By Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Scripps Howard News Service
Dear Lynne: Can olive oil be substituted in every recipe that calls for vegetable oil? — Fledgling Foodie
Dear Fledgling: Nearly. In the "authentic" camp, purists believe olive oil doesn't belong in cuisines where olives never existed. In your kitchen, it's your call.
You can replace neutral-tasting vegetable oils with subtle, reasonably priced extra-virgins like Bertolli or Berio. For bigger olive flavor and reasonable cost, look at Bella, Grappolini, Lucini, Morea or Costco's Toscano.
As far as health goes, you want "extra-virgin" oil, which is processed with neither heat nor solvents so all the oil's nutrients stay intact. "Light" olive oils are to the olive what Styrofoam is to bread — lifeless, characterless — yet with all the calories of every other oils.
Dear Lynne: Couples always want to sit together at dinners. There has actually been objections when I've suggested different seating. Any solutions? — Hildy in Weehawken, N.J.
Dear Hildy: I have two words for you — place cards. Yeah, I know they seem stuffy, but think again. A slip of paper with a name on it tucked into a napkin takes care of everything. You never say a word. We rarely reject this kind of directive. It overcomes couple insecurity.
Besides, figuring out a seating plan focuses on the people dynamics of a get-together, instead of the food, the style, the clean house, etc.
Dear Lynne: Every week I buy those great-looking multicolored radishes. I slice some in salads and end up throwing the rest out. What else can I do with them? — Not a Slave to Take-out
Dear Independent One: My first thought is lots of sliced ones with carrot and fresh coriander in sweet-sour Vietnamese noodle salad. But for consummate radish smarts, turn to France. With drinks the French dip halved radishes in soft butter, then coarse salt, or slather black radish slices with fresh goat cheese and red onion. So good. Finally, for a big finish, sauté radishes. Try this with grilled fish, especially salmon.
Sweet Herb Radish Sauté
Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
about 24 small multicolored radishes, trimmed, washed and dried
1/8 tsp. sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 3 Tbs. water
1/4 cup snipped chives or thin-sliced scallion tops
3 basil leaves, torn
2 Tbs. sour cream
Preparation:
Heat butter in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium high. Add radishes and sugar, sautéing about 2 minutes.
Lower heat to medium. Sprinkle radishes with salt, pepper and water. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover, boil off liquid, stirring all the time.
Taste radishes for seasoning and fold in herbs. Serve warm with dollops of sour cream.
Serves 4
A garden tip: Plant radish and carrot seeds together. As you pull faster-growing radishes, you automatically space the carrots.
Dear Lynne: I burned all reminders of my old boyfriend — along with his mother's fantastic recipe for pasta with fall-apart chicken in a brothy tomato sauce. I don't want the man back, but I am pining for the recipe. Nothing I do works. Help! — Happier Without Him, But Hungry
Dear Hungry: An educated guess is to do a tomato sauce with a base of sautéed onion, garlic and fresh basil. Stir in tomatoes and cook hard five minutes. Turn the sauce soupy with chicken broth and a little white wine. Now add a whole chicken, gently simmering uncovered (to concentrate your broth) an hour, or until very tender.
Cool a bit, skin and bone chicken and chill meat in sauce overnight. Next day, skim off fat, cook your pasta, sauce and enjoy.
(Lynne Rossetto Kasper is host of "The Splendid Table"(r), Minnesota Public Radio's national food show. Find recipes, station listings and more at splendidtable.org, or 800-537-5252.)
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