By Craig Cola / wp.com What's Cooking Hosted by Kim O'Donnel washingtonpost.com Staff Wednesday, February 24, 1999 Kim O'Donnel, Restaurants & Food producer of washingtonpost.com, recently took your questions on home cooking. Stay tuned for more live food and wine discussions every Wednesday at noon: March 3, The Grapevine, noon EST; March 10, What's Cooking, hosted by Kim O'Donnel, noon EST; March 17, What's Cooking, with guest Margaret Johnson, author of "The Irish Heritage Cookbook." Plus: Every Thursday at noon, Post restaurant critic Phyllis Richman leads a live discussion on Washington's dining scene. Following is the transcript from this week's discussion.

Kim O'Donnel: Hi everyone. Welcome to our online kitchen hour. Nothing like last night's snowfall (albeit miniscule) to get me hankering for some soup.
Thanks to all who emailed their questions after the last segment. To Julie Kennon who asked: "What is the oven rule of thumb when cooking two of something? I made jambalaya, at 350 degrees for an hour. If I double the recipe, do I increase the heat or teh time? And by what percentage?
Julie, the rules of doubling apply on a case-by-case scenario. With something like jambalaya (first off, are you sure you want to put it in oven? This is a dish you can cook right on the stove), put it into two pans. Don't squeeze double the amount into one pan; the heat will never distribute properly. And don't ever change the temp or the amount . I would simply change the number of cooking vessels accordingly. Now, when you're baking, that's a whole different story....

Linda T. wants to know if anyone has a recipe for a Pennsylvania Dutch dish her grandma used to make -- she calls it "pot pie." Involves flavoring boiling water with parsley and cooking strips of dough in this water. I'm stumped. Anyone out there have any insight they want to share?

Lastly, Ed Wheeless of Washington, DC, offered a web link that demonstrates how to make puff pastry: www.metalab.unc.edu/expo/restaurant/techniques/pastry.html

I checked it out, and it's quite helpful, with handy black and white photos of steps along the way.
The Joy of Cooking CD-ROM also has lots of illustrated technique lessons, so that may be another avenue.

Now for today's questions....bring'em on.

Arlington, VA: Just got a grill pan, and I've made several attempts to grill vegetables (peppers, potatoes, onions and mushrooms) with little success. They either are too mushy when I'm done with them, or too tasteless. Any suggestions? What's the right temperature for the pan? High? Medium high?

Kim O'Donnel: I'm going to answer your question and that from Susan Giambalvo, who emailed me recently about seasoning her fabulous new cast iron grill.
A couple of things to keep in mind: whether it's outside on the barby, under the broiler and on the stove, grilling is all about sealing in flavor by creating a crust of sorts on the outside. This can only be done using high heat. A little fat (oil) applied to the surface as you turn on the heat wouldn't hurt, either. Heat your pan up so it's nice and hot, even before you think of putting those veggies (or whatever you're cooking) on the pan's surface. As soon as your veggies hit the pan, they should make crackling noises and the carmelization process has begun. The other thing, don't touch them too much. Let them brown on one side and THEN turn it over.
If done in this manner, your veggies should take on a lovely charred, somewhat sweet flavor. Now, if you're still getting flavorless veggies, as you described, how about marinating them in a little olive oil, mustard and/or soy sauce, or try a mixture of herbs, shallots and dash of balsamic vinegar in that oil? Last but not least, remain calm. Cooking is supposed to be fun. A deep cleansing breath is just the thing.
As for seasoning, try rubbing some oil onto your rust spots. Immediately after you've washed your pan, take wet pan, put on stove and turn on heat. Let pan dry this way. Swab it with a little oil.
See if that helps.

Washington, D.C.: Do you have any creative ideas for things I can put on a Boboli shell?

Kim O'Donnel: Oh geez, anything can go on top of those things (although i prefer to make my own dough, when I feeling inspired). Try slow-cooking a whole bunch of onions until they're soft and sweet and carmelized. Season them with fresh thyme. Dot the pizza with gorgonzola or your favorite blue cheese. Yum.
Make your own tomato sauce, with lots of garlic, steam some spinach and add some fontina or ricotta on top. How's that?

