November 20, 2006
Frequently Asked Questions
These are all actual questions from readers of this blog. I am always happy to answer any questions individually; however, here are some of the most common ones.
Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you do not see listed here. I try to answer each e-mail with in 24 hours but due to volume that is not always possible. Please wait a few days before e-mailing me again for a response.
The basics:
Unless otherwise noted, I always use:
unbleached all purpose flour
kosher salt
2% milk
large eggs
full fat yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese
unsalted butter
Hellman's Canola Oil Mayonnaise
Peanut Butter & Co Smooth Operator peanut butter (their other flavors are good too)
Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you do not see listed here. I try to answer each e-mail with in 24 hours but due to volume that is not always possible. Please wait a few days before e-mailing me again for a response.
The basics:
Unless otherwise noted, I always use:
unbleached all purpose flour
kosher salt
2% milk
large eggs
full fat yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese
unsalted butter
Hellman's Canola Oil Mayonnaise
Peanut Butter & Co Smooth Operator peanut butter (their other flavors are good too)
Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Maille Dijon Mustard
Maille Dijon Mustard
Daisy Sour Cream
Note: I am not compensated for mentioning these companies by name nor am I endorsing them, but many readers have found it helpful to know the exact product I used in my recipes so they can get similar results.
Cooking and/or Ingredient related questions:
Should I use salted or unsalted butter in your recipes?
I always use unsalted butter. You can always add salt, but you can't take it out. If you must use salted butter, I would advise against adding any extra salt to the recipe.
Can I use low fat milk in your recipes? What about low fat cream cheese, sour cream or yogurt?
I rarely use anything other than 2% milk when I cook and if I do, I note it in the recipe. If the recipe specifically calls for whole milk, use whole milk for best results. Cream cheese should always be full fat unless otherwise noted. Low fat cream cheese (or a similar product often called neufchâtel in the US, which is different than the French cheese of the same name) does not respond well to heat. You should also only use the brick form of cream cheese. The "whipped" and the "spreadable" varieties of cream cheese sold in many grocery stores in tubs have ingredients in them (to make them fluffy or spreadable) do not work well in recipes. Sour cream is always full fat unless otherwise noted. I often use low fat sour cream as a garnish or topping, but low fat sour cream does not always hold up well to heat.
Can I use natural peanut butter in your recipes?
Many brands of natural peanut butter have a tendency to separate while baking. The trick is finding a brand that tastes good and can hold up to high heat situations. On the rare occasions I use peanut butter, it is generally Peanut Butter & Co.'s Smooth Operator, which is a natural peanut butter and things turn out fine. Creamy Peter Pan peanut butter is my favorite for baking among the non-natural peanut butters.
What brand of marshmallows did you say was the best?
I swear by Campfire Marshmallows. They don't have that gritty mouthfeel I often find in other commercial marshmallows, they melt wonderfully and have a nice vanilla aroma. They are a little more difficult to find then the ubiquitous Jet-Puffed but are a thousand times better. When ever I come across them, I stock up. Of course, you can always make your own.
Is it okay to use microwave popcorn in your popcorn recipes?
I haven't, but I can't see why plain microwave popped popcorn can't be used, as long as it doesn't have any sort of "butter" flavoring. Personally, I like to use air popped popcorn in recipes. My husband thinks popcorn tastes better when you pop it on the stove in some oil, which does help spices adhere, but oil-popped corn can make foods like popcorn balls greasy if you are even a tiny bit heavy handed with the oil.
Where can I find peppermint sticks to make the lemon sticks recipe?
This is one of my most frequently asked questions. I had no idea that peppermint sticks were so elusive! The variety typically used in lemon sticks is the fat, soft, somewhat porous peppermint sticks, not the hard kind similar to candy canes. They are often labeled "old-fashioned" or "pure cane sugar" peppermint sticks. I like Bob's brand mint sticks. I have found them for sale here online or look at the candy isle of your local grocery store.
I also want to make clear that the juice will never will never gush through the peppermint stick like it would from a straw so if that is your expectation, you will be disappointed. People have a tendency to squeeze the lemon as they eat so they get more juice. It is a treat, not a new way to consume fruit juice.
What brand of marshmallows did you say was the best?
I swear by Campfire Marshmallows. They don't have that gritty mouthfeel I often find in other commercial marshmallows, they melt wonderfully and have a nice vanilla aroma. They are a little more difficult to find then the ubiquitous Jet-Puffed but are a thousand times better. When ever I come across them, I stock up. Of course, you can always make your own.
Is it okay to use microwave popcorn in your popcorn recipes?
I haven't, but I can't see why plain microwave popped popcorn can't be used, as long as it doesn't have any sort of "butter" flavoring. Personally, I like to use air popped popcorn in recipes. My husband thinks popcorn tastes better when you pop it on the stove in some oil, which does help spices adhere, but oil-popped corn can make foods like popcorn balls greasy if you are even a tiny bit heavy handed with the oil.
Where can I find peppermint sticks to make the lemon sticks recipe?
This is one of my most frequently asked questions. I had no idea that peppermint sticks were so elusive! The variety typically used in lemon sticks is the fat, soft, somewhat porous peppermint sticks, not the hard kind similar to candy canes. They are often labeled "old-fashioned" or "pure cane sugar" peppermint sticks. I like Bob's brand mint sticks. I have found them for sale here online or look at the candy isle of your local grocery store.
