Live Q&As

It's a fine way to go. Some slow-cooker bean recipes even skip the soaking-overnight step.  There are general guidelines like the ones on LiveStrong's site, but this very specific one on DelectablePlanet.com might be just what you need.

I didn't bring to slow-cooker with me to the Maine homestead, but will return to that method of cooking beans when I'm back in DC next year. Not every time, but sometimes. Why? Well, because it's hassle-free. I do think you can overdo beans this way -- but if you overcook them, it's not a big deal because you can just turn them into soup or puree. Crescent Dragonwagon has a spiffy new book out, "Bean By Bean" (Workman), and she says this:

Place the soaked, rinsed beans in a slow-cooker set to high, ad water to cover, and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Turn down to low and let cook slowly till the beans are tender, 6 to 8 hours. Check on the beans every so often, adding liquid if needed.

That last part kind of defeats the purpose of using the SC when you're out of the house, but you get the point.

Here's a recipe for Chickpeas With Sunchokes and Chorizo I included with a cooking-for-one piece on slow cookers awhile back.

Hi there! You can try an Aztec casserole without the layering tortillas. It would be delicious, just less sturdy, but as it is all assembled and cooked in the pot, the mess would come out in delicious servings on your plate...

You can play with different kinds of vegetables and meats: say zucchini, green beans, onions, mushrooms and meat of your choice, give them a quick saute, bathe them in a salsa verde or roja, top with cream and cheese.

Casseroles let you play that way.

Hola!! Thanks so much!! I love working on my show so I am so glad you like it.

When buying both corn and flour tortillas I stay away from those that are packed in the refrigerator. Though they may last longer, they get a plastic feel that I don't enjoy. So go for those that are on the shelves in the Latin aisles. My favorite brand is Mission Foods. They have different kinds and sizes of corn and flour tortillas, they have a great flavor, are soft and great to cook with. And they are pretty accessible, found on most grocery stores and also online.

Throw that mixture away. Pronto. Just chalk it up to learning, and move on.

Seems like an achievable goal.

Yes, you can absolutely bake the tartlet shells ahead. Make sure the dough is nice and cold. Droopy tart walls = :( I should think you'd be able to bake them ahead, cool, freeze and reheat, actually. Wouldn't that be nice?

Yes, SAF is an instant yeast, so I suppose you can sub whatever you find at the store. But for only $5.95 on the King Arthur Flour web site, I'd be tempted to give it a shot. The product reviews rave about it, and I trust KAF enough that they could probably sell me the Brooklyn Bridge.

Andrea Nguyen, who's just published a very nice book called "Asian Tofu," likes to use a waffle-weave dish towel rather than paper towel for draining.  When she's going to fry tofu, she soaks the cubes beforehand in very hot, salted water beforehand, which firms up the outer surface and lightly seasons it at the same time.

Wine columnist Dave McIntyre says:

Well, you could take any of my columns, especially the Recession Buster lists of wines under $15 (now we call them Bargain Bottles), and draw from there. Perhaps you could narrow your theme a bit further - say, French wines, perhaps. I would suggest off the top of my head the Clos du Mont Olivet Cotes du Rhone I recommended in December for $15; the Pied de Perdrix (Partridge Foot) from southwestern France; the Simonnet Febve Chardonnay that tastes just like the chablis it really is for a mere $12. And maybe start off with a sparkling wine, such as a Blanquette de Limoux or a Cremant de Loire (Monmousseux is an excellent one)."

Why would we care? We wrote about said supper club years ago. And we have covered those DC bars, if not the smoke "trend," too -- and write about plenty of things that they don't ever get to, of course. 

Hi! Of course we can find other things to substitute. For the crunch of the almonds you can use pumpkin seeds as you say, but give them a light toast before you add them, so they can hold up in the filling and gain a bit more nuttiness. You can also add safflower seeds which are a bit harder, but also toast them before. For both, just use a small skillet over low-med heat and toast until they lightly brown and make popping noises.

As far as the olives, do you like capers? You can add capers instead. Or you can just skip them.

Thanks! Glad you liked the piece and the recipes -- credit goes to Tamar for her thoughtful, beautiful book, really. Tamar should weigh in here, too, but I think the beauty of the sauce in the Chickpea Pasta is that some of it is smooth and some of it is chunky. As for the Tuscan kale question, it's sometimes labeled Lacinato kale or dinosaur kale. I find it more delicate in texture and sweeter than some of the sturdier, curly kale, but, honestly, I like all kale!