Takoma Park Maryland: I have been buying fresh fileted trout and there are quite a few bones left and I take time to pull them all out before fixing the trout. My question is this Is there an instrument that will pull the bones out such as tweezers? Or is there a simpler way of getting the bones out?

Kim O'Donnel: This is always tough to do if you don't know what you're doing, but I admire your fortitude to learn. I'm assuming you're filleting a whole fish, so here goes: lay the fish on its side. Oh wait, do you have a good boning knife?? That is essential. Now you can lay the fish on its side. Cut into the fish and across, just below the gills. Then cut down the backbone, all the way down. Now flip over onto the other side, do the same. You have two even pieces, each with two fillets. If you've done it right, you can use your knife to pick up entire back bone and avoid that mess. Let us know how it works out.

geneva, switzerland: I have to eat a low fat diet since I have very high cholesterol. Fish here is very expensive (sole is $40 per pound). I like to cook, so any low fat recommendations?

Kim O'Donnel: I have borderline high cholesterol, too. So I sympatheize. If fish is expensive, how about grilling chicken breasts on the bone and taking the skin off after they're cooked?
Pasta is low fat and cholesterol (that is, if you stay away from hunks of cheese and cream). So is couscous and cracked wheat. Are you able to go meatless (and preferably dairyless) at least twice a week? That would help your cholesterol in a major way. Get intimate with garbanzo beans, white beans, the whole lot, and experiment incorporating them into salads, soups, mashing them into pastes for sandwiches, stuff like that.
Eggs without the yolks are wonderful, if you season, and without all the cholesterol. Good luck.

Washington, DC: Can I freeze American Cheese (a/k/a pastuerized cheese food product)? If so, how does it turn out once thawed? And how do I thaw? Room temperature? In the fridge? The entire cheese freezing issue has me spellbound. Mozzarella? Cottage?

Kim O'Donnel: Yuck. Don't ever do that, okay?

Washington D.C. : I have a 13 year old daughter that loves to cook. I would like to enroll her in a school this summer, do you know of any in this area that you could recommend?

Kim O'Donnel: I think L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg and Bethesda offers classes for kids. You may want to give them a call. Fresh Fields in Arlington may be doing something as well, although I'm not sure.

Bethesda, MD: Is there a good rule of thumb a cook can use for adjusting oven temperatures when more than one item is baking in the oven? When I bake pies I like to double the recipe and bake two at once, but recipes rarely account for this, which leaves me guessing about how much longer I need to bake the pies.

Kim O'Donnel: I think if you're cooking two of the same item, you're fine. But if you've got a pot roast in there (or something else requiring a different temp.) underneath your blueberry pie, you're gonna have a mess.

Fairfax Station, VA: What is the secret to making good "lumpless" gravy??

Kim O'Donnel: I use a touch of flour, but I add it to a cup hot water, so flour will dissolve and incorporate. I gradually add flour and whisk until I've got the consistency I want. Then I slowly whisk that mixture into my pan drippings, etc. But gradually!! That seems to keep away those nasty lumps.

Reston, VA: I make my own chicken broth but sometimes it comes out cloudy. What am I doing wrong? Jacqui

Kim O'Donnel: Jacqui, unless you are prepared to make consomme, which is the ultimate in clear, clarified stocks, you're gonna have cloudy stock. A couple things to consider though: Are you skimming the surface after it cools? That will help considerably. What are you adding to the stock? Veggies with chlorophyll, such as leeks, celery, will work as natural clarifiers, so that's one way to go.
Now, if you're really obsessive about the clarity of your stock, you can whisk in a mixture of egg shells (yes, egg shells), which have impurity-attracting albumen act like a magnet, plus egg whites (one or two). Once your stock cools, skim the surface, and you may find that the egg white-shell combo will really eliminate a lot of your cloudiness.

Erie, Pennsylvania: What are your favorite cookbooks?