I also want to make clear that the juice will never will never gush through the peppermint stick like it would from a straw so if that is your expectation, you will be disappointed. People have a tendency to squeeze the lemon as they eat so they get more juice. It is a treat, not a new way to consume fruit juice.
If you want to learn more about lemon sticks and other fair food, I wrote an article about them for the online food magazine, Culinate that you can read here.
Is the apple cider you use in your recipes "hard" cider?
No, it is not. Most apple cider sold in the US is nonalcoholic. However, it is a entirely different beverage than apple juice.
I am trying to make the jelly candies. Where can I find fruit pectin? I have seen it in most regular grocery stores but some times it can be tricky to find. Fruit pectin is used in making jams and jellies. During the warmer months it is often stored near canning supplies. In the winter, my store moves it to the baking isle, near the sugar, on a very high shelf. If you can't find it, ask for it. If it is during the cold months, they may have packed it away somewhere as it is no longer prime canning season.
Some of your vegan recipes call for oyster sauce. Is oyster sauce really vegan?
Not all oyster sauce is vegan, but there are several brands out there that are. I found a reasonably priced bottle for sale here.
Is the flour you use all purpose or self rising?
All recipes call for all purpose flour (I generally used unbleached) unless they specify something different. An easy way to tell if the flour is supposed to be all purpose or self rising is to check and see if the recipe calls for any other sort of leavening agent. If it calls for baking soda or baking powder, you need to use all purpose. Self rising flour is basically regular flour that has baking soda and salt added to it. Most American recipes call for all purpose flour and a separate leavening agent.
Can I substitute corn syrup or honey for golden syrup in your recipes?
I wouldn't substitute honey because it reacts to heat differently than golden syrup and has a much more pronounced flavor. Of course, you can try and see if it turns out, it might work fine, depending on the recipe. Light corn syrup is a much closer substitute, but it has a different flavor. While golden syrup is more popular in European and Australian cooking and baking than it is here in the US, most grocery stores stock it (near baking, near maple syrup or in the "British foods" section); King's Golden Syrup is an American mid-Atlantic brand, developed right here in Baltimore, and Lyle's is a popular imported brand.
What is vanilla paste?
Vanilla paste is a concentrated vanilla extract that has flecks of vanilla bean seeds. It is thick and can be used in recipes where you don't want to add extra liquid or where you want to see vanilla bean flecks without using a whole bean.
Can I use strained, regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt in your recipes?
You are welcome to try, but unless I have stated otherwise in the recipe, I have only tested it using Greek yogurt. Also: a couple of people have e-mailed me to say that straining the yogurt is cheaper than buying Greek yogurt. I am not entirely convinced that it is cheaper to strain your own. I bought (store brand) Greek-style yogurt for $3 for 16 oz, so I spent $6 for 32 oz. A 32 oz container of regular plain (store brand) yogurt was on sale for $3.50. Since you'd have to buy twice the amount of regular yogurt to make faux Greek-style yogurt, your total would be $7, and since it is not an exact science, you might end up with less than 32 oz after straining. This means that straining the yogurt yourself is both more expensive and more work. Personally, I'd only substitute strained yogurt if I could no longer find the Greek-style. Of course, prices and availability might vary depending where you live, so you have the make the best choice for you.
Can I use ground up green tea leaves instead of matcha (green tea powder) in your recipes? What about using green tea drink mix?
Matcha really doesn't have a substitute. If you can't find it, I wouldn't recommend making any recipes that call for it. Tea leaves have a very different texture (even when hand ground) than matcha and they suck the moisture out of baked goods. Powdered green tea drink mixes have a lot of other ingredients (dried milk, preservatives) that will work against you when making the recipe.
Why do you use frozen spinach instead of fresh in some of your recipes? Isn't fresh better?
I don't agree that fresh is automatically better when it comes to spinach. If you need the crispness or look of raw leaf spinach, then clearly you need to use fresh, but if you are cooking the spinach for any length of time, it is a waste of both time and money to use fresh. Frozen spinach is many, many times cheaper than that of fresh and the difference in taste (trust me, I've done the blind taste tests) between the two after cooking is negligible. Generally the leaf is frozen at the height of freshness, which allows it to "lock in" nutrients and the texture of defrosted frozen spinach is near identical to that of wilted fresh. I have similar feeling about peas-they start to lose flavor and nutrients the second they leave the vine and can be frozen quicker than they can make their way to my local farmer's market. Beyond peas and spinach, I prefer fresh vegetables.
Can I use dried fruit instead of fresh in your recipes?
What about fresh instead of dried?
What about frozen instead of fresh?
Feel free to experiment but I can't predict how it will turn out. I do not make every possible variation of every recipe so I don't know how a lot of the possible substitutions would turn out. There are a lot of variables that go into changing a recipe. Are you subbing something sweet for something tart? You might want to cut down on the sugar. Is the dried fruit really dried out? You might need to add more liquid. You might not need to use as many dried berries as you would fresh. Experiment, but know the recipe will only turn out as pictured if you use the ingredients and techniques listed.
I never use commercially frozen berries and the only berries I freeze myself are blueberries and cranberries (which you can use exactly as you would fresh-without thawing) so I have no idea how most frozen fruit or berries would work in any recipe.
