could be used for ten guests on Super Bowl Sunday?

Candy Sagon: What?! No chili?! Actually, a fish stew sounds very lovely and civilized as you scream at the TV. Here's the thing about fish and the slow cooker: They're sort of incompatible unless you add the fish at the very end. Otherwise, you end up with fish gruel. Andrew Schloss in his new slow cooker book has a slow-cooked bouillabaisse in which you slow-cook this delicious herb-and-wine broth, then add the fish in at the very end for just 15-20 minutes on high (timing is crucial). You could make the broth ahead of time, then reheat and add fish at end.

His recipe serves 4-6, so you may want to increase the ingredients.

Slow-Cooked Bouillabaisse

From "Art of the Slow Cooker" by Andrew Schloss

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup dry white wine

Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 fennel ribs, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups fish stock or 2 fish bouillon cubes (9 grams each) dissolved in 4 cups boiling water

1 can (about 15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

12 ounces boneless, skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces

12 ounces boneless, skinless lean fish fillet, such as cod, tilapia or snapper, cut into 1-inch pieces

12 ounces (about 24) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

In a small bowl, crumble the saffron into the wine, stir in the orange juice and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel and saute until the vegtables lose their raw look, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, thyme, salt and pepper and saute 30 seconds. Add the wine-saffron mixture and bring to a boil. Add the fish stock, orange zest, tomatoes and bay leaf and stir to combine.

Pour into a 3 1/2-quart or larger slow cooker, cover the cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, turn the cooker to high. Toss the salmon and shrimp with the lemon juice. Stir into the broth in the cooker, cover and cook until the salmon cooks through, about 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and ladle into bowls. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: I'm not a slow-cooker expert (though after reading these comments I'm off to buy one this afternoon) but I agree with Candy. The big problem is that fish really suffers when it's overcooked, as it almost always would be if put in a slow cooker for several hours. There are lots of wonderful fish dishes from the Mediterranean, however, that could be adapted, following Andrew Schloss's recommendation, cooking everything BUT the fish ahead in the slow cooker, then adding the seafood for the last 15 minutes. With Maine shrimp, you wouldn't even do that -- take the stew out and stir the shrimp in. They'll get all the cooking they need in the residual heat.

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Pittsburgh snacks: Pittsburgh has GREAT Polish food. Maybe some sauted pierogies?

Bonnie Benwick: Right you are.

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Baltimore, Md.: I just moved to Baltimore and I know they are known for their seafood. I want to know where is the best place in the Baltimore/D.C. area to buy raw seafood?

Bonnie Benwick: An FOF (Friend of the Food section) recommends Nick's at the Cross Street Market.

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Washington D.C.: Hi Rangers

I like lentils when eating out, and wish to try a first simple recipe. Do they need to be soaked, or do you cook them like rice (toss them in boiling water)?

Have you any simple recipes?

Thank you

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Lentils are the easiest legume of all, precisely because they do not require soaking and they cook up quickly -- like rice, about 20 to 25 minutes in boiling water. Then they can be used for all sorts of things. I like to serve antipasto salads of lentils with walnuts or lentils with chopped green olives. And lentil soup is nourishing and delicious.

Bonnie Benwick: Next week's Nourish recipe from Stephanie Witt Sedgwick features lentils front and center.

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Pittsburgh food: Oh, my goodness, what a game it will be Sunday! As a transplanted Pittsburgher here in Silver Spring (and you know who I still root for), I can offer the following suggestions:

1) Polish food, such as pierogies (easy to make, or go the Mrs. T's route) 2) Kielbasa (or, as we say in the 'burgh, "kielbossy" 3) Something along the lines of a Primanti Bros. sandwich -- anything you like between 2 slices of Italian white, as long as you include french fries and coleslaw on the sandwich 4) Fried fish sandwich -- left over from the "no meat on Fridays" legions of Catholics still in the beautiful city

This should get the chatter started...

Joe Yonan: Yes, it should!

