| What's Cooking
Hosted by Kim O'Donnel
washingtonpost.com Staff
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2003; Noon ET Calling all foodies! Join us Tuesdays at noon for What's Cooking, our Live Online culinary hour with Kim O'Donnel. A graduate of Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, Kim spends much of her time in front of the stove or with her nose in a cookbook. If you couldn't make the live event, you can always send Kim O'Donnel an e-mail or drop in on the What's Cooking message boards. Celebrate the autumn harvest with Kim's video series -- What's Cooking This Fall. The transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Kim O'Donnel: Happy New Year! Hope you entered deliciously. It's been quite a while since we last typed, so tell me all about things. Any New Year's cooking resolutions to share? Anything to let go of? By the way, next Tuesday, Jan. 14, marks the 4th anniversary of What's Cooking. I'll be sure to blow lots of hot air and pass around champagne. Also, this month's veggie hour will be held on Thursday, Jan. 30. Plus, I'm gearing up for What's Cooking, Valentine? my three-week video series focusing on Valentine's Day. So let's hear it...take me to the moon.
Derwood, Md.: Have you eve heard of a "Flat Iron" cut of beef and if so is it available out here? Kim O'Donnel: Hey Derwood, you are talking about the top blade, which comes from the chuck (shoulder and arm from the neck through the first five ribs). Very tender, very underrated. Ask your meat person.
Norfolk, Va.: Hi Kim! Welcome back -- hope your holidays were very nice (you WILL tell us about what you finally decided for your holiday meal and how it went, right?) Can you (or any of the foodies here) tell me what to do with a 14-inch steel wok I got for Christmas? It is covered inside and out with what smells like motor oil (!) and the only direction I have is to keep it "well oiled" -- huh? It is enclosed in a plastic bag that has a bunch of Chinese writing on it, so it must be authentic, but....! I'm not about to cook something in it with it smelling the way it does now, and if I scrub it to death getting this smelly stuff off of it, what do I do to store it? Can I treat it like a cast iron pan that needs seasoning? I'm tempted to just order up a nonstick wok from cooking.com or somewhere and ditch this one, but maybe someone can tell me how to deal with this. Thanks for whatever you or the chatters can suggest, and welcome back! Kim O'Donnel: Norfolk,
I whipped up pork loin roast with pomegranate sauce, purple mashed potatoes and celeriac, sauteed apples, wilted kale and cauliflower gratin. Red velvet cake for dessert. Cooked from 9 to 5, but it was snowing, so I didn't care. The group is not very adventurous but all went well.
As for your wok, here's what my friend and cookbook author Grace Young says in her "Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen": for a carbon-steel wok, "wash it in mild, soapy hot water to remove protective coating of oil from factory. Dry thoroughly... Then heat it up high, 2 T veg oil, and stirfry a bunch of Chinese chives (gul choy) which she says "miraculously removes the metallic taste from the wok. Wash the wok in hot water and never use soap again. Dry thoroughly." I will email her to see if she has more tips, as she's in middle of working on a book about woks.
Washington, D.C. -- Impressive: Hi Kim, love ya as far as suggestions, etc. However, I've got a quickie for you. OK, I've invited a friend over for dinner at the last minute. All I have is skinless breast, rice, frozen vegitables and basic seasons (salt, pepper, etc.). What could I do to the breast for taste or flavor? (I have no creativity) Thanks. Kim O'Donnel: Do you have any soy sauce? any hot sauce? any dijon mustard? any garlic? any lemons? onions? talk to me.
Arlington, Va.: Really enjoy these chats. I am finally going to replace my kitchen knives. Question: How do I dispose of the old ones? Thanks. Kim O'Donnel: You mean, how do you dispose without stabbing a wandering raccoon or your local santitation workers? Wrap in plastic bag. Then another layer of plastic or something. Tape it up really well. Or, you could take to your local thrift shop, church for the next bazaar...