I don't eat meat. Can I substitute fake meat for the meat in this recipe?
I don't eat dairy. Can I substitute soy milk for regular milk or buttermilk?
I am allergic to --insert food here-- can I leave it out? What can I use as a substitute?
Every once in a while I get a wave of food substitution questions. All I can do is suggest that you substitute whatever you normally use for the ingredients you don't want/can't eat. I do not have the resources to test each recipe in every possible configuration so it is up to you to test the recipe using any substitutions that you might require. Frankly, if you do have a limited diet due to vegetarian or veganism, allergies or personal choice it is really in your best interest to figure out what food substitutions work best for you or to simply stick to foods that do not contain the ingredients you can not eat.
While I do prepare and post a substantial amount of vegan and vegetarian dishes (especially for an omnivore) I choose not to use products like margarine, soy milk, textured soy protein, veggie ground, egg replacer etc because I do not feel the need to recreate a food that is on the "forbidden" list. Instead, I make the most of what is naturally vegan/vegetarian i.e. olive oils, flours, fruits, vegetables, pastas etc. I know that many people do not feel this way and have wholeheartedly embraced foods that mimic meat, dairy, eggs etc and that is fine, but since I do not cook or develop recipes using these ingredients, I am not the best judge of which of these products is the best substitution for the real thing.
How do you know when the oven has finished preheating, i.e., has reached the prescribed temperature?
Is the apple cider you use in your recipes "hard" cider?
No, it is not. Most apple cider sold in the US is nonalcoholic. However, it is a entirely different beverage than apple juice.
I am trying to make the jelly candies. Where can I find fruit pectin? I have seen it in most regular grocery stores but some times it can be tricky to find. Fruit pectin is used in making jams and jellies. During the warmer months it is often stored near canning supplies. In the winter, my store moves it to the baking isle, near the sugar, on a very high shelf. If you can't find it, ask for it. If it is during the cold months, they may have packed it away somewhere as it is no longer prime canning season.
Some of your vegan recipes call for oyster sauce. Is oyster sauce really vegan?
Not all oyster sauce is vegan, but there are several brands out there that are. I found a reasonably priced bottle for sale here.
Is the flour you use all purpose or self rising?
All recipes call for all purpose flour (I generally used unbleached) unless they specify something different. An easy way to tell if the flour is supposed to be all purpose or self rising is to check and see if the recipe calls for any other sort of leavening agent. If it calls for baking soda or baking powder, you need to use all purpose. Self rising flour is basically regular flour that has baking soda and salt added to it. Most American recipes call for all purpose flour and a separate leavening agent.
Can I substitute corn syrup or honey for golden syrup in your recipes?
I wouldn't substitute honey because it reacts to heat differently than golden syrup and has a much more pronounced flavor. Of course, you can try and see if it turns out, it might work fine, depending on the recipe. Light corn syrup is a much closer substitute, but it has a different flavor. While golden syrup is more popular in European and Australian cooking and baking than it is here in the US, most grocery stores stock it (near baking, near maple syrup or in the "British foods" section); King's Golden Syrup is an American mid-Atlantic brand, developed right here in Baltimore, and Lyle's is a popular imported brand.
What is vanilla paste?
Vanilla paste is a concentrated vanilla extract that has flecks of vanilla bean seeds. It is thick and can be used in recipes where you don't want to add extra liquid or where you want to see vanilla bean flecks without using a whole bean.
Can I use strained, regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt in your recipes?
You are welcome to try, but unless I have stated otherwise in the recipe, I have only tested it using Greek yogurt. Also: a couple of people have e-mailed me to say that straining the yogurt is cheaper than buying Greek yogurt. I am not entirely convinced that it is cheaper to strain your own. I bought (store brand) Greek-style yogurt for $3 for 16 oz, so I spent $6 for 32 oz. A 32 oz container of regular plain (store brand) yogurt was on sale for $3.50. Since you'd have to buy twice the amount of regular yogurt to make faux Greek-style yogurt, your total would be $7, and since it is not an exact science, you might end up with less than 32 oz after straining. This means that straining the yogurt yourself is both more expensive and more work. Personally, I'd only substitute strained yogurt if I could no longer find the Greek-style. Of course, prices and availability might vary depending where you live, so you have the make the best choice for you.
Can I use ground up green tea leaves instead of matcha (green tea powder) in your recipes? What about using green tea drink mix?
Matcha really doesn't have a substitute. If you can't find it, I wouldn't recommend making any recipes that call for it. Tea leaves have a very different texture (even when hand ground) than matcha and they suck the moisture out of baked goods. Powdered green tea drink mixes have a lot of other ingredients (dried milk, preservatives) that will work against you when making the recipe.
Why do you use frozen spinach instead of fresh in some of your recipes? Isn't fresh better?
I don't agree that fresh is automatically better when it comes to spinach. If you need the crispness or look of raw leaf spinach, then clearly you need to use fresh, but if you are cooking the spinach for any length of time, it is a waste of both time and money to use fresh. Frozen spinach is many, many times cheaper than that of fresh and the difference in taste (trust me, I've done the blind taste tests) between the two after cooking is negligible. Generally the leaf is frozen at the height of freshness, which allows it to "lock in" nutrients and the texture of defrosted frozen spinach is near identical to that of wilted fresh. I have similar feeling about peas-they start to lose flavor and nutrients the second they leave the vine and can be frozen quicker than they can make their way to my local farmer's market. Beyond peas and spinach, I prefer fresh vegetables.