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McLean, Va.: Hi,

Not an expert here, but I strongly second the idea of cooking on the weekend and reheating. I just bought a slow cooker in mid-December. I made an amazing mushroom-barley stew with leftover Christmas hambone and it was fantastic! Since there's only the two of us (and the recipe made enough for 8), we got to freeze three full dinners! Nothing simpler than to come home from work defrost/heat the stew, and make a salad.

Thanks

Candy Sagon: Great idea! The folks at Hamilton Beach, when they surveyed their customers, found that the majority used their slow cookers one of two ways: They used it for entertaining (40 percent took it out of the house to potlucks and such) and they cooked with it on the weekend, particularly on Sunday to make things to reheat during the week. Cooking a whole chicken, like you do, was very popular. Cooks then used the cooked meat to make enchiladas and other dishes during the week.

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Caribbean: What is it that makes a good cook? Do the cooks I see on TV memorize all their recipes?

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: What an interesting question! I think most good TV chefs use prompt cards and rehearsals to do all that without a glitch (though the most famous TV chef of all time, Julia Child, was famous for glitching and then bluffing her way through).

But what makes a good cook? I think it's paying attention -- which is, after all, what makes a good car mechanic, what makes a good nuclear physicist. Paying attention to details like the quality and freshness of the meat, fish and vegetables you're purchasing, the way you handle them when you get them home, the temperature of the cooking medium, whether it's butter, olive oil, or water, the way certain flavors just go together, while others quarrel with each other, even fine little details like heating a serving platter before transferring hot food to it. It's not fancy ingredients or techniques learned at the CIA (the one in Hyde Park, N.Y., I mean) but just that sensibility that recognizes that what we put in our mouths, in our bodies, is so important and it had better be as good-tasting, and good for us, as we can possibly make it.

Joe Yonan: I couldn't have said it better.

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re: Burgh food: chipped ham sandwiches

Bonnie Benwick: Really? Do tell (why).

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Washington, D.C.: Earlier turkey post has me wondering -- how long will leftover turkey breast last in the freezer? Our turkey was too large for our guests so we were able to freeze all the breast meat from one side, all in one large piece, and froze it immediately following the meal. Would it still be good? I'm wondering if I should toss it... I admit I'm not enough of a turkey lover for it to tempt me much so far.

Bonnie Benwick: Wrapped well, I'd say about 1 month is optimal.

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Upstate N.Y.: I just bought a Fagor 3-in-1 pressure cooker/slow cooker/rice cooker. I haven't had the chance to cook with it yet, but I think I'm going to like it. It does have the delayed start option, but suggests that you not leave perishable foods in it for more than a 2 hour delay. It also has a browning setting so you can brown the meat and onions right in the pot. I'm most interested in trying the pressure cooker part. I've never had one before, they always looked too scary. But this one has a very non-scary pressure release valve. One question: how long is a reasonable time for a pressure cooker to get up to pressure? It doesn't start counting down time until it has reached pressure, but if the gasket isn't seated properly it will never reach pressure and the food will be sitting there just getting hot. At what point should I turn it off and reseat the gasket?

Joe Yonan: Ooh, I've wanted to check those out. Can you tell me how you like it after you've put it through its paces? Feel free to send us a note to food@washpost.com so we know how to contact you. On the pressuring-up, I'd have to defer to the manual, not having worked with this particular (and unique) cooker before. My regular pressure cooker gets up to pressure on the stovetop within about 10 minutes or so.

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To Slow Cooker Veggie: Lentil soup, split-pea soup, vegetarian chili -- yessss!

I love to serve my chili over spaghetti (great way to use up leftover pasta, or you can boil it up fresh at mealtime), then top with grated cheddar and sour cream (use substitutes if you're vegan), Cincinnati style. Other folks also like to top with chopped onions.

Candy Sagon: Root vegetables, too, like turnips and beets, also do well in slow cookers because they retain their shape and firmness.

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soy sauce substitute?: Hi, Have any of you or the readers ever cooked with Bragg Liquid Amino instead of soy sauce? I need suggestions for making recipe substitutions. I'm trying to be more health-conscious and even reduced-sodium soy sauce has soooo much salt that I'll have to give up Asian foods (eek!) if I can't make this substitution work. Bragg tastes like thin soy sauce but of course it may work very differently in cooking or sauces. I get it at Whole Foods but haven't seen any recipes. Anyway lots of thanks for any guidance!

