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What's Cooking
Vegetarian Special
Hosted by Kim O'Donnel
washingtonpost.com Staff
Thursday, April 25, 2002; Noon EDT

Calling all foodies! Join us for the vegetarian edition of 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.

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: Hello and welcome to the monthly meat-free edition of What's Cooking. As many of you know, I am not a vegetarian, but I often choose not to eat meat for days at a time. This hour is an opportunity for cooking enthusiasts who are not only practicing vegetarians or vegans but for those who aspire to eat less meat and incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet and pantry. We exchange recipes, offer tips and do anything to make meat-free cooking and eating more interesting and diverse. Before we get started, here's a little primer on some plant-based proteins out there: Tofu is coagulated soymilk, which is why it's known as bean curd. Its texture (firm, extra firm, silken, etc) depends on how much water is released during the coagulation (similar process to cheese) process.
Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans (and sometimes grains); a mold is injected into cooked beans and formed into cakes.
TVP is the acronym for Texturized Vegetable Protein, which is made from soy flour.
Seitan is not a soy product; it's made from wheat gluten and so why you may have heard it referred to as "wheat meat." This is the stuff that becomes mock chicken, tuna, pork, etc in vegetarian restaurants.
Let's get started.

Washington, D.C.: I love lasagna. I am allergic to dairy so have given up on eating it. Could cheese be replaced with tofu? If so, what type of tofu works best? How is it best used?

Kim O'Donnel: If you are allergic to dairy, I highly recommend getting "Totally Dairy-Free Cooking" by Louis Lanza. Yes, cheese can be replaced with tofu, but you may also want to look into soy cheese for a similar texture. Silken tofu would probably work best as a ricotta sub.

Somewhere, USA: I recently made homemade vegetable stock for the first time. The recipe did not indicate what to do with the vegetables after the stock had been strained. It seems a shame to throw out all those chopped carrots, celery, mushrooms, etc. Is there any use for the veggies, or is their flavor depleted after creating the stock? Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: By the time you cook those veggies, they are pretty wilted and lacking flavor. You could try pureeing them and see if they do anything for you; you could also create a compost pile that would be fab for your garden.

Washington, D.C.: Thanks for the chats -- especially the veggie chats. I have a soy question. I've found soy nuts are a great snack -- low in fat and high in protein. But what are they exactly? How are they related to soybeans, edamame? Are they really as good for you as they seem? thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: They are dry-roasted soy beans. Pretty great, no? Watch the salt in those packages, tho.

Washington, D.C.: So Kim,

I've tried everything suggested -- kudzu powder, pressing, etc., and I just can't get my tofu to crisp up. At best it gets sort of rubbery on the outside -- not too pleasant. What am I doing wrong?

Kim O'Donnel: Are you using extra firm tofu? Press with a plate of heavy weight for about an hour. Drain and then marinate for about 15ish minutes in whatever you like. If you are sauteeing, get your pan nice and hot and use an oil with a fairly high smoking point like canola or peanut oil. Try this and see how it works.

Derwood, Md.: Hi Kim, I really enjoy your chats, and thanks especially for these vegetarian sessions. I'm pretty much with you on the fake meats, as in "too unnatural" and "why bother?" -- not to mention the loads of sodium they've usually got. But over the last 10-12 meatless years, I've grown tired of the Everything-is-a-stew-or-pasta texture that a lot of vegetarian stuff has. Sometimes, I'd like something tougher, such as the dense, stringy tofu slices you find in vegetarian general tso's chicken and such. Would you or the soynuts know how to prepare tofu that way?

I've found that sauteed collard greens have a stronger texture as well. Here's how I enjoy them:
- Wash, perform stem-ectomy, roll and chiffonade a batch of leaves
- saute garlic and finely minced ginger until fragrant in a little olive oil, or nonstick spray if you want to be spartan
- add a dash of sugar, wait till it's melted and picked up the ginger fragrance
- add the collards and saute
- add a little soy sauce at the end

Kim O'Donnel: Hey Derwood,
let me clarify for a sec. It's the processed stuff, the Quorn of the world, that kinda burns my socks. The veggie burger category is not all bad, depending on which you brand you select. Check the labels. If you're hankering for heartier tofu, you may want to either roast it, grill it or sear on top of the stove. You should experiment with all kinds of marinades. I have recently tried out jerked tofu. Pretty interesting. There's a title out there Biker Billy"s Freeway-a-Fire Cookbook" which is lots of fun because this guy likes his stuff spicy. Thanks for the collard greens tidbit.

