A recent online special guest was DIY columnist Cathy Barrow. Here are edited excerpts from that chat.
Recipes whose names are capitalized can be found in our Recipe Finder at washingtonpost.com/recipes.
Q. I was really excited by the story about homemade bagels. I love a new kitchen adventure. But I don't have a stand mixer. Am I out of luck on this one? I haven't done much experimenting with breadmaking, so I'm not sure if any amount of hand kneading will get me to the same place.
A. During our testing, I was able to use a food processor with some success, though a stand mixer is definitely preferable. It's a really tough job to ask of your food processor - mine would automatically shut off after the dough became too thick, after about 45 seconds - but it will do a decent job of incorporating your ingredients, if not truly working the dough.
From there, I'd let it rise for at least an hour before attempting to form the bagels. Before rolling, give the slightly risen dough - it should have increased in size quite noticeably in that time - some working-over with your hands before rolling.
- Alex Baldinger
Q. Thank you for the bagel video and recipe. You have inspired me to make bagels this weekend! My favorite flavor is cinnamon raisin. How would you suggest incorporating raisins into the base recipe?
A. My source recipe from Cook's Illustrated offers a variation for cinnamon raisin, as luck would have it. (I've made them, too - pretty good).
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 cup of raisins with the barley malt syrup, flour and salt when you start combining them in your stand mixer.
- Becky Krystal
Q. Other than - obviously - the many green ingredients, how does a red curry paste differ from the green curry paste in Cathy Barrow's for Spring Green Thai Curry Paste? Can I create my own, and what principles would I follow?
A. Red curry pastes traditionally are much more spicy than the green. Substitute red Thai (bird) chilies and Chinese red chilies or Fresnos for the green chilies in the recipe. Include the seeds if you like it very hot.
- Cathy Barrow
Q. On a whim, I bought chocolate tea. It's black tea mixed with cacao nibs and some flavorings. I gave it a try, but I did not like it. It tasted like watered-down hot chocolate. What do you suggest I do with the 1.5 ounces that remain?
A. I've got just the thing, believe it or not. Chill that tea and use it to make Cold-Brewed Chocolate Floats - a smaller version, anyway - and if you have more tea left, make more next time, so you can have a full-sized one (or more)!
You could try the cold-brewing, if you want, but given the taste you describe, it sounds pretty close to the goal for this, so make it with hot water and then strain and chill.
- Joe Yonan
Q. I'm not a big fan of herring (read: I really dislike it), but Mom buys a big jar whenever she's in town and leaves half of it. Can I freeze it for her next visit, or will it turn to mush when I defrost it in six months? If it matters, it's in wine sauce, not cream.
A. I did some quick research, and manufacturers frown on freezing pickled herring in wine sauce. They don't explain why, but I assume the freezing process wreaks havoc on those poor herring. Plus, the wine sauce, as I understand it, doesn't actually contain alcohol. So if you put that jar in the freezer, the liquid may expand and crack or break the jar.
Perhaps you have a friend who likes pickled herring?
- Tim Carman
Q. What is the best way to store cilantro?
A. Especially when I need it to last a bit, I'll store cilantro as I do cut flowers, cutting it fresh and sticking it in a jar with a little water in it. Sometimes I'll cover the top with an overturned zip-top bag. That works pretty well.
- J.Y.
Q. I am so excited that farmers market season is back! Growing up in the South, I can remember summer visits to relatives with farms and gardens who spent days canning and preserving.
For many years, I have wanted to learn how to safely can at home. Toward that end, I have purchased a home canning kit from Ball. Is home canning something I can learn to do from a book or video, or should I take a class?
A. There is a book you might want to check out! "Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry" (my book) includes directions for all sorts of preserving projects. There are also You Tube videos and plenty of online resources.
I think the best way to learn is to DO, so ask an experienced canner if you can help out. We always want to help.
- C.B.
Q. Could you recommend a brand of rum for using in mojitos and other clear mixed drinks?
A. I'd go for Banks 5 Island, if you can lay your hands on it (Ace Beverage tends to have it), or Cana Brava.
- M. Carrie Allan
Q. What does the instruction to marinate overnight really mean? Leave it in the refrigerator until ready to cook? Take out of the marinade in the morning? Marinate for eight hours?
A. Eight to 12 hours is the typical span when you see "overnight" in a recipe.
- Bonnie S. Benwick
Q. Please tell me how to re-use the leftover liquid in a commercial jar of kimchi.
A. I'd use it to season stir-fries, as a base (along with oil and maybe mustard) for a vinaigrette, as a simple dressing for cole slaw, or in place of some of the water to cook rice.
- J.Y.
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