Hi! Those are from my book, which Joe did such a beautiful reading of. An immersion blender would do a great job on the sauce, for one. 

When it comes to Tuscan kale, it's a little harder to grow--a little more finicky--so often you'll find the other sorts more often on shelves. Any sort of kale, or any turnip or collard green works great in the gratin, or any other greens preparation in the book or in other books.

Hmm. Well, I see some obvious things I'd do differently in that recipe. I'd brown the ribs first, to get them caramelized, rather than just dump everything in the slow cooker. And I'd saute the scallions, garlic and ginger first, too. In looking around quickly, I see lots of slow-cooker spare rib recipes that call for much longer cooking than this one, too. The other thing to keep in mind is that different slow-cookers do operate differently -- newer ones run much hotter than older ones, so if yours is older, and she calls for low heat, that's not going to do nearly what it would do if her testers were assuming you had a new cooker. 

Just a few thoughts.

Our recipe database has a dozen suggestions for you, including this one for Whole Poached Chicken With Lemon Grass and Bok Choy that ran with Bonnie's Book Report from last week.

My pal Bob Schueller of Melissa's Produce says it's for the sake of freshness. The fennel bulb will have a longer shelf life when it's got the stem still attached.  Of course, cooks like to use the fronds (a freebie herb, sort of ) and sometimes even the stalks for making stocks/broth. Stalks can be dried, too, and tossed on a fire as aromatics. Of course, Jacques Pepin, a chef who wastes nothing in the kitchen (our hero), chops up the stalks and works them into recipes.

I hope the fennel question asker is still here. The stalks of fennel are incredibly useful and delicious. So are the feathery leaves. Probably nothing does more for any braised meat, or stew, or pot of beans than a few whole stalks of fennel. The little leaves can be roughly chopped and used wherever parsley is. They are especially good on pasta!

Just search for "Dinner in Minutes" here. You'll get a lot of results, though! Be sure not to use the quotation marks in your actual search. That does not make the database happy.

That link will get you a mere 220 of the recipes, but we've got years' worth of Dinner Tonight recipes that remain in deep archives, so if you don't find what you're after, let us know and we'll track it down and get it online.

Jeez, bigger question than you might think. Doesn't really matter that much if you are a beginner. Matters more what your taste is. 

There are lots of good commercial sauces on the market, including some made right here in the DC area, such as those by Rocklands and Pork Barrel BBQ. 

Nationally, Gates from Kansas City makes a great sauce. So does Stubb's, from Texas. 

There are traditional red sauces, South Carolina-style musard sauces, vinegar0and-pepper sauces. Way too many to go into. My suggestion: experiment. 

As for recipes, we've run several here at the Post, including winners from our BBQ Sauce Contest last year. You might just take a looksee in the Post recipe archive.

What else besides whipped cream is in your frosting? I'd say you need a firmer frosting, especially for the filling part. If it's not already in there, I like to use cream cheese in things like strawberry cream cake. The Cook's Illustrated recipe for that, which I like, calls for 8 ounces of cream cheese for 2 cups of whipped cream (plus sugar and vanilla). That will keep it firmer. You'll get some squishing, but not squirting, I don't think -- which sounds kind of dangerous (and kind of fun).

How about Coffee and Chicory Pralines from New Orleans native and Bayou Bakery proprietor David Guas?

I do. I'm so glad you're asking these questions: I don't recommend cooking a whole bunch of meals at once, or even a big pot of chili at the beginning of the wek, because of exactly what you said: it feels glum, and like punishment to eat the same chili day in- and day-out. Rather, I recommend cooking a big pot of good plain beans, with lots of herbs and olive oil, roasting a whole chicken, boiling some good potatoes. Then, one night, you can quickly dot a little pan of beans with bread crumbs for a bean gratin, and then another puree some with more olive oil into a bean topping for toasted bread. Then the potatoes can be a salad one night, a puree themselves another, and so on. It's about making components and then mixing and matching, which is actually how a lot of the very best restaurant cooking is done!