Sydney, Australia: OK, I'm not a vegetarian, but my new wife is. (Actually, she doesn't even like to call herself a veg because of the obnoxious politics of so many of them; she just says she doesn't eat meat or fish, which is fine with me). Anyway, we both love to cook, and I've adapted a lot of my recipes to her tastes, very successfully for the most part.

The only problem: I still miss the fun of cooking meat, but basically I have a steak or a roast beef sandwich for lunch and then we make something for both of us for dinner (or go out.) Are there any veggie recipes where meat can be done seperately/added later or something that you can recommend? Also this would be good for entertaining our non-vegetarian friends.

Kim O'Donnel: Greetings Sydney (shouldn't you be asleep?),
I get this kind of question often, and very recently, a book was published for folks just like yourselves. It's called "The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook" by Robin Robertson, who has a family of both meateaters and veggies. The book covers lots of hearty dishes that meaties would find satisfying. I also suggest, esp. for entertaining, this vegetarian timpano dish. Here's the lowdown:

Vegetarian Timpano
from Cucina e Famiglia
by Joan Tropiano Tucci and Gianni Scappin


Serves 12.
You need a 10-inch springform pan.
You can make sauce in advance, as well as eggplant.
You can bake in advance, then reheat when ready to serve.

Cut lengthwise 3-4 med. eggplants, into 1/2inch wide strips. Sprinkle with kosher salt, let drain for about 2 hrs.

Grease your pan with 2 T of butter. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on bottom and sides. Set aside.

Melt about 1 T butter in a small saucepan, whisk in 2 T flour, then gradually whisk in 1 cup milk. bring to a simmer and cook, whisking, until it thickens. remove from heat, cover top of sauce with plastic wrap to avoid a skin . This is your bechamel sauce.

For the veggie filling:

prepare a pot of boiling water for 3/4 pound short pasta -- penne, ziti, fusilli, your choice.

In a large pot, sauté with a bit of olive oil 1 cup diced onions and about 2 cups diced bell pepper (yellow and red are good colors), until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup quartered and thinly sliced carrots, 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery., stirring until soft. Stir in approx. 3 cups halved and thinly sliced zucchini, 2 T chopped fresh basil and parsley,. Stir in about 2 cups whole canned tomatoes, crushing with back of spoon as you add. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook for a bit. Stir in 1 cup frozen or fresh peas and the bechamel sauce, cook for a few minutes. Keep on fire while pasta boils.
When pasta is done, drain and add to sauce. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl to cool. When cool, add 2 cups diced mozzarella and 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano.

At this point you can chill over night or use right away.

Continue with eggplant preparation. Pat your sliced dry with paper towel. Lightly brush with olive oil, brown under broiler or on grill, about 5 minutes per side.


Preheat oven for 350.

Line your pan with overlapping slices of eggplant, allowing each slice to overhang the edge of the pan by about 3 inches. Line the center of the pan with eggplant, overlapping with ends of side pieces. You'll need a few for the top as well.

Fill eggplant shell with your pasta/veggie mixture, pressing down with spoon. Fold slices that are hanging over sides over the filling. Patch any holes with eggplant. Cover with foil and bake about 15 minutes. Remove foil, raise heat til 400, cook about 15 minutes. Remove from pan, let rest for about 10. Then remove ring from pan and place on a platter. Slice and serve immediately.

Let me know how things are going.

Rosslyn, Va: How come all that vegetarian stuff you just mentioned (bean curd, mold, gluten) sounds so gross?

Kim O'Donnel: Well, I bet if you described hamburger meat (cow ground up)to a vegetarian, you'd get a similar response. Open mind, Rosslyn. Don't mock it til you try it.

Mt. Lebanon, Pa.: Still waiting for that sure-fire, best tastin' vegetarian burger with special sauce recipe: one that doesn't look and taste like store-bought frozen vegetable burgoo. Thanks much.

Kim O'Donnel: Who has a recipe for a fabu veggie burger for Mt. Lebanon? By the way, have you ever tried your hand at falafel? To me, this is the best veggie burger you can have.

Fairfax, Va.: Hi, just want to share a good sidedish recipe from Jaffrey Mahur's book. In hot oil, add some mustard seeds and ground cumin.
After the seeds finish popping, add cubed cooked potatoes and some minced garlic, toss thoroughly; add chopped mints, cilantro and jalapenos, toss; add sweet corn and cook until corn is done. Add a bit of coconut milk, salt and lemon juice, heat thru and serve. It got a lot of ingredients going on, but the combined tastes of sweet, sour, spicy and salty go really well together.

