8 Plum Sauce Substitutes with Sweet-Savory Flavors

You often buy or make different sauces at home but when it comes to plum sauce, you realize that it’s something unique made with a traditional recipe.  And, yes, this sauce has a history, as it comes from the old Chinese cuisine and has become a favorite sauce in many other cuisines and restaurants.  Plum …

10 Broccoli Rabe Substitutes for Main and Side Dishes

Broccoli rabe is a green leafy vegetable that looks like broccoli but is practically closer to turnip. The entire vegetable is edible and full of vitamins. It is popular especially in Italian dishes but you can find it in California markets too.  It tastes nutty and has some bitterness. You can use this green in …

8 Shiitake Mushroom Substitutes for that Unique Umami Taste

Shiitake mushrooms are an edible type of fungus originating from China and Japan. They contain a chemical called lentinan which is good for the immune system.  You can eat them both raw and cooked, but they are more often used in cooked dishes to bring out the best of their flavor.  Shiitake mushrooms have a …

12 Pie Weight Substitutes to Maintain the Beautiful Form of your Pies. 

Pie weights are small ceramic or metal balls used to fix the form of the dough at the first stage of the baking process.  Of course not everyone owns them but when it comes to pies, tarts and other baked goods that call for similar items we need to use something else instead.  Luckily pie …

9 Best Butcher’s Twine Substitutes to Keep your Dish In Place

Cooking string, kitchen twine or butcher’s twine: whatever you call it, it’s the string used when cooking meat. It is made of 100% pure cotton and is oven-safe. It helps to keep the meat in place and cook it evenly.  You may wonder if there is a butcher’s twine substitute when you don’t have it …

Celery Seed Substitutes for Hot and Cold Dishes and Not Only

Celery seeds taste like celery stalks only a bit stronger and with a bitter taste. They have a wide usage in culinary as a condiment. These tiny seeds are meant to season pickling, barbeque dishes, roasted veggies, salads, sauces, soups and potato dishes.  You can use different forms of celery to replace celery seeds as …

14 Fish Stock Substitutes to Get that Rich Flavor in your Dish

Fish stock is one of the most flavorful broths made of fish bones, heads, and other trimmings. It is used in cooking for a number of reasons: to add a fishy flavor to the dish or to make it more nutritious. You can use it in gumbo, seafood bisque and étouffée. If you don’t have …

15 Gruyere Cheese Substitutes to Use in Cooking, Baking and Not Only

Gruyere is an Alpine smooth, melting type cheese with Swiss origin. It is made of whole cow’s milk and is usually aged for about six months or even more. It has a mild, sweet and slightly salty flavor but in most cases the taste varies with age.  Gruyere is one of the most popular types …