That sounds like a most delicious broth!! You can do lots of things with it:

-Try a Caldo Tlalpeño style soup, and simmer some cut green beans, carrots, potatoes, cooked garbanzo beans. Place lime, chopped cilantro and onion at the table for garnish.

-Another kind of soup, is to add cooked rice or pasta in it along with same garnishes as above, and a side of warm corn tortillas.

-You can also use that same exact broth to cook cous cous, or rice, or pasta and garnish with shredded cheese.

-what my mom used to do with tasty broths like that was just heat it until very hot and serve it in a big mug, squeeze some lime juice on it, and sip it up!

A someone who is working on a cookbook on this topic, I'll go you one better: Why not just say vegetable-focused, or veggie, or veggie-centric, dining? Why reference meat at all? If you're going to accentuate the positive, start talking about what you love to eat, not what you love to NOT eat. Know what I mean?

I agree w/Joe. Whenever I see the Living Without mags at the checkout stand, my mind makes a :( face.

It would help to know where you live. But if you're anywhere near McLean, the Organic Butcher usually has boar, according to owner Don Roden. You can pretty much always find wild boar racks, shoulder, tenderloin and sausage. As for goat, they might have some frozen, but they can get it fresh if you order about two weeks in advance. Right now they also have antelope and venison. If that's not convenient to you, write back and I can probably find it somewhere else.

As source of said recipe, I agree. Thanks for the link!

E-mails always help -- particularly the positive ones! I think we're good for now, and we appreciate your concern.

I'm with you. I've found myself cooking less and less meat at home, partly to make up, healthwise, for the fact that I eat indulgent restaurant meals. I've found myself losing my taste for big portions of meat in the process. And yes -- I haven't bought meat from a source other than a farm in I don't know how long.

All that is why I pitched to my publisher a cooking-for-one book focused on vegetables. At this point, the plan isn't for it to be vegetarian, but to be vegetable-centric, with meat accents here and there (and options for leaving them out -- and for veganizing for those who want to).

Hi! Tamar here. Someone at the writers' space where I work observed the little glass jar of braised pork I brought in last week and asked if it was chutney. When I answered that it was turnips he asked "in glass?" and I responded that I found it so much more enticing to find jars, transparent and pretty. A little lightbulb went off for him, and he said "ahhh." I do think that part is helpful.

I'm also so glad the cooking batches of vegetables is working for you. It saves me every week.

You seem to have missed the quotes from thoughtful meat-eaters such as Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle.

Goat's not so hard to find around Washington: farmers markets, halal shops as you suggest, Eastern Market.  Is the stand you're talking about Painted Hand?

You're right on the edge...guess I'd run the seafood passed the smell test. I guess if you froze it today you might compromise the texture. But you'd eliminate any concerns and it's all going into eggs anyway, right?

If it smells and tastes good it is certainly good, and I would say that there's almost nothing that can't be perked up with a little vinaigrette. While something creamy like mascarpone and/or eggs will be lovely if it smells and taste perfect, if it's on the edge, make a little mustardy, herby vinaigrette and marinate the lobster in it, then serve it with boiled potatoes and more herbs. It will be great.

I have made the same process but instead of freezing the dough, I've refrigerated it. It is less harsh than the freezer and works out beautifully. It slows down the rising process to the point where it almost stops, but it doesn't let it stop! Which can be harder to control in the freezer if the dough is not super sealed. Also make sure that it is tightly covered.

Hello! They're in the same family, and often labeled as each other. Yes, they can be used interchangeably. Taste what you have so that you know whether it's a different varietal--it may be Florence fennel, or Bronze fennel, and then you can adjust the amount of it that you use--less if it tastes very strong, more if mild. But use away!

One difference is that fennel is commercially grown. Anise isn't (or so says my pal Bob Schueller).

Love these cookies. Thanks for the tip!

The publisher, the executive editor, letters to the editor....all good.

Surprised me as well, but I think Bob's an expert on this stuff. I'm sure he's referring to large commercial ops, not small-scale vendors.

If you have any small, oven safe containers, it would be good to use them and the water bath method. Is that an option?

I believe that's three questions, in fact! ;-) I have to say, you sent me to Google with this one. I wasn't sure at first glance whether the popcorn was in the Jell-O or the Jell-O was on the popcorn! Turns out it's the latter, for those of you not in the know (as I was just a few minutes ago). 