Kim O'Donnel: Sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing. It's Madhur Jaffrey, by the way.

OliveBoy: Hi Kim -- I had a little time at work this morning, so I watched the knifing video you did. It was really helpful. My question today is about blood orange vinegrette, which came up in the chats awhile ago. I grabbed some blood oranges at fresh fields and tried to make it for my boyfriend, but it came out AWFUL. I did what you said, and emulsified with olive oil. I think I added a bit of salt, pepper, and honey. I checked the oil and honey for spoilage, but both were okay. What did I do wrong? What little flavor it had was bitter.

washingtonpost.com: All About Knives Video

Kim O'Donnel: Glad to be of service with the knife vid, OliveBoy. Did you taste the blood oranges before you used? I know they are on their way out of season (or already are), so maybe that's what was ailing the situation. So you squeezed the juice, then salted. Then emulsified with oil. Did you go gradual with the oil? You only need a pinch with this vinaigrette. Next time, try grapefruits. They seem to be quite lovely right now.

Soy Milk: Hello there! Thanks for these enlightening chats. I'm not quite a vegetarian, but I often go for weeks without eating meat because I simply love veggies and find it easier to prepare yummy veg dishes.

So, my question pertains to soy milk. Can it be used as a replacement in baked goods? I use it in coffee and cereal just fine, of course. But, always wondered if it could be swapped in cookies and breads and such. How about cream sauces?

Kim O'Donnel: Actually, when I was looking in Louis Lanza's book, I noticed that many of his dessert recipes include silken tofu instead of soy milk. I can't verify right now if soy milk can be subbed directly. Will have to get back to you on that.

Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: Kim, love your chats. I'm a first time poster but long time reader. Here are some of my favorites --

Tandoori Paneer -- buy a block of solid paneer from an Indian store. It will be in the refrigerated section in a plastic wrap. The small cubes don't work well here. Cut the block into 1/2 inch slabs. Score with a knife. Mix some store bought Tandoori paste (usually Patak's) with some yougurt, chili powder and lemon juice. The marinade should be thick. Work the marinade into and on the pieces of paneer. Pre-heat oven to 425 and bake the panner for about 30 minutes or until the marinade has basically evaporated. Squeeze more lemon juice on top and eat. It's really yummy. By the way, you can make your own tandoori paste. There are lots of good Web sites with recipes. Some of my favorites are www.bawarchi.com and www.sanjeevkapoor.com.

Lemon Rice -- cook two cups of plain long-grain rice and set aside. In a small pan, add one tablespoon of canola or veg. oil (olive oil doesn't work well with Indian food). Once heated, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and some chopped up green chilis or dry red chilis. After the seeds pop, let the oil cool down. Mix the oil with the rice, add salt and the juice of 1 or 2 lemons. Add a little turmuric powder for an additional burst of yellow color. Add some chopped cilantro and you are good to go.

Thanks for these veg. chats. You're the best.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for these great tidbits, dear. I heard recently from another reader who tried her hand at making paneer, and she loved it. If that's of interest, holler with an email and I'll send the details.

Washington, D.C.: Is there a good tasting tofu dog out there? The ones I've tried just don't taste very good and really don't taste like a hot dog.

Kim O'Donnel: Who's got a fave tofu dog?

Washington, D.C.: Does anyone have a good recipe for a veggie loaf? My first two tries were blah.

Kim O'Donnel: Another request...who knows of a good veggie loaf without the blahs, of course.

New York, N.Y.: Kim,

I am a long-time vegetarian who has trouble digesting anything with soy in it (even soy milk). It makes me bloated and causes horrible gas.

Am I missing anything nutritionally by not eating soy (I'm ovo-lacto)? Also, do products like Beano work, and do you think it might make a difference for me? I feel like I miss out on the fun of eating at vegetarian restaurants, because I have to avoid soy just as much as I have to avoid meat when I eat at non-veggie restaurants. I see all these dishes with tempeh and tofu that look interesting, but I can't eat them without being sorry later. I don't have this problem with other legumes.

Kim O'Donnel: Hmmm. The jury is still out on soy products, but I can't help you on this one. I will consult a few sources and if you email me, I will try to oblige. Soy products are among the many meatless offerings available, so don't fret. For milk products, you may want to try rice milk or nut milks and see if that interests you. You may want to try dining out at Indian restaurants, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, where the cuisine is heavily veggie and soyless.