Anchorage, Alaska: We are doing a theme dinner for eight and we've been assigned East Indian cuisine. Any suggestions for a menu with hopefully easy (for here) to find ingredients? Whenever I read this discussion I want a Trader Joe's (having never actually, only virtually stepped foot in one)in my backyard! By the way, my brined Christmas turkey was AMAZING! First time I've ever actually eaten the TURKEY it tasted so good! My mother-in-law swore I was ruining it and tsk tsk'ed all day then said it was only good because it was a free range turkey. But maybe that's a discussion for Carolyn Hax. Kim O'Donnel: Anchorage, you could do jerk chicken, and order jerk seasoning online, and there's a very good brand, ending with the word 'wood'...it will come to me...please email me and I'll make sure you get the details...with that, you could do 'peas and rice' which means pigeon peas or if you can't get them, do black eye peas....a Caribbean meal is never complete without some kind of fruit, be it mango or banana or papaya or pineapple...you can do salsa with mangos or pineapple...let me know if you get this kind of stuff...
Burke, Va.: Hi Kim! Happy New Year's to you! I need your help. Bought some Zinfandel wine that was not the usual "pink" variety -- it's rose-colored and has a fruity, too sweet flavor that's more suited for desserts rather than dinner. Any tips on cooking with it? I'd hate to just pour it out. Thanks! Kim O'Donnel: that's white Zin, dear, and yeah, it's real sweet. I'm not a big fan, nor do I use with cooking. Let's ask if anyone has given it a whirl...
Biscotti: Hi Kim! Before the holidays I asked if the biscotti recipe could be adapted for chocolate. You said to e-mail you, but I didn't get the chance. So, I replaced about 1/4 cup of flour with cocoa powder and used chopped chocolate and hazelnuts instead of cranberries and pistachios. They were incredible! I had so many compliments and requests for the recipe (I sent them to your video). Thanks! Kim O'Donnel: Like your spirit, dear. And I do have that recipe handy, by the way. Email me if you want.
McLean, Va.: I made a great turkey soup with Kale, Linquica (sp?) and potatoes in it. The recipe also called for savory, which I omitted. What would be a good sub for this herb in the future? Kim O'Donnel: it's a cross between thyme and mint...and you almost got it-- it's linguica (but it needs one of those dangly thing below the c)
Norfolk, Va.: This is one of those $20K questions -- Pierre Franey's voice saying "don't burn the garlic" is stamped permanently in my head, and I still can't figure out how to not burn it. I'm talking mostly for sautees -- add chopped garlic and olive oil to cold pan, heat slowly to infuse garlic flavor into oil, and then I have to add the meat/veggies/whatever, and as it continues to cook, the garlic gets browner and browner. Help! Kim O'Donnel: Low heat, dear. LOW. Or, take off the heat after you cranked it up and let it do its magic. You can add whole smashed cloves, then remove after the infusion if you're distressed, by the way.
Feeling Chubby: What are your top three suggestions for reducing fat while not compromising taste or texture? I'm mostly talking cooking, not baking. Thanks! Kim O'Donnel: Olive oil instead of butter. Hands down. Pasta water or cooking water instead of milk or cream. Stock instead.
Squeeze of citrus instead of cloying dressings...or segments of blood orange or grapefruit...or tangerine...lime zest is fab for flavor. Herbs. Egg whites mixed with whole eggs. Sprinkled fresh parm instead of heavier fat cheeses. Purees of veggies without any use of dairy at all -- including winter squash, sweet potato, cauliflower...
McLean, Va.: Walkerwood from Jamacia. Kim O'Donnel: Yes! You da bomb, baby.
Psst...: Kim... Anchorage wanted an EAST Indian feast, not WEST Indian. I suggest chai for after dinner. Kim O'Donnel: Hello. Where is Kim's nog? Geez Louise. Okay, let's start over. Lentils, with chiles and ginger and onions and a cinnamon stick, cooked slowly, served with spinach.
Rice with lime zest. Tandoori chicken, and you can do a whole one...gosh, I feel like a dodo.
Next Desk Neighbor: This is one of the few questions I've asked that Kim hasn't been able to answer off the top of her head, so I'm hoping she'll turn it over to the group: Where can I go in the D.C. area to buy fish to make sushi at home? Are there any specific questions I should ask the fish vendor? Does anyone have any preparation tips to share? Kim O'Donnel: I'm handing this off to you guys...anyone who has bought sushi-grade fish, please chime in.