Kim O'Donnel: My favorites are the ones that teach me something new every time I open them. I'm a bit spoiled here because I get all kinds of cookbooks for my work. However, the ideal library contains specific cuisine books, as many as you can stand, plus one or two references, such as Joy of Cooking, The Making of A Cook, New Basics, How to Cook Everything, etc, plus Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking (not a cookbook but an invaluable reference on the science of food), a nutrition oriented tome (The Nutrition Bible, the forthcoming "The Food Bible," by Judith Mills) and single subject books on things you love. I have "Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables," by Elizabeth Schneider as an example.

BROAD CREEK HISTORIC DISTRICT, P.G. CO., MD.: Any ideas on how the Post could help a community interest a good restauranteer in our area? PG Co. lacks any great places especially South PG. I wish you or Candy Sagon could do an article on our Historic District's efforts to woo a good cafe!

Kim O'Donnel: Since this discussion is about home cooking, I am going to refer you to Post critic Phyllis Richman, who's live online every Thursday at noon to talk about dining out and restaurant life. But I will say the time to see restaurants develop there is long overdue.

Bethesda, MD: What is the best way to get meat for beef or chicken stock. The better grocery stores sometime have one or the other but I cannot consistently find them. I would prefer to make my own. Any suggestions?

Kim O'Donnel: If you don't want to buy a whole chicken and cut it up, then ask your butcher for neck bones. Same goes for beef, since I doubt you'll be buying an entire cow to make soup. So, ask for oxtail, neck bones, and tell your butcher that you're looking to make stock. That stuff is generally readily available if you ask.

Fairfax, VA: Just wanted to say really enjoy your chat - very helpful. I'm a newbie to cooking and am hanging out with all these gourmands. I have to push my limits to avoid their ribbing; your advice is a great help!

Kim O'Donnel: Hey, thanks! We'll get you cooking (and wowing) your friends in no time. What you should do is set a goal: decide on a date that you'll prepare a fabulous meal for all those foodies and blow them away.

Silver Springs, MD: I decided to cook steak for my fiance but since I am not a meat eater I have no clue of how to cook/grill it right. I dont have a grill (and its cold outside anyways). What is the best way to prepare it at home with a basic oven and stove..and microwave too.?

Kim O'Donnel: Look earlier in this hour on cast-iron grill pans, which are great tools for "grilling" steak.
I'm going to ignore your questions about microwaving.

McLean, VA: To Linda T - That dish she's referring to as "pot pie" is called "dumplings" in the south -- usually chicken stock, chicken, herbs, and the pastry dropped into the pot. Just like Granny used to make! Perhaps she can find a recipe under this name.

Kim O'Donnel: Thank you McLean. Let's hope Linda is online today to get your little nugget of advice.

College Park, MD: Is there any good use for those electric steamer gadgets? Someone gave us one. I tried cooking rice in it, something I thought it would do well, and it didn't work. Any other ideas before we quietly donate it to charity?

Kim O'Donnel: I don't own an electric steamer myself. But before you give it away and give up, let me do some research and get back to you during the next segment (March 10). For now, we'll put this question out to the gang: anyone know how to use one of these things?

Springfield, VA: We need to buy new pots and pans for our house. We cook a lot of rice and we always have problems with burning or sticking. Could you give some advice for other than electric rice cookers. Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: Sounds like your heat is too high. Always keep it at a simmer. Cover your rice after water comes to a boil and no peeking!!! Also sounds like you are cooking too long.

DC: Have you found any interesting kosher cookbooks out there? I'm looking for kosher recipes for some more modern meals, but I can't seem to find any.

Kim O'Donnel: Ooh, I just got two books on this subject in the mail:
"The 30-Minute Kosher Cook," and "The Gourmet Jewish Cook," both by Judy Zeidler. Haven't had a chance to dive in and assess closely but they are the latest titles to hit the shelves.

Washington, DC: Help!! I'm very interested in learning how to infuse oils and vinegars with herbs. I'm concerned about possible contamination, ie: salmonella. How do I infuse safely?? Thanks for your help.

