Carbonara, one of Italy’s most amazing delicacies. There’s something about that fine, smooth sauce, well it’s more of a glaze, that just screams refinement. You need quite a bit of skill to make a good bowl of carbonara, and it’s a really fragile dish as well. But what do you do when you’re somehow left …

Do you ever find yourself with an abundance of tangerine and don’t care for them at all ? What if your favorite recipe calls for mandarins and you really don’t like them ? More, what if that mulled wine asks for clementines and you have none on hand ? Well, then you’re in dire need …

When cooking, you sometimes have to look for substitutes, for various reasons. Some fruit and veg are easy to sub, while others are, well, very difficult to get right. Eggplant is one of those, and if you’re making a recipe that relies heavily on it, then you have few options. Still, what are your options …

Carrot cake is an amazingly delicious cake, for being made with carrots. Despite the name, its general flavor is nowhere near anything carrot-like. The carrots help with sweetness, but the flavor isn’t carrot. If anything it’s more like a pumpkin pie. But what do you do when you don’t want to use carrots in your …

If that cool recipe you’ve fallen in love with asks for kumquats, you may be in for a surprise. In any other time than November-March, kumquats are out of season and very hard to come by. But is there something else you could use instead ? Well, if you’ve ever had kumquats you know they …

If you’re making hummus at home, then you’re in for a real treat. The beauty of making anything at home is that you can make it exactly the way you like it ! And when it comes to hummus, it means you can make big, big batches of delicious hummus, exactly the way you like …

Pineapples are a delicious bunch, but a real pain to cut through. Most of us have eaten canned pineapple most of our lives, and rarely ever seen a whole one. But once you see it, you can’t help but notice how spiky it is. It doesn’t look very friendly, does it ? Why is pineapple …

If you haven’t had papaya before, and you’ve only just sliced into yours, you may be incredibly confused. Your papaya may be smelling weird, beyond weird, downright nasty. Why is that ? Why does papaya smell so bad ? Does it always smell bad, like durian ? Is it something you get used to ? …

Papaya. As nice as it sounds, it tends to smell weird, and sometimes it’s downright bitter.  But why is papaya bitter, and is there anything you can do about it? After all, for such a tropical fruit, a bitter flavor really isn’t what you’d expect. And especially in a setting where you’d try to eat …

If  you’re looking for a papaya substitute, you may be thinking it’s hard to find. In truth, papaya has a very special flavor that’s hard to completely replace. But in terms of texture and color, it can be substituted  by other sweet and tropical fruit. Depending on what you need the papaya for, one or …

Looking for some sunflower seed substitutes ? While you may think they’re unique (they are), they can actually be substituted with a number of common, easily accessible nuts and seeds. What you need the sunflower seeds for will determine which of these substitutes you’re going to use. Keep in mind that you can use several …

If you haven’t grown up with tamarind, then you may be a little confused as to what it is, and what the difference is between the sweet and sour kind. Tamarind is a pod that is heavily used in Asian cuisine, and it’s used both in sweet and sour form. But what’s the difference between …

Homemade hummus is always tricky to make, especially when you expect the exact same quality and texture as the smooth ones in the store. For one thing, industrial blenders are way stronger than anything meant for home use. But what else is missing ? Why does hummus usually end up bland ? Are there any …

If you’re just starting out with Middle Eastern cuisine, then you’ve probably run into the words tahini and hummus, often together. You may have a vague idea of what they are, but can’t really tell them apart. That’s understandable, especially when you haven’t had much experience with either. So today we’re going to discuss these …

Are you at a loss of what to pair olives with ? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. The best part is these little guys work very well with pretty much anything, so you’ll have lots of options to choose from. And you can always mix and match several of these ideas to make your …

If you’re in love with olives, then you know they’re deliciously salty and sour, with a hint of bitterness. Olives may remind you of pickles in that regard, or sauerkraut, or even capers. Why is that? Are olives a fermented food? And if yes, are there any extra precautions you need to take? Or can …

Do you absolutely love olives but can’t really handle all that salt ? Understandable, lots of people find olives way too salty, especially green and kalamata olives. It seems black olives are the mildest around, and you can often find them in low sodium versions. But what if your favorites are green olives ? Why …

Shrimp is possibly one of the most widely-consumed seafood types in the world. They’re not overly fishy in flavor, and they’re very easy to cook, it only takes a few minutes in a hot skillet. Still, shrimp seems to be pretty expensive and this often deters folks from even trying it out. And we’re talking …

Were you looking to make the absolute best salad dressing out there, only to find your ginger has a blue hue to it ? This happens to those who don’t eat salad too, don’t worry. In fact, blue-tinged ginger is a thing. Whether it’s by accident or on purpose, ginger can and does turn blue. …

If Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you find yourself without a cranberry in sight, you might think you’re in trouble. But you’re not, because there are a few cranberry substitutes, some easily available in some areas, and some you might have to look for carefully. Sure, nothing beats fresh, tart cranberries but when …