Recent online special guests included local caterer Vered Guttman. Here are edited excerpts from that chat.
Recipes whose names are capitalized can be found in our Recipe Finder at washingtonpost.com/recipes.
Q. What foods can be stored without harm in the cupboard over the stove? The lower cupboard shelf is 30 inches above the stove top burners. I would like to use the cupboard for items used less often, such as larger containers of salt, flour, rice, canned goods. But a can of peaches stored there leaked all over, and I’ve no way of knowing whether the can was defective or heat from the burners caused the problem.
A.I store dried pastas, dried rice, dried chili peppers, cereal and salts in the short cabinet above my stove at home. You can make them easier to fetch by grouping them in fish tubs or other light and large containers.
I wouldn’t recommend canned goods or flours: They’re heavy, and the flours are better off in the freezer or refrigerator (again, in a container) for long-term storage.
– Bonnie S. Benwick
Q. I’ve really enjoyed making Joe Yonan’s Scrappy Vegetable Broth. I’m surprised at how quickly I fill up those two zip-locks bags with vegetable trimmings, and I love repurposing the scraps that used to be tossed. My question: Are there any vegetables that are too strong-tasting to use? What about cauliflower cores, and the green stems on the outside, and red pepper stems?
A. Glad you’re onto this strategy. It keeps my kitchen humming.
Yes, some vegetables are probably too strong-tasting: I haven’t had problems with cauliflower or red pepper, but some of the greens – kale, collards, mustard greens – I think would be too strong. Mushroom stems are amazing; just know that you might need to strain the stock if they’re dirty.
Mostly, though, I think you can be pretty free-wheeling with this recipe, and just adjust and regroup for the next round if you want something different.
– Joe Yonan
Q. I’m making a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe for Easter that calls for tahini, which I don’t normally buy. I see Joyva brand everywhere, but I’m wondering if you have a preference you’d suggest instead.
A. Al Arz, a Palestinian tahini, is the best one you can get in the United States. Its taste is wonderful. Other good ones are the Beirut or Lebanon brands, available in most Middle Eastern stores in our area.
In general, to choose a good tahini you just need to taste it. It has to be tasty enough that you would enjoy eating it directly from the jar. It should not be bitter. And it’s one of the most wonderful and versatile ingredients there are.
– Vered Guttman
Q. For someone who is unable to manage a fork, I need to find food she can eat with her fingers. I can do chunks of chicken or meat, but what can accompany it? Cherry tomatoes, chunks of cheese and cucumbers, but that is not a balanced meal, and in any case would get boring.
A. How about making a wrap? See our recipes for Avocado and White Bean Salad Wraps; Chicken Masala Wraps; Plantain Wraps With Tangy Black Bean Spread.
– Kara Elder
Q. Do you have a good recipe for making kimchi?
A. Yes, there are lots of recipes out there! We have a good one in our database: Napa Cabbage Kimchi.
My own recipe is a little easier, I’d say, and it uses a higher proportion of chili. I got the basic technique and proportions from my friend Deb Samuels, who co-wrote “The Korean Table.” You toss the cut-up cabbage with salt and let it sit until it exudes liquid and wilts, an hour or two, then you squeeze out the liquid. You whir together the chili and other ingredients in a food processor, then toss that with the chili, let it sit overnight, then move it to the fridge. In my first book, I threw an Asian pear in there, which I really like, and in “Eat Your Vegetables,” I took it out because it’s not always easy to find, and I offered the veg substitutes for the oyster and fish sauces.
– J.Y.
Q. Is it possible to smoke four pounds of a section of brisket in four hours, assuming an hour per pound? Or does the math not work that way?
A. Here’s my advice: Skip the math.
Buy a cheap meat thermometer. When the brisket temperature hits about 185 or 190, pull the meat and let it rest for about an hour.
– Tim Carman
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