Most recipes seem to call for butter, a sweetener (honey, corn syrup, sugar) and the Jell-O packet, melted/dissolved, poured over popcorn. Since I'm not too keen on ingredients like adipic acid, disodium phosphate, sodium citrate and Blue 1 on my popcorn, I'd be tempted to remake this with stuff that's closer to natural, like a combination of gelatin, freeze-dried fruit (pulverized to a powder) and sugar.

We've seen it in the refrigerated and freezer sections, but those little flat pods of demi-glace (Demi-Glace Gold brand) are often on the soup aisle. Also, look for D'Artagnan brand demi-glace right where that brands meats are displayed. Balducci's carries demi-glace; think I've even seen them at the big Westbard Giant in Bethesda.

I'm finding reactions to the cow illustration most surprising! It's a cow, with vegetable-shaped spots instead of that breed's standard markings.  It's neither neg nor pos...just trying to show a personal conflict. The "pumping" language echoes arguments made on one side of this particular fence.

Thanks -- I'll address the non-cocktail part of your comments.

You represent one important piece of the movement toward less meat eating. I will say, though, that it's certainly possible to eat meat that is produced humanely. You can decide to eat less meat and eat better meat. But there's nothing wrong with deciding to eat none at all.

Great questions. I deal with this a lot in my book, An Everlasting Meal. Herbs keep for much longer than we think, and especially long if they're stored very dry, in single layers, with paper towels between them, in an airtight situation. It sounds like a pain, but it's really not, given that it allows you to keep all the money you spent on useful, beautiful herbs from going down the drain. They can store easily for over a month. Which ones do you have? 

Also, I wrote a piece on what to do with herb stems here: http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/4248-herbal-stem-ulation

One thing I do with extra herbs, especially basil, is make this paste (sort of like a pesto without the nuts or cheese). Freezes great, and you can break off pieces to throw into sauces/etc.

Yes! In Mexico we call it Hoja Santa and I just wrote a post about it yesterday. It is edible and Mexicans have eaten it for centuries! It's just that it should be consumed in small quantities because it has the same kind of oil as sassafras.

Hoja santa has a very unique flavor, aromatic, fragrant, a bit like anise, a bit like black peppercorns. It is used for flavoring stews, soups, all sorts of dishes and also as an edible wrapper for tamales. It is used fresh and dried.

Just like the epazote herb, it is used in small quantities and as such, is harmless and DELICIOUS.

Here's a recipe for you.

Or at least very salty. All it takes is our time at home, right?

Your comment is making me laugh so hard because it is so true!!! I have ran into really mild jalapeños and the mildest of cilantro. What I have done in the months when it is possible: I grow my own! I buy the seeds and plant them in my backyard and I was fully stocked for almost 10 months last year. They are very easy to take care off, you have to practically do nothing.

I tend to go to Panam International on Parkwood and 14th st NW to get my load of Mexican ingredients. It is a very small store (that plays great music as you shop too!) and has fresh ingredients delivered almost everyday. And chiles tend to be as spicy and as full of flavor as they should, because the custmoers that go to that store demand it (!)

It is true that imgredients change their flavor depending on where they are grown. So the same seed in the soil in my backyard may turn out tasting differently than the one in my sister's backyard in Miami (soil, weather, water...)

Yes you can!! (and thank you for your lovely comments!) Buy your dried chiles in a Latin or international store and not in a high end store. Dried chiles are insanely cheap if you know where to get them. Here in DC I go to Panam International on 14th st NW and Parkwood and pay less than $2 for like 50 ancho chiles, for example (Shoppers also too...). Less than $2 for a bag with more than 100 chiles de arbol... 

As far as the recipes that use fresh tomatoes, just substitute with whole canned! Just rinse out before you use them. Tomatillos are around these days in most grocery stores and also year round, but again, I recommend finding an international store that sells these kinds of ingredients at a much friendlier price.

And yes, you are so right, I think casseroles are perfect for someone in the last stages of pregnancy. Or to make ahead for any reason....

It is an inside joke with our friends. All in good spirit. The group started out with some Latin families, and as American friends joined along we just joked and joked that they were Latins too...

The texture of the dough before it is cooked, it is like a traditional fluffy cake batter... After it is cooked it hardens a bit, especially on the top and the sides. So it would resemble corn bread a bit... but soft, and more packed...

