Ever have a recipe that you’re so excited to make, only to discover that you’re missing some of the ingredients? What do you do? Run to the store? make something else altogether? How about substituting for something else that you might already have?!

I realize this takes some thinking, and it’s a bit of an art, sometimes a science (especially when it comes to baking – make sure you know what you’re doing here – do some research, since baking is about reactions and sciency things). But, one thing I am good at is substituting and paring foods. So I’ll share a few things I’ve discovered.

The point is to learn that you don’t have to be restricted by a recipe. It’s great to be able to run to the store. But it’s fun (and practical) to make use of the things we already have and to be creative with them. The recipe will not be exactly the same. But, you will have made it uniquely yours, with your twists!

On a slightly different note, I really enjoy doing this – figuring things out when it comes to  food. If you have a substitution question, or a food related question, I’ve introduced a new page to the blog called, “Ask Rachel” where I’ll do what I can to help with food-related quandaries. So, ask away! Happy Cooking!