Professional pastry chef and cookbook author Marcy Goldman recently joined The Washington Post Food section staff to answer questions about all things edible. Here are edited excerpts from that chat.
Q: My freezer is a huge black hole where I can’t find anything (bottom drawer-style freezer). Any helpful tips on keeping everything organized?
A: I feel you! Labeling with contents, amounts and weights/v olume is good. Things that can be frozen flat in bags are efficient and easy to pile. If you’re really organized, keep a running inventory of what’s in there so it’s easy to know what you have.
— Becky Krystal
Q: Some of my herbs and spices are getting a bit aged, so my goal is to clear them all out and then get new ones — and this time I will label them all with purchase dates (sure I will). Any suggestions on how to go about this? I know it will take some time and a lot of cooking.
A: It’s a great idea to refresh and label everything and fall is a perfect time for it. Salad dressings can use up (and revitalize) the dried herbs. Soups can use up spices (cloves, allspice), cookies and even preserves can gobble up those spices you want to put to good use.
— Marcy Goldman
Q: How long would you let the dressing sit so that the dried herbs absorb enough liquid to not, well, be like dried herbs to the tongue? Does it depend on whether it’s a vinaigrette or a cream-based dressing?
A: When I use dried herbs in a vinaigrette I immediately mix the herbs with the vinegar (or lemon juice) and allow the dry herbs to bloom or rehydrate. This is the same for creamy or regular vinaigrette: acid and herbs first. Then I add the salt to allow it to dissolve in the acidic ingredient as well. Then I whisk in all else. The acid (vinegar usually) goes a long way to reconstitute dried herbs as well as dissolve the salt (which will never get dissolved if it’s added with the oil component).
— M.G.
Q: Should I throw out watermelon rinds if they aren’t organic? What are good uses for it otherwise?
A: If you are ready for a project, make some watermelon rind pickles.
— Cathy Barrow
Q: I found an uncooked turkey breast in the back of my freezer that I had from Thanksgiving but never got around to making. What would be a good wet brine? I was thinking something like a sweet and salty?
A: I drape bacon slices over turkey breast while it roasts. No need to brine! It keeps the meat moist and juicy and adds some smoky, salty notes. I do this regularly so I have sliced turkey for lunches.
— C.B.
Q: Someone gave me a new electric cookie press. What are your best suggestions for recipes, something sweet, something savory and something I might not have thought to use a cookie press for?
A: It’s always fun to make savory bites with a cookie press such as a cheese or herb-based ‘cookie’ (Southern cookbooks have some great suggestions) that’s good with wine or appetizers. You can also make a stacked cookie offering by making different varieties of sweet cookies and stacking them high (perfect for a wedding shower). Flour-free nut-based cookies do well in a cookie press if you want a nut or gluten free cookie that also has a pretty shape. Herbed butters are another application but the temperature of the butter has to be just so.
— M.G.
Q: If a person forgot about the cream cheese and heavy cream, which was in a bag, in the house. How long could it truly, safely last? Think the rule is two hours — correct? Yeah, I messed up.
A: Heavy cream is probably better to pitch. Cream cheese might be OK! It holds up pretty well and for plenty of recipes you need to leave it out on the counter to soften anyway.
— B.K.
Q: I bought a couple of leeks at a major grocery store chain. One leek was so tough I could not cut through it. The other was “cuttable” but I did not use a lot of it because I was not sure what would happen after cooking. It was for a soup recipe. Any guidance or suggestions as to how I might have avoided the tough leeks?
A: Look for thin leeks which will tend to be younger and less tough. Remove outer tough leaves when prepping the leeks and slice very thin if it seems as though the leek might be woody. Even if the leeks are old, you can still use them to flavor stock and soups, just tie them with kitchen twine and remove after cooking and before serving.
— C.B.
Q: I just bought a brand new stove since my other one died. It’s electric since we don’t have any gas running to the house but it’s now a ceramic cooktop versus the old coil one I had. In the instruction book it specifically says not to use anything cast iron on it. I have four cast iron pots/skillets that I love and used a lot. How can I use cast iron now? I used it all the time from reducing sauces to making cakes to searing off steaks before putting in the oven.
A: Oh pshaw. I’ve been living in a temporary place for three months with a ceramic topped electric stove and use my cast iron all the time, both my skillets and my enamel over cast iron Dutch ovens.
— C.B.
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