If you are in DC, you can get the dried chiles in Panam International, Shoppers.. I am pretty sure Whole Foods carries them too (though more expensive...). No chili powder wouldn't work because in this case the chiles are used in their entirety, they are not really spicy and what makes the thickness and body of the sauce are the chiles themselves. After they are cooked, they plump up and get a lot of body, so in this case you do need them... unless you added some tomatoes in there too...

Yeah, I think with those wrappers it wouldn't be too big a deal. You might need to put something in between them (plastic, or parchment) to keep them from sticking, I suppose. Hmm...

Tamar here. The onions and peppers sound delicious. I thought I'd pass this along, too, since you are a fellow appreaciator of the wonders of food that's alloweed to settle into itself a bit. Olive oil braising vegetables is just as easy as roasting them. I wrote an article about it for the current issue of Fine Cooking. They're great made ahead and can be sauce, side dish, topping, or ingredient.

Interesting -- I like the idea of the smaller package, but not sure why they would pre-cube it. That's not a time-consuming step, after all...

I have never tried that one! Will be sure to look out for them...

Seems that the only thing you accomplish by soaking them first, is to reduce the time of cooking, from anywhere to 1/4 to 1/3 less time. The thing with soaking, is that if you soak beans or lentils to long, they may ferment. If so, nothing happens yo you, but your dish will have a fermented flavor (like Chinese beans which are meant to have that flavor..., not great for Mexican, Latin or Mediterranean takes though).

Cooking them in the pressure cookes is the fastest way to go!! You really don't need to soak, just give them a good rinse before.

Lentils never need to be soaked, which is a truly wondeful quality about them--they are as easy to make as pasta.

Other dried beans do benefit from soaking overnight. I cook mine in a pot, not a slow cooker, but it really it just a question of giving them a chance to rehydrate slowly. The great thing is that beans are so good made a few days ahead that you can just soak them whenever you think of it, cook them the next day, then get home hungry one night and realize: Aha! Thank god I made those beautiful beans.

Yes, yes, yes! I completely understand. Two things I recommend are cooking individual elements of meals, like I do in this video. 

And also cooking your elements with one of two things in mind--or even both: olive oil and vinegar. When you make a batch of quickly pickled vegetables, whether onions or beets, they last longer becuase of vinegar's preservative quality. When you either cook something in a good deal of olive oil, or toss it with some olive oil before storing it away, you similarly slow its going bad--and actually it improves a little, as it gets to suck in some of the good oil. If that sounds unhealthy, rememember that if you've cooked something in good oil, or dress it with some, you won't need to add any other fat to your meal, and won't feel a yearning to stop at a burger joint instead of eating your lovely, oily kale for lunch tomorrow.

Dave McIntyre says:

I just had a really nice cab from Argentina called Angulo Innocenti that comes in right at $20, but might be hard to find. Of the national brands, I suggest the Beringer Knights Valley.

He adds, "Chateau Ste Michelle would be another good one."

Do you have Judith Jones' lovely "The Pleasures of Cooking for One"? That's a good one, and seems like it might be right up your alley. There's also Joyce Goldstein's "Solo Suppers," which I think you'd like, too. And glad you are into that soup (below)! Appreciate it.

Hi. I don't have great website recommendations, but I do recommend the approach Joe mentions in his column, and that my book lays out. Here is also a video of how to do it with vegetables. I cook for myself, though guests rotate in and through, and find that I always am within a few minutes of a wonderful meal when I cook elements ahead. And that fact--of its ease, seems to give me the room to make little creative decisions and elaborations that I otherwise might not, if I had to deal with all the emotional and mental energy of starting from square one--so suddenly I end up adding a little preserved lemon to the chicken pan, or thinking that a touch of cinnamon would be nice in the coconut milk. I know that's a touch digressive!

I love my Braun Multiquick. It's powerful, has multiple speeds and came with a ton of attachments, most of which, I confess, I never use. But I like having them around, just in case! Bonnie Benwick, sitting next to me, calls out that she loves her Cuisinart. In 2008, we tested immersion blenders and the Hamilton Beach Hand Blender came out on top, followed by the Bamix Mono. But models change from year to year, so take that with a grain of salt. Maybe other chatters can recommend their faves.