Cabin John -- Celeriac?: Hi, Kim -- I was at the Dupont Circle farmers market this weekend--by the way, they are now open year round! I highly suggest that people check it out, since this will only help keep the vendors from coming out in the snow! Anyway, I have heard a lot about celeriac this season, so we decided to pick some up. Now I am looking for something to do with it. I know that you can use it in a gratin, but I was wondering if you had any special or really interesting suggestions!
Thanks a bunch. Kim O'Donnel: Yes, and so is Arlington Courthouse market, on Saturdays. I have made celeriac puree, which was dynamite...cooked with thyme and shallots and celery stalks...pureed with my hand blender, topped off with sauteed shiitakes...I also as mentioned earlier, mashed with potatoes, and it lended a lovely earthy yet sweet flavor.
Burke, Va.: For the White Zin person, here's a recipe that makes fine use of wine that's pretty awful for drinking. Roast a whole chicken under a sealed foil tent with garlic, onions, carrots, and a cup of white wine. And shame on you -- Zinfandel is normally red, not pink. Kim O'Donnel: thanks for the tip, but let's go easy on our pal...lessons always are made in the kitchen.
Falls Church, Va.: To person looking for sushi-grade fish: I would try Swedish Fish (I think that's the name) on Washington Blvd. in Arlington. The "regular" fish is very fresh and I would trust asking the French man who owns it about sushi quality. Also be sure to buy some of his bulk French sea salt. Kim O'Donnel: I think I actually mentioned Swedish to the poster...but he never listens to me. Thanks for the tip.
Milwaukee, Wis.: Just wanted to share my two new hobbies. First, baking. I've discovered that, all told, baking doesn't really take much time. So I've been doing a lot of it, and to continue doing it at least until it warms up. So far, counting from Christmas to now, I've made: 1. Two-hundred pfefferneuse for my various in-laws (I mentioned pfefferneuse, and my mother-in-law didn't know what it was, and this turned into a project and Christmas gifts for everyone)
2. Brownies (sooo much cheaper than bakery, and better than a mix)
3. Cranberry and pear pie (to bring to a dinner party)
4. Mushrooms and goat cheese in puff pastry with a balsamic glaze (for New Years)
5. Rye bread (to go with the traditional German pork and kraut on New Years -- it was my first try at yeast bread outside a bread machine)
6. Corn bread to go with chilli on Sunday Admittedly, this isn't the healthiest hobby in the world, but I think it's forcing me to eat better around it ( I made quick vegetable soup with the brownies -- add sauteed mushrooms, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, uncooked tortellini, whatever else to 1 big carton chicken stock, a spoonful of tomato paste, simmer until the tortellini's cooked, then add in a bunch of fresh spinach and cook just one more minute, season to taste.) My second hobby has become little handy-woman-type home improvements. I got a really nice drill-driver for Christmas, and I did a bunch of projects in my kitchen, including installing 12 of those little wire shelves onto the inside of my pantry door. Presto! All of our herbs, spices, extracts and flavorings now have homes, arranged by use or type (baking, spicy Mexican, other spicy, Penzey's blends, etc). It's much easier to find what I need (I found we had three containers of cumin and two of allspice because we couldn't find them last time), and I can now re-organize the rest of the pantry (next step: installing rolling bins on the lower shelf). Everything comes back to food, doesn't it. Kim O'Donnel: You have been BUSY, MIlwaukee! Congrats, well done.
Olive oil and butter: Olive oil and butter (and all fats) have the exact same amount of fat and calories, just of different types. Had to clarify there. Just using the same amount of olive oil instead of butter won't lower the total fat (though it's a much much much better kind of fat). Kim O'Donnel: Yes. And I must underscore the importance of the monosaturated fats that you get from olive oil. Also, olive, being a plant product, has no cholesterol. Butter does. You're right; the calories are about the same.
Washington, D.C.: Cooking the white zin. Add sugar and spices if you want. Simmer fruit in it. Remove fruit when tender. Reduce wine to a syrup. Serve it all over ice cream. Kim O'Donnel: This is the best idea so far...
