Food Substitutions: Eggs

If you're anything like me, you're probably very conscious of your friends' allergies or dietary decisions. For me, a large number of my closest friends are vegans. While I can't accommodate them with everything, I do try to learn about a few basics on substituting so that they can occasionally eat what I cook. Naturally, when a friend of mine gave me a hint on substituting eggs, I jumped at the idea of sharing it with others who are in my position.

Come to find out, flax seeds are a very good substitute for eggs, particularly in baking. I personally love flax seeds for their texture and that they're a very good source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are crucial for creating the amino acids responsible for the coating around our nerve cells. Because I don't eat a lot of fish that are rich in these fatty acids for ecological reasons (I try to limit my intake of salmon to once or twice a year), I will occasionally keep flax around for topping oatmeal in the winter and granola in the summer.

While flax may seem like an odd way of substituting eggs, let me clarify: you soak the flax in water until it's slimy like an egg. I don't remember the volume of a large egg, which is most often used in baking, so I will see about measuring an egg in a measuring cup to give you the exact volume you'll want when doing this substitution and update this post once I do so. If you already know the volume, please feel free to mention me in the comments and I'll be sure to mention you when I update this post.

Kitchen Tips: Substitutions

Last night, I had something happen to me that most cooks dread: I was in the middle of cooking and discovered I was missing a crucial ingredient for what I was making. My car is up on blocks, so I cannot and was not able to leave the house. Instead of panicking, I looked to some friends to find out how to fix it.

The ingredient in question was marsala wine to make chicken marsala. I was certain I had some when I started preparing this classic and simple dish, only to find that my stores of alcohol had pretty much every type known to man but marsala wine. After some conversations with my friends, I discovered a couple things I could have used, both of which were in my stores.

First was the wine I actually used: port. Port is sweeter and darker than marsala, but surprisingly worked with the mushrooms. It yielded a much fruitier flavor than I was hoping for, but it did work in a pinch.

The second was a less commonly used variety, but nonetheless just as useful: vermouth. Vermouth is used primarily to make martinis, but is closer in color to marsala, so if you're caught without marsala and have a person in your household who is very particular about the color of foods, vermouth will be your friend.

I hope this helps you if you ever get caught without marsala while making something where it's crucial to the flavor of your dish. Have any other substitutions? Feel free to comment below!