Friend of Food Cathy Barrow will be teaching several canning classes this year. And Susan Holt over at Culinaerie said there's a good chance they'll have something on their schedule too.

I will take ALL credit, even though it seems like I don't really deserve it. Actually, I'm glad to inspire in whatever way works. Thanks...

Good job with the recipes, Joe! (This is Tamar, good naturedly razzing Joe, who knows I don't believe credit for recipes exists.) 

I'm glad you made kale and chickpeas, and this is all making me hungry.

Tee-hee!

In honor of today's Mexican theme, how about a Paloma? Fantastic, with tequila and lime. Or one of my all-time favorite drinks: the Antibes (below), with Benedictine and gin. It's a new summer classic for me, but what the heck -- pretend it's summer and enjoy.

Hahaha!! I love eso de Sra Jinich and it will be my pleasure. Try my matzoh ball soup with jalapeños and mushrooms.

Or chicken with apricots, tamarind and chipotle

This brisket is unique.

Hello! It's so funny, because when I opened a restaurant in Georgia in 2004: The man from whom we bought pigs couldn't give away the bellies. I bought them and braised them, and roasted them, just like every fancy restaurant does now, and diners were perplexed. Intrigued but perplexed. Pigs' middles--which are turned into bacon and sausage, normally, make up so much of their body that it's an incredibly economical cut. And so easy to cook. So, for ideas: first you can substitute belly for shoulder roast in any recipe you read. Any, any recipe: milk-braised, persimmon braised, wine braised. Second, my favorite thing to do with belly is in my book, An Everlasting Meal, but it's originally from Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall's book, the River Cottage Meat book. It's very simply scoring the skin, rubbing with herbs and garlic, and roasting in a medium-low oven. It's also super easy to make your own bacon. Just brine the pieces in sweet and salt water for 2 nights, then follow instructions for making a little, simply stovetop smoker. It doesn't even take any special equipment. 

I'm loving it. Are you in Maine, too? I'm finding it so invigorating to do physical work -- and to learn about things I didn't really know that much about. We have onions coming up in their little trays inside, to be transplanted soon, and I can hear the runner ducks quacking and the chickens rustling around. My third-floor window has views of mainly trees, trees, trees.

You know, I am the ultimate user of all things oft discarded (a lot of the everlastingness in my book, An Everlasting Meal, refers to the fact that meals do keep going and going when you can use all your delicious trimmings and tops and bones.) I've only ever used carrot tops in small amounts in soups of greens, like the one I describe here.

A few weeks earlier though, in the same column, a writer had a ton of ideas for carrot tops!

Then the Organic Butcher in McLean should be good for you. I just called a butcher in Alexandria to ask about goat. He said he doesn't carry it, and it's hard to find at most butcher shops because they would have to buy the whole animal and would be able to sell only some of it; the rest would be wasted. If you want goat, he suggests finding a halal butcher, which would be a likelier source.

Glad you found an eating strategy that works for you.

Yes, it should. But the effects might not last long!

Nope. Because you grill them quickly and at high heat, they just get a couple of beautiful char-lines on 'em, but otherwise stay pretty much intact. 

Try Cheerios Cereal Bars.

    Yeah, read my story in January's post on indoor smoking  at http://wapo.st/wyLD4z and read the one coming up at the end of this month on cooking with smoked beer. (Yep, there is such a thing.)

I can speak to the superfine sugar shortage. The only supermarkets where I have always been able to find it are Giants. About driving around, though, why not use the stores' Web sites to see if they have the products you're looking for? Some sites are better than others but at least it's a start and might save you some gas.

If it's any consolation, I've seen superfine/caster sugar at several Harris Teeter locations.

No nutritional information, it's true.

Oh, just make onion soup with chicken or crab stock. It will still be delicious, just a differnet version. If you do it with crab, make a very lemony mayonnaise and put that on your crouton instead of cheese. If you do it with chicken, add lots of herbs. And I'd love to know how it turns out.

Thank you so very much Kelly C! I LOVE that hibiscus salad dressing and you can make it ahead of time. I like it so much that if there is any leftover I just spoon it right into my mouth :)

    You're getting into the Great Mystery of Fire. The external temperature impacts the cooking time, and there really is not much you can do about it except to learn how to "read the winds," if you will. 

