SOME FOOD MUSING…
By John Rudy
Don’t you hate it when you find a recipe that calls for ¼ teaspoon of a spice you don’t have or have never heard of? About 40 years ago, we were in a Newcomer Club that had a monthly dinner. I needed about a tablespoon of raspberry liquor, and the smallest bottle I could find was a pint. I recently cleaned the closet and threw out that since unused bottle. I prefer orange liquor, my replacement product when a flavored liquor is called for. Click here for a very useful site with information about substitutions.
Ever wonder what you do when you don’t have, say, baking powder? Or buttermilk?
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup) |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon | 4 teaspoons baking powder OR 1 teaspoon potassium bicarbonate and 1/3 teaspoon salt. NOTE: If the recipe calls for an acidic liquid such as sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, molasses, or citrus juice, you should replace it with the same amount of whole milk |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup |
Mr. Google can almost always find what you want
Click here for a list of spice substitutions
Here is an article on Chinese food substitutions .
I found an amazing site that has tons of food information and a lot of interesting household information. Ever wonder what you can clean in your dishwasher other than dishes? How about what you should NOT put into the dishwasher? (Copper or non-stick pans.) You can find it all at: thespruce.com
For years, I have been reading about truffles, and I occasionally see them for sale; or I see oils infused with truffles. And they are REALLY EXPENSIVE. Thought that you’d like to know why. This is an informative and humorous 4-minute video. According to my research, there is no “adequate” replacement for truffle oil, so just use extra virgin olive oil.
John says that it was his mother who inspired his love of cooking and baking at an early age. (She cooked vegetables in boil-able packages.)