Reader Question:

What are the benefits of and why do we use different kinds of oils in cooking and baking?  

Answer: 

As I am not a certified nutritionist nor a medical professional I will not be discussing the health benefits or concerns of different oils, just the types and what their uses are.

There are basically three types of oils used for cooking. Plant-based, animal (schmaltz, butter) or synthetic (margarine). Every kitchen should be stocked with oils that will fulfill the following needs: Oil to pan or deep fry in, oil to make salad dressings with, oil that can be used in baking, and a delicious oil that can be eaten with a slice of freshly baked bread.  

Oils that are used for frying need to have a high smoke point – The smoke point is the temperature that an oil will begin to burn. Some oils that have high smoke points are: grapeseed, avocado, peanut (groundnut in the UK and India), clarified butter, palm and safflower. Canola and corn oils also have high smoke points, but they both will start to burn before the others. 

Oils that have a low smoke point and are more suited for baking and making salad dressings – These include: butter, flaxseed, almond, sunflower, unrefined safflower, and olive. Oils that have stronger flavors than others are avoided in most baking recipes. Avocado and grapeseed are the most commonly used mild/ flavorless oils used for this purpose.  

Oils for dipping – The oil most commonly used to dip bread into to be eaten on its own is extra-virgin olive oil. Deciding which oil to use depends on what you will be using the oil for and personal taste.

Reader Question:

If you’re following a recipe but there are ingredients that you either can’t find or don’t like, what are some good guidelines for substitutions?

Answer:

This is a very common question and has a few different answers. First, if you are following a new recipe try to plan ahead and make sure you have the ingredients that the recipe calls for and follow it the way it is written. Substituting ingredients in a recipe you aren’t familiar with could change the outcome of the recipe, and you may not be happy with the results. That being said, if an ingredient is not available locally or online or if the ingredient cannot be found with kosher certification, don’t despair. Try to decipher what the purpose of the ingredient in the recipe is for. Does it add flavor? Is it being used as a binding or leavening agent? Is the ingredient adding liquid or fat to the recipe? Knowing what the ingredient does in a recipe will make choosing a substitute a little easier. However, replacing or exchanging ingredients in baking is a bit more complicated and requires a knowledge of how the different ingredients in any given recipe react with each other.

Once you have determined what the ingredient accomplishes in the recipe you can choose a substitute. If the ingredient you are replacing imparts flavor, seriously consider NOT replacing it, as each flavor in a recipe is often unique. If it is a minor or less intense flavor, try finding something similar. For example, if a recipe calls for anise you can often replace it with fennel and vice versa. Both of these impart a licorice-like flavor, although anise tends to be more intense. A quick tool to have on hand if you have access to the internet is this handy herb and spice replacement guide offered by Real Simple.