Can I use dried fruit instead of fresh in your recipes?
What about fresh instead of dried?
What about frozen instead of fresh?
Feel free to experiment but I can't predict how it will turn out. I do not make every possible variation of every recipe so I don't know how a lot of the possible substitutions would turn out. There are a lot of variables that go into changing a recipe. Are you subbing something sweet for something tart? You might want to cut down on the sugar. Is the dried fruit really dried out? You might need to add more liquid. You might not need to use as many dried berries as you would fresh. Experiment, but know the recipe will only turn out as pictured if you use the ingredients and techniques listed.
I never use commercially frozen berries and the only berries I freeze myself are blueberries and cranberries (which you can use exactly as you would fresh-without thawing) so I have no idea how most frozen fruit or berries would work in any recipe.
I don't eat meat. Can I substitute fake meat for the meat in this recipe?
I don't eat dairy. Can I substitute soy milk for regular milk or buttermilk?
I am allergic to --insert food here-- can I leave it out? What can I use as a substitute?
Every once in a while I get a wave of food substitution questions. All I can do is suggest that you substitute whatever you normally use for the ingredients you don't want/can't eat. I do not have the resources to test each recipe in every possible configuration so it is up to you to test the recipe using any substitutions that you might require. Frankly, if you do have a limited diet due to vegetarian or veganism, allergies or personal choice it is really in your best interest to figure out what food substitutions work best for you or to simply stick to foods that do not contain the ingredients you can not eat.
While I do prepare and post a substantial amount of vegan and vegetarian dishes (especially for an omnivore) I choose not to use products like margarine, soy milk, textured soy protein, veggie ground, egg replacer etc because I do not feel the need to recreate a food that is on the "forbidden" list. Instead, I make the most of what is naturally vegan/vegetarian i.e. olive oils, flours, fruits, vegetables, pastas etc. I know that many people do not feel this way and have wholeheartedly embraced foods that mimic meat, dairy, eggs etc and that is fine, but since I do not cook or develop recipes using these ingredients, I am not the best judge of which of these products is the best substitution for the real thing.
How do you know when the oven has finished preheating, i.e., has reached the prescribed temperature?
That's easy. First, most modern ovens have a automatic timer that goes off when the oven has finished preheating to the correct temperature. Secondly, you can use an oven thermometer and check it to see if the proper temperature has been reached. Thirdly, most ovens preheat in about 15 minutes, so you can just time it that way. If it is not quite up to temperature, the worst that can happen is that you will have to bake the food a bit longer. I always just start preheating when I go to mix up the ingredients and figure that by the time I am finished, the oven has preheated.
Recipe related questions:
Why are some ingredients in cups and others in ounces?
Sometimes, even in the same recipe, I will post some measurements by volume (in cups) and some by weight (ounces). While it is most common in the US to measure ingredients by volume there are a few instances when listing by weight makes more sense and can help standardize the recipe so it can be successfully reproduced. For example, I use beans that come in a 12 oz can and while I might just use one can, it wouldn't be accurate to say to use "one can of beans" because another person's standard can of beans might be 16 oz. Secondly, bulky items like chocolate chips, blocks of chocolate, pasta, marshmallows etc are hard to measure by volume. For example, when you are measuring chips, the amount that fits into a measuring cup can vary depending on what measuring cup you have or the size of the chip. My rounded 1/4 cup measuring cup holds more chips (by weight) than my squared off 1/4 cup measuring cup. This difference can effect the end result. If a product is commonly sold by the ounce (think cheese, yogurt, canned goods, cream cheese meat) than I normally list the weight of the ingredient instead of the volume.
Measuring by weight is actually a more accurate all around way to measure, just not a very common one in the US.
If you would like to convert cups and tablespoons into ounces this measurement calculator can be a big help.
I made your recipe and it turned out differently than I expected. What happened?
The best way to make the recipe turn out the way that you expect is to follow the instructions carefully as possible. Even what seems like a small change can have disastrous results. In all honesty, I very rarely receive emails about recipes not turning out or that yield unexpected results. I make a real effort to create recipes that can be replicated with great success in your kitchen. However, as with any recipe, there are a number of variables beyond my control that come into play when you recreate my recipes at home, such as the freshness or brand of the ingredients you used, your technique, how closely you followed the directions, your oven temperature, even the weather can have an effect on the outcome.
Recipe related questions:
Why are some ingredients in cups and others in ounces?
Sometimes, even in the same recipe, I will post some measurements by volume (in cups) and some by weight (ounces). While it is most common in the US to measure ingredients by volume there are a few instances when listing by weight makes more sense and can help standardize the recipe so it can be successfully reproduced. For example, I use beans that come in a 12 oz can and while I might just use one can, it wouldn't be accurate to say to use "one can of beans" because another person's standard can of beans might be 16 oz. Secondly, bulky items like chocolate chips, blocks of chocolate, pasta, marshmallows etc are hard to measure by volume. For example, when you are measuring chips, the amount that fits into a measuring cup can vary depending on what measuring cup you have or the size of the chip. My rounded 1/4 cup measuring cup holds more chips (by weight) than my squared off 1/4 cup measuring cup. This difference can effect the end result. If a product is commonly sold by the ounce (think cheese, yogurt, canned goods, cream cheese meat) than I normally list the weight of the ingredient instead of the volume.
