The Washington Post
Recent online special guests included mixologist Gina Chersevani. Here are edited excerpts from that chat. Recipes whose names are capitalized can be found at washingtonpost.com/recipes.
Q: Can you recommend a soup that will still be as enticing on the second or third day? I love making soup but find that I tire of the flavor after a few days.
A: Maybe you need add-ins, so you don't get bored. Take a chicken soup, for example: Make a big batch one day, then add roasted veggies (winter squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli) or some cooked beans the next. On the third day, add something crunchy — fried tortilla strips, toasted almonds — or stir in something spicy — gochujang, minced chipotles in adobo, etc.
These recipes from our archives would take well to adjusting and improvising: Autumn Vegetable Soup; Dorie Greenspan's Ginger-Basil Turkey Meatball Soup; Sweet Potato, Collard and Black-Eyed Pea Soup.
- Kara Elder
Q: I've got two huge bags of frozen peas in my freezer, and I'm running out of ideas on how to use them. Can you help?
A: One of my favorite things to do with peas is puree them and substitute it for the tomatoes in bloody mary mix.
- Gina Chersevani
A: That's a new one for me Gina!
I like to blanch them quickly in boiling water and then toss them into a food processor with lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano, S&P and olive oil, maybe some garlic. Makes the BEST dip.
- Bonnie S. Benwick
Q: Your recipe for Pumpkin Gingerbread Charlotte With Caramelized Pineapple looks yummy. I've tagged it for Thanksgiving. But I'd like to take out all the booze, as I'm cooking for folks who've done AA as well as for kids. Do I need to substitute anything so I don't affect the consistency? Or can I simply omit?
A: I don't think cutting from either part - the whipped cream or the pineapple - will be a real problem.
In the whipped cream part with the rum, you could add a little more vanilla extract to compensate for the boozy flavor you're nixing. Or add almond extract. For the caramelized pineapple bit, you could try using some pineapple juice or even molasses (or a combination), both of which are frequently suggested as rum substitutes. I could see that swap being a little more important; you don't want things to dry out too much as the pineapple is caramelizing.
- Becky Krystal
Q: It's getting near hunting time in my area, and friends say they are going to give me venison after they hunt. I would love to try it smoked. Any suggestions?
A: Venison is fairly lean. I tend to cook it fast. A two-pound tenderloin, for example, will take only about 10 minutes - about five minutes on one side and five on the other. Start over the fire of indirect heat (fire on one side of the grill, no fire on the other) for about two minutes to get a little char, then move to the cool side of the grill to get some smoke.
You might check out "Hunt, Gather, Cook" by Hank Shaw. Also, "BBQ Bistro" by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig has a wonderful recipe for venison with blackberry brandy beurre blanc.
- Jim Shahin
