what I just hate about recipes in magazines (sugar, meat, chocolate)
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Amazon is your friend for a lot of things. Lots of times I'll order Asian spices from there simply because there is just so much stuff in the large Asian market we go to and trying to find someone who speaks English is an adventure all on its own. I'll pull up pictures on my phone, but even then there's so much to look through. As far as cheeses, I always look up something I can use as a substitute in case we can't find what's called for, same with wine. I'm waiting on fennel pollen, black cardamom and curry leaves to show up today. Nobody carries fennel pollen locally that I can find because of the cost and it's rare use. The other 2 were ordered because I didn't feel like driving down to the Persian/Indian market, though I may regret that when I have to make the bread instead of buying some fresh from their stone oven.
Ragin Cajun is a brand of andouille that is made commercially and widely distributed. You can also use kielbasa in a pinch, but the flavor will be off. We make our own, as well as tasso.
Fennel Pollen??? That was a new one to me. And I just read an article about it AND put it on my Amazon shopping list. THANK YOU - can you tell me more about how/when you use it?
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Originally Posted by Medtran49
Amazon is your friend for a lot of things. Lots of times I'll order Asian spices from there simply because there is just so much stuff in the large Asian market we go to and trying to find someone who speaks English is an adventure all on its own. I'll pull up pictures on my phone, but even then there's so much to look through. As far as cheeses, I always look up something I can use as a substitute in case we can't find what's called for, same with wine. I'm waiting on fennel pollen, black cardamom and curry leaves to show up today. Nobody carries fennel pollen locally that I can find because of the cost and it's rare use. The other 2 were ordered because I didn't feel like driving down to the Persian/Indian market, though I may regret that when I have to make the bread instead of buying some fresh from their stone oven.
Ragin Cajun is a brand of andouille that is made commercially and widely distributed. You can also use kielbasa in a pinch, but the flavor will be off. We make our own, as well as tasso.
I don't know how widespread Lowes Foods is but but my local one has a little sausage shop in store with many different types of sausage.
Fennel Pollen??? That was a new one to me. And I just read an article about it AND put it on my Amazon shopping list. THANK YOU - can you tell me more about how/when you use it?
Some will be going in a basil, garlic aioli I'm making tomorrow night for mini flatbreads with thin sliced orchestra on them. From there, who knows. I keep seeing chefs touting its use and flavor on cooking shows so wanted to try it.
I went on a cruise and bought the cruise line's cookbook, thinking I would buy unusual ingredients and cook fancy meals at home. Years later, I never cooked a single recipe from it. I learned that I'd rather use common ingredients and will not scour grocery stores for uncommon ingredients.
I know. Once I copied a recipe for a gourmet macaroni and cheese which called for a certain kind of cheese (described as an Italian Brie). I checked every store in my area, including Fresh Market and Whole Foods and nobody could sell it to me.
Robiola? It's pretty common in grocery stores and it is usually packaged in colorful paper.
Fresh Market and Whole Foods would have carried it. My local ghetto Winn Dixie carries it.
Sometimes, ingredients that are alien to some people are common to others.
For instance I can make just about any southern dish you can name but Milwaukee stuff is foreign to me. I wouldn't even know how to find cheese curds.
If Amazon doesn't have it, chances are Lucky Vitamin does. They have that coconut amino, along with lots of other obscure and uncommon dry goods.
If a recipe calls for a type of Brie cheese that I can't source locally, I'd just substitute a favorite similar cheese. Even Camembert.
Recipes in magazines are notorious for having a red herring ingredient. If it seems like it's worth the effort, I'll track it down or order online. If not, I'd just substitute a similar ingredient.
Penn Dutch has them. I've thought about getting some and making poutine, just never have yet.
LOL! It has been over ten years and I can still remember the location of the cooler in Penn Dutch that has them and the various soft mozz. That store was the last place I could find reasonably priced lamb chops, and the fish there was REAL fresh fish. However, I think the store only has one or two locations, so just the mention of the name is a tease for most people on the forum.
Hmmm, I've got some cheese I bought from a farm in Tennessee that needs to be used... poutine... I like!
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