Measuring by weight is actually a more accurate all around way to measure, just not a very common one in the US.
If you would like to convert cups and tablespoons into ounces this measurement calculator can be a big help.
I made your recipe and it turned out differently than I expected. What happened?
The best way to make the recipe turn out the way that you expect is to follow the instructions carefully as possible. Even what seems like a small change can have disastrous results. In all honesty, I very rarely receive emails about recipes not turning out or that yield unexpected results. I make a real effort to create recipes that can be replicated with great success in your kitchen. However, as with any recipe, there are a number of variables beyond my control that come into play when you recreate my recipes at home, such as the freshness or brand of the ingredients you used, your technique, how closely you followed the directions, your oven temperature, even the weather can have an effect on the outcome.
If the recipe calls for a specific product or ingredient and you substitute something else, it may not turn out. When I follow up with someone who had some troubles with a recipe, 99% of the time the person has either substituted other items for a large number of the ingredients, changed a single but key ingredient, didn't follow the instructions or made some other major changes that rendered my original recipe virtually unrecognizable. I certainly don't discourage anyone from experimenting in the kitchen but if you make changes to the recipe or do not follow the instructions, I can't guarantee or predict the outcome.
I made your recipe exactly and I don't like it. What happened?
First, make sure you did follow the recipe exactly. You would not believe the number of emails I get from people who claim they followed the recipe exactly but really didn't. For example they would say the food was too salty and it turns out they used 1/4 cup of salt instead of the 1/4 teaspoon the recipe actually called for. Secondly, the recipes I create are for foods I personally eat and enjoy. I don't know your personal taste so, just as might occur using a recipe from a cookbook, you might make something correctly and just not like it. That is not a recipe issue, that is a personal taste issue. Use common sense and adjust the seasonings. If you don't like spicy foods, maybe you don't want to add as many chiles or pepper as the recipe calls for. It might not be exactly as the recipe intended or how I'd like it, but you might like it and the change probably wouldn't make the recipe "fail" completely. I've had people tell me they don't like blueberries and then were surprised when they didn't like the blueberry muffin recipe I posted. Again, that's a personal taste issue. If you don't like blueberries, then maybe a recipe that calls for 2 cups of blueberries is not your best bet. You could swap out the berries or try a different muffin.
I made your recipe exactly and I don't like it. What happened?
First, make sure you did follow the recipe exactly. You would not believe the number of emails I get from people who claim they followed the recipe exactly but really didn't. For example they would say the food was too salty and it turns out they used 1/4 cup of salt instead of the 1/4 teaspoon the recipe actually called for. Secondly, the recipes I create are for foods I personally eat and enjoy. I don't know your personal taste so, just as might occur using a recipe from a cookbook, you might make something correctly and just not like it. That is not a recipe issue, that is a personal taste issue. Use common sense and adjust the seasonings. If you don't like spicy foods, maybe you don't want to add as many chiles or pepper as the recipe calls for. It might not be exactly as the recipe intended or how I'd like it, but you might like it and the change probably wouldn't make the recipe "fail" completely. I've had people tell me they don't like blueberries and then were surprised when they didn't like the blueberry muffin recipe I posted. Again, that's a personal taste issue. If you don't like blueberries, then maybe a recipe that calls for 2 cups of blueberries is not your best bet. You could swap out the berries or try a different muffin.
While I do advise that large scale recipe changing can ruin the intended outcome and taking all of the spices out of chili will render it pretty bland, you are the one who has to eat it not me. If tweaking the spices a bit or using one berry in place of another helps you enjoy the food more, do it.
Why don't you list your ingredients in order of use?
I decided years ago to list ingredients in order by size and I have no interest in changing it. I also try to "chunk" the ingredients when possible in complicated, multiple step recipes (example) rather than leaving it in one long list for ease of use.
I have received one or two emails or comments over the years from people who claim that this method is difficult for them to follow. I donot think that ingredient order matters as virtually no recipe gives amounts in the directions. Every cook has to look at the ingredient list to find out what they need and in what amounts, so the order issue is rather trivial.
In addition, many ingredients in my recipes call for some work even before you begin cooking-chopping vegetables, softening butter etc. I suggest that you read all recipes carefully and measure out all of your ingredients before cooking so they are ready for use when you go to cook. It really does make cooking easier and you are less likely to forget to add an ingredient if it is sitting right out in front of you.
Alternately, you can take a minute to rearrange the ingredient list into whatever order you prefer when you go to make the recipe.
Questions about my other food writing:
Would you be interested in contributing a recipe or writing an article for my magazine, newspaper, website, blog, or local cookbook? What about creating a recipe for my product?
I am always interested in hearing about new opportunities. Please e-mail me with all of the details.
Where else can I find examples of your your writing?
Click here for a list of where to find my writing online and in print.
Questions about product reviews:
Can I send you a product to review?
Check out my product review policy for more information.
Where do I send a product for you to test, use or review on your site?
If you would like to to send me something to test or review please e-mail me and I will e-mail you my address.
Would you be interested in contributing a recipe or writing an article for my magazine, newspaper, website, blog, or local cookbook? What about creating a recipe for my product?
I am always interested in hearing about new opportunities. Please e-mail me with all of the details.
