By The Washington Post
The Washington Post staff recently answered questions about all things edible. Here are edited excerpts from that chat.
Q: One of the great things about summer is fresh corn on the cob. But my husband immediately puts the corn in the refrigerator instead of leaving it out. I don’t think that needs to be done, and worse that it robs the corn of its fresh flavor. He disagrees with me as much as I disagree with him. So we need a referee — help!
A: I’m with your husband. Sweet corn needs to be refrigerated to keep it from drying out — and to keep the sugars from converting to starch. In the fridge you’ve got several days of wiggle room. — Joe Yonan
Q: Warm weather is here, and drinking turns light — light beer, white wine, white spirits. But my wife just learned to like bourbon, and we’re not ready to put it away. Other than mint juleps, what’s refreshing on the patio that still involves bourbon or rye?
A: I tend to move from a Manhattan to an old fashioned in the warmer months. — Cathy Barrow
Q: I have an acquaintance who drops by to say hi with her three young children about once or twice a month. Since I never know when she’s going to show up, I don’t usually have any snacks for the kids except for fruit. I do try to keep muffins or something similar in the freezer, but I would really like to feed them something more substantive, that I can fix at a moment’s notice. For some reason they don’t seem to care for the old standby, PB&J sandwiches.
A: Cheese quesadillas usually go over well, and maybe a simple hummus with warm pita and those carrot nubs? — Bonnie S. Benwick
Q: I usually buy English muffins at the grocery store and keep them in the fridge. The last 10 bags I’ve bought have condensation that forms in the bag and gets the muffins moist after a couple days in the fridge. At first I thought it was the fridge but my mom said the same thing happens to her. I’ve tried leaving them on the counter but they get moldy within a few days. I don’t have this problem with other breads, buns or bagels. Only English muffins. What gives and how can I fix this?
A: I’ve been on an English-muffins-for-breakfast kick lately, so I know this issue. You know what I do? Store them in the freezer. You can take one at a time out the night before, and let it thaw (wrapped) on your counter (or in the fridge if you’ve got a naughty food-stealing cat like I do), and it’ll be ready for toasting. — J.Y.
Q: I admit, whenever I see a recipe calling for buttermilk, I am bummed out. I never have buttermilk around and wouldn’t know what to do with the leftovers. I know you can doctor regular milk with vinegar or lemon to create a substitute, but I somehow don’t believe it. So, tell me, what would go wrong if I used regular 2% milk? Am I just a lazybones who needs to get over it?
A: Whole milk will not work in baking recipes in the same way that buttermilk does to tenderize the crumb. For most baking recipes, you can substitute “soured milk” — a combination of 1 cup of milk to 1 tablespoon acid, either vinegar or lemon juice. It really does work chemically in the same way as buttermilk, which is naturally acidic.
If you do buy buttermilk, it can also be used to tenderize chicken. Marinate chicken before baking or grilling in buttermilk with lots of salt and pepper, hot sauce or chili flakes, or herbs and maple syrup and soy sauce. Buttermilk lasts for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. — C.B.
Q: I picked up something called eight ball squash at Whole Foods last weekend. They look like big round zucchinis. Was thinking of making something with them tonight. Can I treat them like zucchini?
A: Yes, you can treat them just like oblong zucchini/squash. — J.Y.
Q: I have an abundance of both lemon and orange mint. They are great in drinks but I would like to do more. I was thinking of steaming snap or English peas with orange mint or roasting asparagus will lemon mint.
A: I like both those ideas! I think you could successfully make a nice vinaigrette using either, too. — J.Y.
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