Adapting Recipes

Bert Greene, in his wonderful book Greene on Greens, confesses to his need to tinker with any recipe that comes his way. That's his creative genius at work.

I play with recipes, not because I have creative genius, but because I place limits on the ingredients I use, and have to alter most recipes accordingly.

For instance, you might have noticed that red peppers don't show up often on this blog. That's because organic red peppers only appear in the markets in the fall, so that's the only time I use them.

When substituting ingredients, think of how the one you're leaving out contributes to the dish - with texture, color or flavor - and think what would be a good replacement. Parmesan cheese can almost always be replaced by extra salt (no, not if you're a purist, but if you're a vegan it's better than fake cheese).

I don't use bacon, so if I want a smoky flavor I use chipotles, smoked cheese, smoked paprika or soy sauce.

This is not a new pastime for me. Some of my cookbooks have 20-year-old notes on my attempts to substitute honey for sugar and whole wheat flour for white in baked goods. (Some of these experiments were more successful than others.)

I am also a rare vegetarian who does not miss the taste of meat. Asian vegetarian restaurants with fake meat dishes - yuk. I like the taste of vegetables. Occasionally tofu. But not tofu that tastes like chicken. If I wanted chicken, I would eat chicken.

And don't even start me on tofu hot dogs and all that pseudo-meat made with processed soy and chemicals.

However I'll eat some cheese and dairy products. White rice and pasta. Many of the taboos of the health movement are okay by me in moderation.

So my recipe-adapting is completely according to my beliefs. Seasonal. Organic. Chemical-free. Delicious.

And of course, it's up to you to tinker with my recipes so they suit you and your family.