Where else can I find examples of your your writing?
Click here for a list of where to find my writing online and in print.
Questions about product reviews:
Can I send you a product to review?
Check out my product review policy for more information.
Where do I send a product for you to test, use or review on your site?
If you would like to to send me something to test or review please e-mail me and I will e-mail you my address.
What do you get out of sending me your products to review?
Exposure to tens of thousands of consumers between the ages of 18-50 who are predisposed to cook, buy new products and who love food.
Why do you accept items for use or review on your site?
As someone with a strong interest in food, I appreciate the opportunity to try new products. I only accept products of personal interest to me, that I think would be of interest to my readers and which are relevant to the site.
Questions about site sponsorship and advertising:
How can I buy an ad on your site?
I am a member of the Glam Network. All ad sales are handled through them.
How can I get my product exposure on your site?
Beyond ads another way to get exposure on my site is to send me your product to try (details here). If I use it while cooking, I will mention it in the recipe. My acceptance of a product does not guarantee that it will appear on the site or a positive response.
Why do you have advertising on your site?
I resisted advertising for many years. However, developing and testing new recipes for this blog takes up many hours of my day, every day. Advertising helps offset some of the expenses involved in maintaining the site, my equipment and purchasing ingredients. All ad proceeds go back into creating new recipes to share with my readers.
Questions about permissions:
Your site says that I can not post or publish your recipes without your permission. Does this mean I can not print them out at home to use when I cook?
Of course you can print them out for home use. What I don't want is for you to do is include them in a cookbook (including private or community publications) or post them on your blog without linking to me or asking for permission. I create this recipes myself and deserve credit if they are used. Use of those recipes are for personal and non-profit use only. Please contact me regarding licensing fees for any for-profit use.
I made your recipe and want to post it to my blog. What should I do?
Please credit me and give a direct link to the original recipe(s). Make make it clear that any changes you made were your own. Please do not "hot link" my photographs.
Privacy Policy:
In the instance that any information is collected (e-mail addresses, names etc) it is not shared, sold or rented to anyone unless ordered by a court of law.
If you recieve e-mails or messages from Coconut & Lime it is because your e-mail address has been provided to me for the purpose of receiving information in the future such as site updates or announcements.
Questions about the site and what I do:
How do you decide what to make?
I like to use local and seasonal ingredients as much as possible, so I might post several recipes that have, for example, cranberries, in a short period of time while they are in season. I also hate to waste food so some times I will come up with a new recipe to use up ingredients leftover from the last. Since we cook all of our meals from scratch, with very few "convenience foods" beyond canned beans or tomatoes, we have a constant influx of new, fresh and exciting ingredients into the kitchen that I need to use before they spoil. Having the blog helps too, I can't keep making the same dish the same way each time or I'd have nothing to post. My husband Matt is a help too, you'll see recipes he created pop up from time to time.
How do you come up with so many different recipes every week?
For me deciding what to make is generally is a combination of necessity (hey that bok choy is looking a little limp!), satisfying a craving and bringing to fruition a vague food related thought I had. If I want to make something that is "postable" I try to think of either something I've never made and/or posted before or a new variation of an old favorite (think new flavor of cupcake). I then head to the kitchen and get started, taking notes as I go.
I like to make the distinction that I cook for me but I write for an audience. I don't make things I don't want to eat just to have something to post but I do write the recipes so people can recreate them at home. I also take note of what recipes are reader favorites and what foods I thought were great but maybe didn't go over as well. I might make those foods or some variation there of again but if no one is interested in say, gravy, I might not post another recipe for it unless it was particularly good. Of course, sometimes it is hard to tell when something is going to be a hit. Occasionally I make something that I personally enjoyed but that I am not sure if other people would be interested in (the no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies comes to mind) and then it goes on to be a top ranking post and I get literally hundreds of people sending me emails thanking me for the recipe, many of whom told me how they made the cookies the same day I posted the recipe. So you never know.
Do you really make up all of the recipes you post? Even the baked goods?
I really do. Of course, I can't claim to have invented classics like chocolate chip cookies or fruit sorbet but the recipe I post is of my own creation and a result of testing and experimenting in the kitchen.
Once you understand the ratios needed to make things like bread or cake it is smooth sailing. I am also lucky that I have only had a handful recipes not turn out well enough to post since the I started writing the blog. If I had more cooking disasters I might be discouraged! Of course, I do read cookbooks and lots of food related literature to get inspired or learn new techniques but I don't follow other people's recipes when I cook food that is going to be posted to the blog. I also have a few "master" recipes I created that I base a lot of the cakes, cupcakes, sorbets and ice creams I make off of. For example, the dragonfruit sorbet is roughly based on the prickly pear sorbet I made the year before and basically all sorbets follow the same rough recipe with adjustments for taste and sweetness.
Occasionally a post is more of a "how-to" than a recipe, but that too is original. In order to create a "how-to" post I spend a lot of time experimenting to figure out what the best technique is. For example, while grilling corn isn't exactly new, there are a lot of different ways to do it so I spent a lot of time trying different techniques (soaking, not soaking, olive oil, canola oil, no oil, husking, not husking, butter etc) and arrived at the one I thought was the best. I then wrote out exactly what I did and posted it. I also like to share my techniques for a few basic things like cutting up a mango or hardboiling eggs for easy reference in future recipes. Not everyone who reads my site is an experienced cook and I find that people are very appreciative of a little guidance. What seems easy to you might be something entirely new to someone else.