Bonnie Benwick: We ran this recipe for vegetarian chili in 2007, which called for Bragg Liquid Aminos. I thought it imparted a slightly smoky flavor, too. Have you been to www.bragg.com? It offers cookbooks.

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Fellow Richmond Weight Watcher: I wish you the best of luck with the plan! I lost 50 pounds last year. I also started coming to this chat a lot because I was thinking more about what I cook and it led to seeking ways to make things taste good and satisfying without adding to the fat.

It's hard to suggest a snack without knowing your preferences, but I can recommend a tasty concoction I made the other night -- blueberry vodka with diet Seven Up. It was reaaallly flavorful and the only calories were from the vodka.

Joe Yonan: Thanks! Reminds me of friends in Texas who drink Frescitas: margaritas made from Fresca and tequila. That vodka you mention, btw, would be 2 points per jigger. Not bad!

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party: Pittsburgh has a great university - Carnegie MELLON

Bonnie Benwick: Ha.

Joe Yonan: Ouch.

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Dinner Fairy, Bethesda: My slow cooker -- which I purchased three years ago at Target for $17 -- is the best kitchen investment I've made. A few things I've learned:

-Use more liquid, not less, if you plan to leave it cooking all day. I usually aim for about two cups of liquid for up to 2 lbs of meat and never have a problem with the meat drying out, even at 10 hours plus. (Bottled marinade, bbq sauce and chicken broth are favorites). Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and veggies.

-Double the spices when converting a regular recipe to the slow cooker to maintain the flavor.

-Use frozen vegetables when you can. (Green peppers and green beans are awesome with Lawry's Hawaiian marinade and chicken.) They don't seem to get as mushy. Plus, they save a lot of time and can be cheaper -- $1/bag at Giant -- if you usually end up throwing out a lot of produce.

-When cooking fresh veggies, use larger pieces. Whole baby red or Yukon gold potatoes stay firmer than cut up pieces.

-ANYTHING can be converted to a slow cooker recipe -- not just stews and roasts. I use fork shredded slow cooker chicken in soups, casseroles, tacos... pretty much anything that calls for cooking the chicken separately from the rest of the dish.

Candy Sagon: Thanks for the tips!

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For the Ravens/Steelers Game: I don't know why but when I think of Pittsburgh and food, I think of German sausages and sauerkraut. Or perhaps the poster could do something with ketchup since they'll be playing at Heinz Field!

Bonnie Benwick: I'm hoping all these guests appreciate what it takes to produce football team-themed food.

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Parade drinks: For the person asking how long s/he can go without food or water at the Inauguration: take a bottle of water. Keep it inside your coat, if you can, so it's warmish. (Take a granola bar or something in a pocket, too, if you think you'll get the munchies.)

Water will be important, and will contribute to patience and good humor. It's well worth taking if you expect to be out for more than three hours. Dehydrated and cold is a miserable condition.

Have a wonderful time!

Joe Yonan: Ah, of course.

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Arlington, Va. S: Speaking of spelt... I'm trying to track down emmer (commonly confused with spelt) for some Italian soup recipes. Any idea where I can find it locally? I did see it at Rick's Wine and Gourmet but was shocked at the high price, which makes me think it may not be easy to find around here...

I can find it online but shipping costs don't make it much of an advantage.

On a related note, in a neverending quest to eat more local, do you have any thoughts on relatively locally-grown grains?

Thanks!

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: I can't answer your questions about local sources since I'm in Maine, not D.C., but I congratulate you on understanding the difference between emmer and spelt. In Italian, emmer is farro (and it's often mistakenly translated as spelt) -- so if you can find farro, you're onto emmer. It's a wonderful ingredient, great to add to soups, delicious as a side with main courses.

Joe Yonan: I've seen farro at BlackSalt, and they also must have it at Italian grocers like A. Litteri.

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upper NW DC: Is there a great place to go for really good, hearty, tasty sandwiches around town?

Joe Yonan: One of my faves is Dupont Market, on 18th Street at S.