Washington, D.C.: Basic question (I think): What is the difference between a leek and a shallot? And why can I find neither at my grocery store?

Kim O'Donnel: They are both members of the same family, the allium family, onion family. A shallot is small and bulbous and usually has a brownish/light purple paper skin; its flavor is a cross between garlic and a mild onion. They are minced for vinaigrettes, sauces and can be used for marinating, roasted by themselves. Delish and very versatile. A leek is tallish, with a white root, tougher green top and has a fairly thick circumference. It looks like a big scallion. Both leeks and shallots are available in most groceries; if you're not finding, don't be afraid to ask.

Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: Hi, Kim and chowhounds!

I've been a lacto-vegetarian for years and years. I LOVE dairy, but I don't love what happens to cows during the whole milking process. Does anyone know of where I can buy cruelty-free dairy products (not just "organic"), where cows are treated humanely? For now I'm just dabbling in soy milk, etc, so at least I'm cutting back, but I do love the real thing (and I'm having a hard time giving up things like brie and ice cream). Thanks much!

Kim O'Donnel: A great question. Have you looked at some of the brands being offered at Fresh Fields? If I remember correctly, several of these brands state on packaging that milk comes from cows not treated with antiobiotics or given growth hormones, some brands are processed on smaller family farms. But I will keep looking for you.

Tofu hotdogs: SmartDogs are the best I've tried. Tofu Pups, which have been around the longest, barely seem like food to me. I remember watching one fall into the barbecue coals, and it didn't even burn!

Kim O'Donnel: The tofudoggie club is accepting memberships...

Takoma Park, Md.: Yves Chili Dogs are pretty good. The flavor resembles a hot dog, but the texture is not quite there (smooth, not chewy). In a pinch, I'd get them over any others.

Kim O'Donnel: And more...

Baltimore, Md.: This is for Sydney, Australia. I am not a meat eater, however, my husband could eat steak, and just steak, every night and never get tired of it. There are tons of dishes that I make vegitarian and add meat for him at the end. I will make a risotto or pasta dish with lots of veggies and make a grilled chicken breast for him to add. You could also do fahita night with beans, rice, onions, peppers, etc for her and grill and slice some steak or chicken for you. Just make sure that you season the meat because it may not have all of flavor as the main dish.

Kim O'Donnel: Excellent suggestion, Balto.

Not quite a hot dog: Boca makes an outstanding veggie Italian sausage. Great with peppers and onions. Even my non-veggie husband really likes them!

Kim O'Donnel: More doggie ideas...

Tofu Dogs!: The Morningstar brand corn dogs taste so good -- you'd almost swear they were meat dogs! Give 'em a try.

Kim O'Donnel: And more...

Soyville: I have used Soy Milk on baked goods. It works quite well as far as texture goes, but you may want to check for flavor. Sometimes the more delicate things (lemon bars, etc.) tend to taste a bit like soy. Brownies, etc. that have a little heartier flavor should be fine. It doesn't work so well in custards.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for sharing. I just remembered that Lorna Sass in her "the New Soy Cookbook" has lots of dessert recipes. Check it out.

Hummus fiend: Hi Kim,

Longtime humus lover here, and I just recently bought ingredients to try and make my own. Quick question -- do I need to refrigerate the tahini paste after I open it? My jar is primarily in Arabic so I'm not sure. Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: I would say it's a good idea but not absolutely necessary. Think of it like peanut butter.

Chicago, Ill.: Kim:
When cooking for a vegan friend, I often opt for pasta, because a lot of my favorite pastas (esp. a really great orrechiette with chickpeas and brocolli rabe) can be made vegan easily -- but they just don't taste the same without a dusting of good parmesan. Can you think of something to add to pasta that would add a bit of what parmesan adds? Obviously a bit of salt helps but I miss the tang. I know there are soy-based "parmesan" substitutes but I expect those are probably a good sub for the powdered stuff in the green cans, and nothing like real cheese, but I could be wrong. Thoughts?

Kim O'Donnel: Bread crumbs are fab on top of pasta. And drizzle a touch of olive oil, a small bit of your favorite fresh herb and you may not miss the parm one bit.

Gaithersburger: Just wanted to share something I made on the grill recently. Tak zucchini, yellow squash and carrots -- cut into sticks. Add onion slices and quartered artichoke hearts. On a large sheet of foil put down a layer of lemon slices, add veggies, shake on some dill, S&P and dry mustard. Wrap up the packages (make seperate ones for each serving and leave room for air to move around) and throw on a hot grill. When carrots are tender crisp you're ready to go. Yummy.

