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So you’ve been on a cooking rampage, flying through all the recipes you’d been wanting to try but never had the time for until now. At some point, you’ll find yourself out of a certain pantry staple, but you don’t have to trek all the way to the market for just one ingredient, according to Chrissy Teigen. The Cravings author recently shared a few genius cooking substitutions on her blog. (Did you know plain yogurt can step in for sour cream, or that you can concoct your own vanilla extract with maple syrup and rum?) It’s things like spices, seasonings, and condiments that are worth taking note of. Before you run to Trader Joe’s for one little bottle, scour your home for these swaps:
- Chili powder: A dash of hot sauce, oregano, paprika, and cumin
- Cinnamon: Nutmeg
- Cumin: Chili powder
- Mustard: Horseradish powder, dry mustard powder, and wasabi powder
- Wasabi: Prepared white horseradish
- Chinese mustard: Dijon mustard
- Ketchup: 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 2 tsp granulated sugar, and 2 tsp water
- Mayo: Greek yogurt or mashed avocado
- Tahini: 2 tsp peanut butter and 1 tsp sesame oil
Now that you know how to put your self-isolation essentials to good use, it’s time to talk about storing them in a spot that’s convenient for the time being. The first place you should consider? The countertop, of course. Yamazaki Home makes a slim container that’s perfect for keeping seasonings within reach (one Domino editor found that the tool encouraged her to try out spices she had forgotten she had). Another handy setup: Mount a metal bar over the cooktop so you can display little bags of dried herbs from S-hooks, like baker Ashley Ilchuck does. Raid your own space, not the grocery store.
See more stories like this: How to Turn Simple Ingredients Into Fancy Food Without Even Trying There’s Plenty You Can Make With What’s Already in Your Pantry You Don’t Need to Go to the Grocery Store to Get Fresh Produce