Kim O'Donnel: We talked about this in a previous discussion (see archives link at top of this page), but in a nutshell if you want to avoid contaminiation, don't let the infused oil sit out for zillions of hours. Two hours, while covered in its pot, is good. Then strain and store in an air-tight container. But don't infuse overnight.

Washington, DC: I recently made some stock and forgot to skim the fat before putting it in containers and freeze it. When I defrost it, will the fat rise to the top so I can skim it off?

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, but you'll need to reheat, let cool and THEN degrease.

Washington, DC: Can any meats, fish or poultry go straight from the freezer to the pan or oven without being defrosted?

Kim O'Donnel: NO!!!!

New York, NY: When chopping fresh herbs, do you completely eliminate the stem? For example, leaves only on parsley?

Kim O'Donnel: If you like stems of parsley, by all means throw'em in. The stems you don't want to include are rosemary, thyme, stuff that's more twiggy than green stemmy. Know what I mean?

Wash DC: Kim: Actually, pot pie in the traditional PA Dutch sense is NOT dumplings. My mom's made it for years in a recipe handed down -- she calls it chicken pot pie. It's chicken stock, chicken (usually shredded from the parts used to make the stock), and the "pot pie" part is actually a basic dough (similar to what you'd use for dumplings)rolled thin, cut into squares 2" or so, which are then dropped into the broth and cooked. It's like homemade chicken noodle soup but with the thin dough squares instead. It's awesome!

Kim O'Donnel: Ok, Linda T, are you listening? Thanks Wash DC.

Monterrey, Mexico: Im confused. I follow recipes for choc chip cookies, my first foray into baking - and the recipe says unsalted butter and salt - since all i have is salted...I use salted butter and less salt - the cookies are pancake bricks - is this why?

Kim O'Donnel: The reason you use unsalted butter and THEN add salt is because salted butter contains water when heated BECAUSE of the salt content (remember how salt retains water?). So, go out and buy unsalted butter and you'll have much better luck. However, the pancake bricks problem could also result from working your batter too hard. Go easy.

Potomac, MD: Hi Kim--I'm not a big fish eater, but I would like to eat more of it because of its health benefits. The only way I like fish prepared is blackened, which is how I've ordered it in restaurants. Can you teach me how to fix fish this way at home?

Kim O'Donnel: Kudos for experimenting with fish.
Buy some fillets, whatever you like. Squeeze some citrus on top, a TOUCH of oil, herbs, salt and pepper, whatever it is you want to season -- and pop'em in the broiler for a minute. Literally that's all it takes for fish fillets to become opaque.
Try that for starters and then we'll get a little fancier.

Fancy Toast, VA: So your idea of a few weeks back worked perfectly, thank you. It was fun as well. Here is another question. I have a big bag of boneless chicken brests... any good ideas as to what to do with them?

Kim O'Donnel: Toast man, good for you. Sounds like the romantic dinner has paid off. A big bag of boneless breasts is like having a blank canvas. You could marinate them a variety of different ways. Here's a few ways to go:
Add dijon mustard, a touch of honey, lime juice, touch of olive oil and soy sauce. Let the breasts sit for up to one hour.
Try hoisin sauce, hot sauce and a touch of maple syrup.

Try a little tequila, orange juice, olive oil and black bean paste.

Then grill'em up or bake at 350 degrees and have a big ole party.

Arlington, VA: Also, something else about chocolate chip cookies is that butter often makes them quite flat, and one way to combat that is to use a mixture of butter and crisco. (advice from the great cookbook _The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ and it works, too!)

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks Arlington. Mexico, are you listening?

Reston,VA: Response to the question about Boboli: I have spread Brie cheese on Boboli then topped with grilled veggies and baked for 10-15 minutes - yum!

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks Reston. Hope Boboli fan is still online.

Bethesda, MD: For the person asking about the electric steamer, I use mine all the time. It's great for hard boiling eggs, reheating noodles, steaming raw vegetables like carrots or green beans, and heating frozen vegetables. I also like it for steaming baby red potatoes.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for your input, Bethesda.