How do you create the actual recipes?
I try to write the at least a rough recipe before I start cooking, but often a recipe begins with me in front of the fridge trying to think of what to make and continues with me scribbling notes along the way. Then I "clean" it up and post it to the blog. I also have a few recipes (mostly for baked goods) that I created and love that I use as a base to build new recipes from.
Are there any foods that you make and don't post about?
Not many. I like to post often so if I am making something, I like it to be something I can post. I do avoid posting recipes that use a really specific ingredient that might be hard to find, like one brand's premixed spice packet or some ethnic ingredients. If the recipe does call for an unusual ingredient, I always post where you can buy it online or subsitution suggestions. I want people to be able to reproduce the recipes at home without too much a struggle.
Why don't you post other people's recipes or recipes you get out of cookbooks?
There are several reasons why I made the decision back when I started Coconut and Lime in 2004 that I would only post my original recipes. One of the reasons was that I didn't want to run into any copyright issues; an easy way to avoid that is to only post my own creations! The other major reason is that I started the blog to have an excuse to be more creative in my cooking and to explore cooking at home some of the more exotic or ethnic foods that I'd previously only had at restaurants. I didn't feel every creative when I was just cooking straight from a book!
As I started to cook more and more, I began to find it easier to create a recipe around what I want to eat rather than trying find a existing recipe that was exactly what I wanted. Figuring things out on my own has made me a better home cook than I would have been otherwise. I really understand how different flavors and techniques work now. I am not afraid to just start cooking and see where it takes me.
However, I don't think there is anything wrong with bloggers posting recipes that are not their own creation (and crediting the source, of course!), it just isn't for me.
Who takes the pictures on your site?
Coconut & Lime is a one woman operation. I create the recipes, I make the food and I take all of the pictures. I also crop and edit them as needed.
What type of grill do you have?
I have this grill, it is a Weber Gold. The food cooks evenly and it is very easy to clean.
Questions about Comments and E-mails:
I left a comment and now it is gone. What happened?
I generally don't delete comments. However, if it is spam, not relevant to the post, abusive, asks a question covered in the FAQ or if it appears to be made in duplicate, solely self promotional or made in error, it may be deleted. Private or off topic questions are best e-mailed to me directly. I may on occasion respond to an off-topic comment (particually if it was a question) in the comments section if I have no other way of contacting the person and then delete it and my response after I feel comfortable the original poster saw my response. The comments section to a recipe is not the best place to ask off-topic questions or bring up subjects unrelated to the recipe, food or cooking.
I also have comment moderation enabled, your comment will only be posted after approval so there might be some delay between when you post the comment and when I get a chance to approve it.
Please note: the comments section of a recipe are not the place to lecture me or my readers on fitness, nutrition, or health issues. Please keep comments as positive and relevant as possible. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but sometimes someone else's blog isn't the best place to express it.
Why do you have comment moderation?
Because I allow anonymous comments to encourage nonbloggers to comment, I was over run with spam comments. I was averaging over 50 a day and because of how Blogger works, I would have to delete them individually at the actual post. It is much easier (and quicker!) to approve the comments as they come in rather than go back and delete spam from individual posts. I am not “screening” my comments, I am trying to eliminate spam and unrelated comments from the blog.
I e-mailed you and didn't get a response. What happened?
I try really hard to reply to every email within 24 hours. However, I get upwards of a hundred blog related e-mails a day and it can be difficult to keep up. If a number of days have gone by and you still haven't received a response, feel free to e-mail me again; I might not have received it or it might have been accidentally filtered out as spam.
I have this grill, it is a Weber Gold. The food cooks evenly and it is very easy to clean.
Questions about Comments and E-mails:
I left a comment and now it is gone. What happened?
I generally don't delete comments. However, if it is spam, not relevant to the post, abusive, asks a question covered in the FAQ or if it appears to be made in duplicate, solely self promotional or made in error, it may be deleted. Private or off topic questions are best e-mailed to me directly. I may on occasion respond to an off-topic comment (particually if it was a question) in the comments section if I have no other way of contacting the person and then delete it and my response after I feel comfortable the original poster saw my response. The comments section to a recipe is not the best place to ask off-topic questions or bring up subjects unrelated to the recipe, food or cooking.
I also have comment moderation enabled, your comment will only be posted after approval so there might be some delay between when you post the comment and when I get a chance to approve it.
Please note: the comments section of a recipe are not the place to lecture me or my readers on fitness, nutrition, or health issues. Please keep comments as positive and relevant as possible. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but sometimes someone else's blog isn't the best place to express it.
Why do you have comment moderation?
Because I allow anonymous comments to encourage nonbloggers to comment, I was over run with spam comments. I was averaging over 50 a day and because of how Blogger works, I would have to delete them individually at the actual post. It is much easier (and quicker!) to approve the comments as they come in rather than go back and delete spam from individual posts. I am not “screening” my comments, I am trying to eliminate spam and unrelated comments from the blog.
I e-mailed you and didn't get a response. What happened?
I try really hard to reply to every email within 24 hours. However, I get upwards of a hundred blog related e-mails a day and it can be difficult to keep up. If a number of days have gone by and you still haven't received a response, feel free to e-mail me again; I might not have received it or it might have been accidentally filtered out as spam.