    Depends, too, on the type of you rig you have. A well-insulated cooker, like a Big Green Egg, is less prone to variation than a leaky offset smoker or a basic kettle. 

    I don't have a formula, such as, say, for every 10 degree drop in temperature add another half-hour cooking time, because it also depends on what you are cooking, and the dampness of the wood you are using (assuming, of course, that you are using wood). But, basically, the colder it is, the longer it will take. Not much help, I know. 

     That's why they call it a mystery. 

This is referring to a chatter last week who was having trouble freezing stuff in glass jars because it expanded and leaked. I suggested plastic freezer bags and got nailed for being environmentally insensitive. :-(

Gotcha. Two thoughts: 1) You need to refrigerate that frosting until it's as stiff as possible. 2) I stand by the idea of adding some cream cheese to the party.

That comment was a TEENSY bit disingenuous, because, actually, I have a tough time roasting chicken for myself, because I actually eat the thing within a day -- no self-control! I'm trying to get better about that.

Here's my favorite roast chicken recipe, with or without the potatoes.

During our interview, it's true, Joe told me that he finds his own chicken so delicious that he eats a good deal of it all at once. I always roast my chickens the same way and I also find that they're better than the ones from any restaurant or store. The key is to salt them well, well, a day ahead, then leave them in the fridge overnight. Then I brown the skin in a pan on the stove in olive oil or peanut oil--in an oven safe pan. I then start them in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan, lower the oven to 360, then baste them with butter and pan juices every ten minutes until they're done--juices run clear. Then I rest them on a cutting board for 15 minutes, then serve the pan juices drizzled over the top. I stuff any herbs I have under the skin, and others in the cavity. And I rarely worry about trussing. 

I have to find a way around this! Usually I eat one (generous) serving right after roasting, and then I pul the chicken off the carcass to save as leftovers, but in doing so I tend to eat another (generous) serving. And then I'm back at it by midnight, or certainly by breakfast. Sigh.

Perhaps I should eliminate the one serving I can most easily control: The one for dinner right after roasting. I should just let the thing cool enough to handle and then immediately pull off the meat from the carcass. Since I'll eat a serving in the process anyway, I'll be ahead. Or behind. Or something. 

Sigh.

Always always in the fridge. Herbs like to be dry and cool and covered from air. They're tidy, delicate little things. Parsley can both be cleanly picked off its stems, and the stems saved in a plain, uncareful plastic bag. The leaves are good in a quart container, bag, or jar. Others need all that fussing, but they'll stay as long as you fuss and store well.

Mexican vanilla properly processed (in artisanal plants) will BLOW YOUR MIND when you open the bottle. It is not only that the vanilla pods are growing in their original and natural habitat it is that the entire process, from planting, to harvesting, to what they call "beneficio" which is the slowly drying/sweating process, and the slow technique for making the vanilla extract is unique and dedicated. Test with the different kinds and you will see...

They can be used interchangeably, but they do taste a bit  differently...

Hi! Well, it is really a main dish, all you need on its side (of either of the three) is a light green salad. You have an entire meal in a full serving. If you want to make it lighter, you can:

-reduce the cream and cheese in the Aztec casserole, and do just a single layer of tortillas, or skip them!

-do half the dough for the tamal casserole and you will have a thinner lighter take.

-do brown rice for the mushroom one and use light cheese.

I'd start with a good book on no-knead bread, such as Jim Lahey's "My Bread" or Nancy Baggett's "Kneadlessly Simple." You can go from there.

Yes, there are barbecue conventions.  The Mid-Atlantic Barbecue Association has its annual meeting on March 3. And the National Barbecue Association has its annual convention on Feb. 22-25. This year's will be a little poignant, as one of the most prized barbecue joints in America, the Shed in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, burned down a few days ago. People from around the country have been rallying around it. 

I haven't done the blender method, so I can't get behind it unquestioningly, but definitely don't give it up! What I would do would be to find a nice custard recipe. Any lemon custard is inexpensive and easy to make. Then you don't have to worry about it setting or being perfect, but just whisk it over a water bath, and taste it till it's right, and let it cool, serve it in your wineglasses, and toast!

Yes! Romeritos in Mexico is a dish made with a kind of wild green and dried shrimp, sometimes potatoes and a Mole sauce. It has actually nothing to do with the Rosemary herb... I will try to post a recipe soon.

Good idea!