Kim O'Donnel: Sounds like you've been busy. Well done.

Baltimore, Md.: When I recently made a lima bean spread (for bread), it ended up very liquidy and was more like a dip.

Here's the recipe:
Sweat onions and garlic until tender.
Add frozen lima beans and vegetable stock. Simmer until tender.
Add all other ingredients (extra virgin olive oil, salt, papper, parsley, rosemary) and puree with hand blender.

I'm thinking that to reduce the liquid in the future I should not add all of the vegetable stock (recipe calls for 1 cup) and should cut back on the olive oil (recipe calls for 2/3 cup), adding more of each only if necessary. Is this the best approach? I used a food processor with puree blade, not a hand blender -- not sure if this would have played in a role in the liquidiness.

Thanks for your advice. This is a delicious spread that I first had at a Culinary Institute restaurant with multigrain bread. I'd like to get it right next time!

Kim O'Donnel: Don't cut back on the olive oil. Yes, let reduce more (or reduce amount you use to begin with) and remember that the frozen lima beans are going to release some water. If you need to, drain some of the liquid.

Zucchini: Just discovered that I love them! Can you tell me a little about the nutritional value of them? What kind of nutrients do they have?

Kim O'Donnel: A good thing to love, and soon they will be in season in all their glory. Low in cal, lots of potassium and phosphorus, some Vitamin A, some calcium. Delicious with herbs, garlic and olive oil.

San Francisco, Calif.: This is a suggestion for the poster who couldn't get the tofu to crisp up. Kim's suggestions are great -- firm tofu, weighted plate. I also coat the tofu with nutritional yeast. It has the same effect as flouring chicken before you fry it.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for chiming in. I bet you can pick up some of the yeast at your local health food store. Cheers.

For parm lover: Try nutritional yeast. It adds a cheesy flavor and the texture becomes a little like melted cheese.

Kim O'Donnel: Another vote and application for nutritional yeast. Many thanks.

popping mustard seeds?: What do you mean, pop? Like a little sizzle, or you better put a lid on it because hot seeds and oil are gonna be flying?

Kim O'Donnel: They might fly a bit, but remember not to have heat up too high because they burn easily and will become bitter.

For the blood orange person: I bought some blood oranges at Fresh Fields a few weeks ago -- needed the juice for a sauce. They were inedible. I nearly yakked when I bit into a leftover orange that I took to work. Not sweet at all, tasted kind of funky though I am sure they were pretty fresh. Maybe you got a bad batch too.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for sharing. That means the bloodies are done for this year. Try another fab citrus for now.

Re: Veggie Loaf: Made a great two layered veggie loaf recently. Saute beans with onions, garlic, coriander and cumin. Mash bean and put in a loaf pan. Spread cooked sweet potatoes mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg over the bean layer. Cook, invert and slice. Yum! (and I'm not the biggest fan of sweet potatoes)

Kim O'Donnel: I love it when requests are honored. Thanks, pal.

Always asking about jerk, Kentucky: I'm gonna have to be jerk girl or something if I keep sumbiting questions about it. Tell me about this jerk tofu -- did you just coat in jerk seasoning and cook?

Kim O'Donnel: I didn't make my own jerk seasoning but you can no prob and it lasts a good while in the fridge. That said, I used a teaspoon and mixed with a touch of olive oil and let the tofu cubes sit in it for a while, at least 30 minutes. You can either cook in the oven or in a hot pan on the stove.

kampachi: Hi Kim,

Thank you for the heads up on Paula Wolfert -- she's incredibly accessible and her recipes I've tried so far are yummy/simple/homey.

Tunisian Chard and Chickpeas (I used broccoli rabe)

bunch of chard/kale/broccoli rabe etc
garlic to taste (start with 2 cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1 small dried chile
olive oil
1/2 minced onion
2 tsps of tomato paste
1 cup of chickpeas cooked or 1 can of chickpeas
lemon sliced into wedges

In pot steam, parboil or microwave chard leaves until tender, about 5 minutes.

Set leaves in colander to drain.

Squeeze out excess moisture and shred coarsely.

Crush garlic in mortar with salt, coriander and chile until thick, crumbly paste forms.

Heat olive oil in 10-inch skillet and saute onion until pale-golden.

Add garlic paste and tomato paste and stir into oil until sizzling.

