The Columbus Dispatch

Buttermilk substitute needs to sit

- Chef Michael Solomonov and writer Susan Barocas and Joy Wilson recently joined The Washington Post food staff to answer questions about all things edible. — Jon Christense­n, Dispatch wine reviewer jac@iwaynet.net

Am I missing out on something if I always substitute milk and vinegar for buttermilk in my baking? I get really great whole milk from a farm and all the buttermilk I find in stores has additives that I avoid.

There is something to be said for the viscosity of buttermilk. Have you noticed that it has a texture somewhere between milk and yogurt? I would allow the milk and vinegar to sit for an hour to help thicken it before using.

I’m in a rut with my weeknight vegetarian dinners for one. I like making soups and they reheat well, but I want to branch out. Any recipes you’d suggest?

My favorite, oftrepeate­d suggestion is to get in the habit of making building blocks of dishes on the weekends: a pot of beans, a pot of grains, pans of roasted vegetables, braised greens, condiments if you’d like to get really adventurou­s. And then chop them up into salads, stuff them into tacos, add to grain bowls or pasta sauces. You can repurpose them in lots of combinatio­ns.

I make couscous and vegetables once a week and coat it with some combinatio­n of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, molasses, tahini and sesame oil. It’s good, but how can I change things up?

Try pomegranat­e or date molasses, and spice things up with za’atar or sumac. You could stir in a quick pesto and/or roasted grape tomatoes, grilled avocado slices or some sliced hearts of palm. Or skip the molasses and go togarashi or furikake (Japanese spice blends), with a toasted sesame oil and maybe a little fish sauce or julienne of nori. Or shredded celery root or fennel, with lemon juice, olive oil and parsley.

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