Upstate New York: Hi Kim, I have a question about hand blenders. You said you used yours to puree some celeriac. I've found that I have to hand mash things into smaller chunks before I use my hand blender or the big chunks don't come in contact with the blades. Are there any secrets to using hand blenders that I should know? Kim O'Donnel: I use it mostly for cooked veggies. Raw fruits do fine. But raw veg, no.
New York, N.Y.: Kim, I have a recipe that calls for star anise, which I can not find anywhere. Is there something I can sub for this? Kim O'Donnel: try anise seed or Chinese five-spice powder.
Washington, D.C.: Marzipan at Balducci's/Sutton Place Gourmet:
On the Dec. 19 chat, a poster asked about Marzipan at Balducci's. Balducci's shares space with Sutton Place Gourmet in Bethesda (on Old Georgetown Road in Wildwood Shopping Center at the intersection of Democracy Blvd.). At the candy counter at Sutton Place Gourmet, they have many marzipan shapes. Not sure if they are still interested, but thought they may be. Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for checking in, dear. Very kind of you.
Chocolate Mint Luvr: Happy New Year to everyone. I brought in the New Year with my delicious Black Eye Pea Soup (spicy with smoked turkey legs) and will be all the luckier in the new year for it! My resolution this year - stop eating handfuls of the little chocolate mints I keep in my freezer from Trader Joe's. They are delicious and addictive and they really add on the pounds. I am craving them but eating more blueberries and yogurt and that seems to help -- do cheer me on! Kim O'Donnel: I am about to embark on a food adventure myself, and I'll keep u posted...keep up the good work!
Washington, D.C.: I roasted parsnips and onions in the pan underneath my turkey and added water to the pan to keep the veggies moist. I added poultry seasoning to the turkey, but I thought the parsnips were missing something. What else can I do to make the parsnips more flavorful? No butter, please! Kim O'Donnel: I love thyme. Rosemary too. Thing is, parnsips will be kind of disintegrated after roasting under that bird...what kind of shape were they in?
If you want to cut fat, olive oil doesn't work: Kim,
Olive oil is fat, just like butter. The difference is CHOLESTEROL, but not fat per se. Butter had cholesterol, o.o. does not, but I actually think that serving per serving, o.o. has more fat than butter 'cause butter also has a tiny-tiny bit of protein!! Kim O'Donnel: here you go: olive has about 120 calories per tablespoon. No cholesterol, about 12.5 g of fat, the majority of which is monosat.
same amount of butter has 102 calories. NO protein.
12 g fat, no monsat, but more than 50 percent sat, plus 31 mg cholesterol.
McLean, Va.: What was your fave holiday present you got? Mine was a sheep cheese made in Piedmont, Va. (unbelievable) and a new set of steak knives. Kim O'Donnel: Cookbook from Mom from Fork, restaurant in Philly, which benefits a culinary scholarship fund for innercity high school students.
Courthouse: Hi Kim, my grandma bought me a wonderful, new KitchenAid mixer. Can you offer me a great new recipe to make with it? I've already made a pretty good chocolate cake. Thanks. I'm so excited. It's awesome. Kim O'Donnel: You're gonna have so much fun! What are u in the mood for?
Falls Church, Va.: My New Year's resolution (in the kitchen, at least) is to try and break away from my comfort zone of beef chicken lamb pork shrimp salmon, and try some new cuts/types of meat this year. This weekend I made a braised veal breast (it is the brisket cut of veal). It was very tender and flavorful, if a bit rich for my taste. Not sure that I'll make it again, but I was proud of myself for trying something SO new, and I wanted to share. Next up: Short ribs! Kim O'Donnel: Very nice indeed, Falls Church. You might have fun with shanks.
Chill out....: Kim's point about olive oil vs. butter is well taken. The bottom line....everything in moderation. Kim O'Donnel: Yes, please. And it's all about experimenting, seeing what works, plus incorporating some kind of physical exercise into the equation.