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re: chipped ham: It's just a Burgh thing. You have to be a Pittsburgher to understand. It's what we do, we eat chipped ham on our sammis.

Bonnie Benwick: And here I thought you'd go for Burghers.

Joe Yonan: Double ouch.

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Newton, Mass.: Nancy -- I love your new book. I got it out of the library, whcih is where I usually start with cookbooks to test them, and found it to be useful, clear and tasty. I have been dieting and have lost a fair amount of weight -- it is what I needed to stop the recent onset of boredom. Glad that my meeting ended early since I hadn't realized you would be on the chat.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: thank you so much! I'm very pleased with it and happy to be able to update it -- we know so much more about the healthful aspects of the Med diet than we did even 15 years ago.

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Pittsburgh: SOME of us 'Burghers consider those Primanti Brothers sandwiches with the French fries and cole slaw in them to be a culinary abomination!

Besides Polish food, other ethnic types long popular here include Italian, Greek and German. So lots of other possibilities are available!

Bonnie Benwick: Ethnic, with an accent on the Euro. Got it.

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Bethesda Mom: I'm having a tea on the day of the upcoming major sporting event to thank people who brought me dinners while I was ill. I'm trying to bake scones and tried a WashPost recipe for Ginger-Almond that did not call for any eggs. Other scone recipes call for from 1-4 eggs for similar amounts of flour. My scones were tasty but flat -- should I retry the recipe and add a couple of eggs?

Bonnie Benwick: Adding eggs won't make them less flat. Did you see these?

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spiedini question again: I remember the meat was rolled and my mom said it was veal. I remember it having cheese and bay leaves and I think it was a skewer. I can't find anything online.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: look for the correct spelling: spiedini. I'm sure you'll find it in cookbooks about southern Italy -- Arthur Schwartz's book on the cooking of Naples, perhaps, or Carlo Middione's book on Southern Italian food.

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Boulder, Colo.: Baltimore asked about adjusting the Mahogany Ribs recipe to a slow-cooker, which you must have missed... Could you please answer it - I was thinking of making it this weekend. Thanks!

Candy Sagon: Check the story for the guidelines on converting a standard recipe to a slow cooker one.

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Frederick, Md.: Can you recommend a seafood cookbook that mostly includes lighter cooking techniques? Thanks!

Bonnie Benwick: "Fish Without a Doubt," by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore.

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Bosque Farms, N.M.: The health benefits of eating fish were just mentioned. I'll admit to living in a land locked state so I don't have the luxuries you Mid-Atlantic folks do, but I question the safety of fish available to Americans. That keeps me from wanting to eat as much as I should. I even worry about the fish my husband brings home from his fishing trips. Are my worries unfounded? I haven't yet gone vegetarian in my worries about food safety but I don't eat meat that comes from a supermarket but from a local butcher shop that raises their own animals.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins: Offhand, and without consulting the experts, I'd say that most fish in this country is much safer than most meat. I assume you're worried about the presence of pollutants (dioxins, PCBs, etc.) in fish and meat. Drs. Dariush Mozaffarian and Eric Rimm from the Harvard School of Public Health recently surveyed two decades of scientific studies on seafood safety and contamination. "The benefits of eating fish," they said in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "greatly outweigh the risks." If your husband is catching fish in clean waters, there should be no problem with what he's bringing home. But you can check with New Mexico state agencies for any fish advisories.

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Joe Yonan: Well, our timer has gone off, and we've thickened slightly as we cooked, so you know what that means -- we're done! Many thanks for all the great questions, as usual, and thanks to Nancy and Candy for helping us handle the crowd!

Now for the giveaways: The Greenbelt chatter who asked about inauguration party food will get Peggy Fallon's "Great Party Dips." The Alexandria chatter who asked about a slow-cooker fish recipe will get something that may prompt a change of heart for the Super Bowl: "Chili Madness" by Jane Butel. And the Richmond chatter who first asked about Weight Watchers will get the unfortunately dour-titled "Prevention Fiber Up Slim Down Cookbook," which looks like it has some great ideas for filling, low-points foods.

Until next week, happy cooking, reading and eating.

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