Also: Google is your friend! A lot of the more general questions I get (what's the address of that store you mentioned, what are goji berries etc) can be answered via a quick Google search. I don't mind answering these questions, but if you are in a hurry, it might be quicker to look for the answer yourself.
Questions about me:
Questions about me:
Why don't you ever post about yourself?
It's all about the food! Not me. I do post a little bit more about myself and places I go on Food Maven, but really I like to keep the focus on the food. So much so that for the first year or so on Coconut & Lime I just posted recipes with no commentary! Now I try to include some comments that let you see a little bit of my thought process behind the recipe or how the food tastes.
Are there any foods you don't like or won't make?
While I do post recipes to share and try to create recipes that are clearly written and easy to reproduce in your kitchen, I am making foods that I personally would enjoy eating, not writing to an audience. So, you won't find foods that I don't like on this blog. I hate ketchup, pumpkin pie and cantaloupe. The smell alone of those foods makes me gag. I am also not too fond of pistachios, over ripe bananas or raisins. I don't tend to bake a lot with nuts, we never did when I was growing up, so I never got in the habit.
What do you do with all of the food you make?
This is a question I have about food bloggers as well. I live in a household of just two but some times it feels like I cook for twelve. We give away a lot of the baked goods to friends, neighbors and family members. We freeze some things (muffins, stews, some meat dishes like pulled pork and we ate turkey gumbo for months) and we often save dinner leftovers for lunch the next day. I also try to create recipes that don't yield an absurd amount of servings.
Who are your inspirations? What is your favorite cooking show? Who is your favorite celebrity chef?
I get most of my inspiration from the food itself. I like looking at an ingredient and thinking about all of the things I could make with it. I get inspired by grocery stores and farmers' markets. I love recreating foods I've had in restaurants or read about in novels in my own kitchen. I find the act of cooking and creating new recipes and trying new things inspiring. I also like to read culinary memoirs to get ideas for new foods to try, especially memoirs of people who grew up in a different culture than my own. In addition, I do a lot of research into native cooking techniques, food history and ingredients which can be quite inspiring. Since I don’t post other people’s recipes, I enjoy reading but rarely actually use cookbooks.
I am not a follower of celebrity chefs mostly because we don't have cable and as a result I haven’t seen most of the food programming that is out there. We also have poor reception and are unable to get PBS, so that really cuts down what "food tv" is available for viewing.
Technical questions:
How do you take pictures of food without getting a glare?
I don't claim to be the best food photographer out there, but I can give a few tips. Don't use flash, try to find enough natural light to take the shot. We have a very dark kitchen so sometimes my neighbors can spot me taking pictures of my food outside or on the porch, especially during the winter when it gets dark early. The best tip: always take tons of pictures of each food, you might take 20 but only 2 might look good. It is also easier to take pictures when the food is at room temperature (no steam) or when you are not waiting to eat it. It is hard to be careful and take lots of pictures when your dinner is getting cold!
Are there any foods you don't like or won't make?
While I do post recipes to share and try to create recipes that are clearly written and easy to reproduce in your kitchen, I am making foods that I personally would enjoy eating, not writing to an audience. So, you won't find foods that I don't like on this blog. I hate ketchup, pumpkin pie and cantaloupe. The smell alone of those foods makes me gag. I am also not too fond of pistachios, over ripe bananas or raisins. I don't tend to bake a lot with nuts, we never did when I was growing up, so I never got in the habit.
What do you do with all of the food you make?
This is a question I have about food bloggers as well. I live in a household of just two but some times it feels like I cook for twelve. We give away a lot of the baked goods to friends, neighbors and family members. We freeze some things (muffins, stews, some meat dishes like pulled pork and we ate turkey gumbo for months) and we often save dinner leftovers for lunch the next day. I also try to create recipes that don't yield an absurd amount of servings.
Who are your inspirations? What is your favorite cooking show? Who is your favorite celebrity chef?
I get most of my inspiration from the food itself. I like looking at an ingredient and thinking about all of the things I could make with it. I get inspired by grocery stores and farmers' markets. I love recreating foods I've had in restaurants or read about in novels in my own kitchen. I find the act of cooking and creating new recipes and trying new things inspiring. I also like to read culinary memoirs to get ideas for new foods to try, especially memoirs of people who grew up in a different culture than my own. In addition, I do a lot of research into native cooking techniques, food history and ingredients which can be quite inspiring. Since I don’t post other people’s recipes, I enjoy reading but rarely actually use cookbooks.
I am not a follower of celebrity chefs mostly because we don't have cable and as a result I haven’t seen most of the food programming that is out there. We also have poor reception and are unable to get PBS, so that really cuts down what "food tv" is available for viewing.
Technical questions:
How do you take pictures of food without getting a glare?
I don't claim to be the best food photographer out there, but I can give a few tips. Don't use flash, try to find enough natural light to take the shot. We have a very dark kitchen so sometimes my neighbors can spot me taking pictures of my food outside or on the porch, especially during the winter when it gets dark early. The best tip: always take tons of pictures of each food, you might take 20 but only 2 might look good. It is also easier to take pictures when the food is at room temperature (no steam) or when you are not waiting to eat it. It is hard to be careful and take lots of pictures when your dinner is getting cold!
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