Dec. 19 follow-up: Last big chat session you listed a few of your favorite foodie books but said you might have a few more to add. I'm in the mood for a good read and a pot of soup. I've got to recommend "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes -- it'll transport you to Italy and gives some great food ideas (recipes too if I remember.) Any of those other titles come to mind? Kim O'Donnel: I'm in the middle of "The House of Seven Sisters" by Elle Eggels, which is about a family of women running a bakery. The biography of Elizabeth David is intriguing...
Gales Ferry, Conn.: Hi Kim: I have a post-holidays question: I saved the bone from a spiral-cut ham in hopes of making a soup, but now I can't seem to find any guidance/recipes for using it (I tried epicurious, etc.). Can you please lend me a hand? I'd like to get it out of the freezer. Thank you! Kim O'Donnel: Take it out. Let thaw a bit. Throw in with your onion, celery, garlic, etc and a bit of oil. Then add your peas/beans. Let it coat. Add liquid, so that it barely covers. Bring up to a boil, then down to a simmer. Bay leaf is good. sprigs of thyme. Cook til tender. Salt, pepper. Eat.
Parsnips: Take thin-cut parsnips and carrots and whole mushrooms and put them to the side of the meat, not underneat, in the roasting pan. (If you want them underneath too, that's OK, but those won't be great). They'll carmelize wonderfully with the roast (keep them basted in the meat juice). If you want to use the parsnips under the meat, I would smoosh them through the finest mesh in a food mill into gravy.(That also works for carrots and parsnips used in making chicken stock--basically add their juices back.) Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for your par-snippy thoughts, dear...
Sushi-grade fish: My old standby is M. Slavin & Sons, right off of 395 at Glebe Rd in Arlandria (that netherworld on the border of Alexandria and Arlington). They've never disappointed. Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for the tidbit.
Impressive Part II: Hi Kim, I have mustard (hot), ketchup, relish, onion,....jelly, peanut butter, hot sauce, horsradish? thanks Kim O'Donnel: Leave the PB & J alone. For now. Use an onion and some hot mustard, just a tad. A little oil. Do u have? Slather everything and let marinate for at least 20. Salt. Throw in oven at 350. Won't take long since it's boneless. If you want browning, throw under broiler. Slice thin, over your rice and frozies...
Arlington, Va.: Because of a bet, I owe my boyfriend a fancy homecooked dinner. I was thinking of doing roasted salmon with latkes and stuffed tomatoes, with sour cream to compliment everything. However, the salmon portion seems boring to me. Can you think of a way to spruce up my fish a bit, and do you think it will go with the latkes? Kim O'Donnel: You know what I just did? Pounded some garlic and ginger. MIxed in some cinnamon, cayenne, cumin, coriander, black pepper, olive oil. Slathered on the fish for at least 15. Seared on top of stove, finished off in oven. Didn't have a lime, but would have used that as well.
Arlington, Va.: Hi Kim, Please help. I read in the Food section a couple weeks ago about budda hand fruits. Where can I find it? I'm really curious to see how it really looks. Also, is there a differences between cider vinegar and distilled white vinegar ? I need this info for tonite dinner. Thanks Kim Kim O'Donnel: I think their run was very limited. I held onto that piece by Renee and then was too late to catch it in store. Cider vinegar made from apples. Has flavor, sweetness, depth. Distilled kind of like gasoline.
Farragut West, Washington, D.C.: Hello Kim! Happy new year! I am trying to improve my long-term eating habits. My diet is pretty good so far -- I eat lots of veggies and very small amounts of meats and cheese. My problem however is that I find that most of my meals have a large carbohydrate component such as rice or pasta. I have switched mostly to brown rice (I have tried whole-wheat pasta, but find it to not be texturally pleasing). Do you have any suggestions for meals that rely less heavily on starches, but don't leave me starving? I don't really want to increase my meat consumption by much (I don't believe that large amounts of animal protein are healthy). Thanks! Kim O'Donnel: Maybe it's time to explore tofu? And legumes.
Kim O'Donnel: Folks, it's time to run. Forgive me for the East Indian/West Indian gaff; I have to chalk it up to...being a nimrod. Ah well. Hey! Thanks for the good cheer and great ideas. Looks like the year is off to a grand start. Talk next week during the 4th anniversary shindig. Ciao!
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