Vienna, Va: Kim, Speaking of books. I used to love Frugal Gourmet because he emparted so much history behind his recipes. Do you know of any good FOOD HISTORY BOOKS?

Kim O'Donnel: I have some titles at home and promise I will share with you next time (March 10). I love the history of food, too.

Chevy Chase, MD: What's the rule about refrigerating soups, chili, etc. when they come off the stove top? Do you cool them in the pot or put in the refrigerator to cool? I'm concerned about contamination ( and my sister in law's opinions).

Kim O'Donnel: The danger zone is 40 degrees to 140 degrees. You need to cool down to 140 and then refrigerate. Now, repeat after me, three times, "I'LL NEVER PUT A POT OFF THE STOVE DIRECTLY INTO THE FRIDGE TO COOL." Okay?

Washington, D.C.: Looking for ways to eat more vegetables-- have any suggestions?

Kim O'Donnel: If you're looking to get inspired by eating more veggies, buy the "Uncommonn Fruits and Vegetables" I referred to earlier in the hour or a copy of Alice Waters' "Chez Panisse Vegetables." A book can often get you in the mood to go out and experiment with new veggies. Roam the aisles at a place like Fresh Fields where the veggies always look lovely and inviting.
Now as for technique, steaming is the easiest way to get your veggies. Squeeze a little lemon after cooking and you're in business.

Woodbridge, Va: In response to the Pot Pie lady...my grandmother mixes 2 cups of flour with salt, pepper and just enough water to make a firm dough. Roll it out, cut it into squares and drop one at a time into the BOILING stock. Cook it for at least 15 minutes. It also works great with a pot roast...

Kim O'Donnel: Thank you Woodbridge. This is great stuff.

Chevy Chase, MD: For those interested in food history, the Culinary Historians of Washington meet once a month to hear presentations on this topic. Their meetings are listed in the Post food section calendar

Kim O'Donnel: Chevy Chase, please email me: odonnelk@washpost.com and send me your events. I'd love to be current with your program.
Thanks.

monterrey, mexico: Great thought about the water and salt in butter issue...I never thought of that ...about my brick pancake problem with choc chip cookies - you say not to work the butter too hard....but the recipe says to beat it - which I do with a fork since I dont have an electric beater - until it is light and frothy....this takes 15 minutes...and macho guy notwithstanding, my arm feels like it is going to fall off...how long and to what consistency must I beat the butter?

Kim O'Donnel: Don't beat the butter, Monterrey, cream it with your sugar. Let's not approach this like you're mixing cement, for starters. It's an incorporation thing, using a wooden spoon, not a fork!! Throw the fork into the sink right now.
You want the sugar to blend into the sugar and the color of the butter will actually lighten. But give your arm a break and don't go nuts on your butter. I expect a report next time.

Washington, DC: In response to the person concerned about the chocolate chip cookies-the easiest recipe that I have had success with is in the basic Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It is very difficult to mess up the recipe. The recipes on the back of the chocolate chip bags never work for me. Ever.

Kim O'Donnel: Monterrey, here's a great tip.

washington DC: The best thing to sprinkle on fish is Old Bay seasoning. Actually, Old Bay is really good on chicken too

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for this tip, although I'm not a big fan of Old Bay. I love to mix my own herbs and spices.

Chevy Chase, MD: How do you make your own bread crumbs, for example, if you want to dip chicken or fish in bread crumbs?

Kim O'Donnel: You can take homemade bread cubes and then put them through a food processor to break them up. How fine you want your crumbs is up to you. Don't forget to season your crumbs (salt, pepper, herbs, etc) before dipping in your meat.

Kim O'Donnel: Folks, we have gone past the hour and it's time to sign off and eat lunch. Thanks for the great conversation and the community that we are building each time we get together. Next Wednesday at noon, Michael Franz comes online to talk wine on "The Grapevine," and then I'm back on March 10. Til then, eat well... <

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