How to enjoy leftovers — from cottage cheese to red wine
Q: I made a fantastic fresh tomato pie, but now I’ve got a three-quarters-full container of cottage cheese, which I sort of loathe. Any suggestions for ways to use it (where I won’t actually notice the taste or texture)? Can I make more crusts for the tomato pie and freeze them for future use?
A: Yes, I think you can make the crust (through the par-baking step), let cool completely, then wrap and freeze until you’re ready for more. I’m guessing it’d be better to par-bake in an aluminum pie plate and freeze them in that, too, just to provide structure.
Q: I opened a bottle of red when we had guests over but I don’t really drink it. Last year I boiled it down with sugar and poached peaches or made sangria. Yummy! Wondering if there are other ideas out there?
A: Also try coq au vin, beef or lamb stew, or add leftover red wine to a pot of boiling water and cook your pasta in it. Make a quick sauce with some of the cooking liquid, butter and Parmesan. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays to quickly add to sauces.
Q: I bought a bag of almond flour at Costco and now am wondering what to do with it. I was thinking it would be good for baking and pancakes but would love some other ideas.
A: Yes, it’s great for those things! You can coat chicken fingers, or mix it with herbs and use it to top pieces of fish brushed with mustard and broil. Also use it to coat chicken scaloppine or mix it with panko for a baked-fish topping. It also gives texture to chewy brownies.
Q: I’m embarrassed to ask what must be a basic cooking question, but what’s the difference between stock and broth? Some recipes call for one, some for the other. I assume that broth is watered-down stock, or is there some other criterion for the difference?
A: The difference comes down to bones. Stocks are slow-simmered with animal bones and their connective tissues (and sometimes meat). They, then, have more body than a broth, which is the result of cooking only meat in water.