Add chard, cooked chickpeas and cooking liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand until ready to serve. (Contents of skillet should be very moist but not soupy. For looser texture, stir in more chick pea cooking liquid.)

Serve warm, at room temperature or cold with lemon wedges.

I've also made it in a clay pot. I didn't parboil/precook the greens and had everything bubbling in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Kim O'Donnel: lovely of you to follow up, kampachi. Yes, she's darn good. This recipe sounds great. I love your innovation too.

soy protein powder: Hi Kim -- You always recommend putting soy protein powder into your smoothies. Do you have a particular brand that's good? I figure I'll give it a try, with all the yummy fruit available soon! Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: I have had good luck with Whole Foods brand of vanilla soy powder. It's not sweet, it's not cloying and it blends well.

Silver Spring, Md.: They're not for sale per se, but the most meatlike veggieburgers to be had, in my opinion, are those at the Hard Times Cafe. Their veggie chili is also really tasty. (And for the record, I always make my spinach lasagna with extra-firm tofu instead of ricotta. Tastes great!)

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for the tidbits, dear.

Broomhilda: Okay, so I finally tried arugala. I bought it at the Dupont farmers market, took it home, and sauted it in olive oil with garlic, sunflower seeds and red pepper flakes. I took one bite and yuck, like super bitter spinach! Did I do something wrong or do I just not like it?

Kim O'Donnel: You just didn't like it. Arugula is peppery and a bit on bitter side. I love it. Move on, try a new veg. This is part of the process, Broomie. You're doing just fine.

Washington, D.C.: Hi Kim,

Just wanted to share some outdoor BBQ veggie love. I've found the Smart Dogs makes a good soy hot dog -- no grainy texture, good flavor -- I like their regular dogs for boiling or nuking in the microwave, but they have a larger hot dog as well. This dog is made for the BBQ. Just rub with some olive oil and set it on the grill. Whilst it cooks, hit some sliced oinions with same olive oil, salt, pepper and grill those too. Add a bun, grilled no doubt, some fine yeller ballpark mustard, and you have a terrific feast! Enjoy!

Kim O'Donnel: Sounds pretty groovy, Washington. I will have to get them a whirl.

KitchenMinx: This is for Sydney Australia --
I'm not a vegetarian, and neither is my hubby, but I do enjoy a meat-free meal once in a while. Hubby grumbles when I feed him tofu though, because he insists he doesn't like the texture.

I usually cook something large and meaty on the weekend -- roast pork tenderloin, baked chicken, etc., to have leftovers during the week. Last weekend, we ate at Maggiano's and had oodles of leftover chicken Vesuvio. I made a veggie stir fry last night -- bok choy, asparagus, scallion, ginger, a bit of hoisin and garlic -- and served hubby a pile of veggies with the last bit of chicken, shredded on top. I cubed some peanut ginger tofu for mine. Both of us were happy!

Is there any way to make a quantity of meat for yourself at some point and then eat it as leftovers? Sometimes I make fried rice and toss half with meat and half without, etc.

Kim O'Donnel: Excellent suggestion, KitchenMinx. Sydney is getting all kinds of goodies, ain't he? Your use of leftover meat is a good one, always good for sandwiches too, or in a big salad with lots of your favorite veggies, raw or cooked.

A suggestion: Hello
I love your chats but I am a terrible cook. I was wondering if sometime you might do a special for the basics of the basics. Troubleshooting for the troublecookers? off today's subject, I know, but perhaps I'm not the only one who longingly looks at your recipies but can't even master an omelette? Thanks

Kim O'Donnel: Hi ya,
In the Tuesday gig, we tackle lots of troubleshooting and get to the very basics of kitchen life. Don't ever be afraid to ask; I take questions of all kinds, and no question is ever too elementary. Stick with us.

Washington, D.C.: I've been invited to a dinner party and plan to bring a side dish to share. The hosts are vegetarian (not vegan). I'm looking for ideas for something delicious that also makes a nice presentation. I'd rather not do a tossed salad. Thanks, Kim!

Kim O'Donnel: Tell me more. Do you want starch or veggie? Grain or legume? Cheesy? Spicy?

Kim O'Donnel: It's time for me to go. Terrific hour, and as always, thanks for all the great tidbits. By the way, if you're looking for a new fun read that will last you forever, check out Elizabeth Schneider's "Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini," an illustrated encylopedia of veggies that's great for all kinds of cooks, meatfree, meaty, beginning, advanced. Til next month, or not. I'm back online next Tuesday at noon, and next veggie hour will gather near the end of May. Cheers.

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