Substituting ingredients in recipes is possible, but cooks must be careful as cooking is a complex chemical experiment. Simple substitutions include using onion powder instead of raw onion and allspice instead of cinnamon. Buttermilk, yeast, and eggs can also be substituted with other ingredients. Ingenuity can improve the recipe.
So you have all the ingredients for your recipe – except one. Can you make a substitutionOften yes. However, a cook must be careful with recipe substitutions. Cooking is a surprisingly complex chemical experiment, and the substituted ingredients are supposed to perform the same chemical function as the omitted ingredient.
The simplest recipe substitutions are all about taste. Onion powder (not onion salt) or dried onions can be substituted for raw onion in a recipe. Allspice can be used in place of cinnamon and vice versa. Cinnamon can also be combined with ground cloves and ground ginger for a more authentic allspice taste. This is true for most herbs and spices. The recipe may taste a little different than the original, but if the cook likes the spices she used, she’ll probably like the finished dish.
Recipe substitutions get more complicated when using an ingredient that has some action in the recipe, other than adding flavor. But some recipe substitutions are surprisingly simple. Buttermilk Use one cup (226 grams) of plain yogurt or one cup (237 milliliters) of regular milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. What is buttermilk but slightly soured milk, however, yeast can also be substituted in a recipe. The formula is to use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, or 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup (117 milliliters) buttermilk. When using the second option, reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/2 cup. It is understood that the ingredients in recipe substitutions must always perform the same chemical function.
However, even essential ingredients like eggs can be substituted. Try using 1/4 cup pureed silken tofu or 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or half a mashed banana with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder instead of eggs. For dramatic recipe substitutions like these, it may be advisable to try the recipe at home first, to see if it works well, before having it brought in somewhere (not a bad idea for any new recipe).
Tomato sauce mixed with a little vinegar and sugar is a good substitute for ketchup, while lemon juice or white wine can be substituted for vinegar. Three tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of oil substitute for one square of unsweetened baking chocolate.
Hundreds of recipe substitutions are also available on the Internet, but a cook can often think of his or her recipe substitutions when considering what function the missing ingredient serves. A little ingenuity here can go a long way and can even improve the recipe.
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