vegetarian substitutes for animal based products (note: although i sometimes choose to substitute vegetarian or vegan options, by no means is my recipe archive some kind of granola-eating-tree-hugging-punk-activist vegan ideal. )
many of these recipes are not originally my creations, some are
attributed, some are not (mostly because i have forgotten where they came from). however jen's recipes are
always given credit.
butter:
some of my recipes call for butter. while i encourage a low-fat,
healthy diet, i do not encourage the consumption of trans fatty acids,
such as most margarines. i prefer to reduce the amount of butter i
consume, rather than injest something as unnatural and harmful as
TFAs. if you are vegan, well, use olive oil or something. note:
i've started using smart balance
"buttery spread", which is working out beautifully as a substitute for
butter. (67% variety) it provides a proper balance of the omega-3,6,9
oils and has no trans fats OR cholesterol! it's almost, actually,
good for you!
measurements:
all measurements are approximate, i rarely actually measure
anything, other than when i'm actually trying to change a recipe. use
your own judgement and season your foods to your taste. i also rarely
state how many servings a dish makes, you'll have to guestimate if
it's not stated. (note: with regards to butter, i have become
completely unable to palate overly fatty foods, so i've managed to
drastically reduce the oil/butter in many of these recipes. please
note that you can do so yourself, but i usually give the recipe in
it's original (often fatty) form if it came from elsewhere.) then
again, if it's one of my own concoctions, it will say "some butter".
cooking techniques:
in all of my recipes, i assume you know how to blanch, braise,
broil, saute, cook pasta, make a roux, etc. if you run across a
cooking technique that is unfamiliar, consult epicurious's techniques and
definitions section.
overcooking: the worst possible sin of cooking. if this is the
first time you are making a recipe, check early and often on the
doneness of the food. you can always cook something longer but you
can't undo soggy veggies or the nasty, nasty flavor of burned
garlic!