# Genius/Horror ingredient swaps you have made **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [August 13, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561 "2021-08-13T02:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/41 "2021-08-14T14:39:08Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Lean beef? This exists? \<\\> Heh. I hate fat. For my burgers I buy steak, trim off all visible fat and discard it. Bring the steak, form patties and vacuum seal. Sous vide rare. Mmmmm!! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/42 "2021-08-14T16:15:29Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I hate fat. For my burgers I buy steak, trim off all visible fat and discard it. Bring the steak, form patties and vacuum seal. Sous vide rare. Mmmmm!! No wagyu beef for you, eh? More for me!!! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/43 "2021-08-14T16:51:49Z")
Many eons ago, I was making a meatloaf that was to serve for several meals - I was a single student living alone, and I liked to prep multiple meals at once. I didn’t have any bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, but I did have cornflakes. No. Just no. Never. Do not. Ugh. The only reason I ate it all (eventually) was: poor student. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/44 "2021-08-14T17:28:40Z")
On the other hand, using oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf has worked for me in a pinch. Which now makes me wonder if crushed Cheerios would work… ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/45 "2021-08-14T17:37:43Z")
On the other other hand, I once (many years ago) used crushed Sour Cream & Onion flavored Pringles chips as the binding agent in a meatloaf after discovering at the last minute that I was out of bread crumbs and crackers. It was, shall we say, interesting. My children still mention that meatloaf on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/46 "2021-08-14T17:49:49Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As a kid I had a hankering for a root beer float. All we had in the house was some generic cola and chocolate ice cream. > > I still, 5+ decades later, remember that taste. > > Hint: This _does not_ fall into the Genius category. > > mmm Umm, > The definition of a black cow varies by region. For instance, in some localities, a “root beer float” has strictly vanilla ice cream; a float made with root beer and chocolate ice cream is a “chocolate cow” or a “brown cow”. In some places a “black cow” or a “brown cow” was made with cola instead of root beer. > **[Ice cream float | Root beer float](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream_float#Root_beer_float)** > > Also known as a "black cow" or "brown cow", the root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer, but it can also be made with other ice cream flavors. Frank J. Wisner, owner of Colorado's Cripple Creek Brewing, is credited with creating the first root beer float on August 19, 1893. The similarly flavored soft drink birch beer may also be used instead of root beer. > In the United States and Canada, the chain A&W Restaurants are well known for their root beer floats. The ... You made a classic fountain drink! ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/47 "2021-08-14T17:51:28Z")
When I was single I made a box of Kraft mac n cheese. After the macaroni was cooked I found I had no milk or butter. I did have powdered Creamora for coffee so I mixed a batch of ersatz milk. And a small splash of oil for the butter. A whole new level of inedible for me! ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/48 "2021-08-14T17:56:35Z")
I just made my first Cuban sandwich. I had a marinated pork roast I had served last night and some ham. No Swiss cheese but I did have pepper jack. And some ciabatta rolls. I don’t have a sandwich press so I pre-warmed the meat and toasted the rolls sliced side down then assembled the sandwich and fried the outside while I pressed it with a spatula. Not bad at all. Not the exact flavor profile of the Cuban style pork and ham but a good sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/49 "2021-08-14T19:00:47Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > On the other hand, using oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf has worked for me in a pinch. My mother always did meatloaf with oatmeal. Hers was quite good. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/50 "2021-08-14T22:37:04Z")
I used to make Jiffy brand brownies. It occurred to me that I could substitute extracts for the water to give them more flavor. This was a good discovery. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/51 "2021-08-15T14:57:44Z")
I’ve been making a lot of coleslaw lately. Cabbage, carrots, onion, peppers all shredded in the food processor, then whatever sauce mixed in. I made a batch yesterday using various vinegars. It was tasting good, then I added a splash of balsamic vinegar. It tastes great, but now I have brown coleslaw. Eeeww. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/52 "2021-08-15T15:09:02Z")
Why buy lean meat if you’re broke? That’s like twice the price of the 70-30! Same yourself money on both the meat AND the fat by buying them together! If you had a nonstick pan, it should have been okay without fat – just constantly flip and don’t cook at full blast. It should work up to 93% lean and a good pan. There still is some fat in them there meat. Worse comes to worst, you can always cook them up in a bit of water or steam them. They’ll look a bit unappetizing and gross, but should be a hair more edible than frying them in soap. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/53 "2021-08-15T16:36:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Why buy lean meat if you’re broke? That’s like twice the price of the 70-30! Same yourself money on both the meat AND the fat by buying them together! According to the anecdote, they didn’t buy anything at all. They used what they found in someone else’s freezer. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/54 "2021-08-16T02:28:46Z")
When you’re eight years old and the only one in the house who wakes up early for Saturday morning cartoons about the only thing you can make yourself is a big bowl of Cheerios. And after you pour that big bowl you realize that there is no more milk in the fridge, well, you have to improvise. In case you were wondering, lemon-lime soda pop is not a viable substitute. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/55 "2021-08-16T02:33:03Z")
I really wanted pizza bad but didn’t have any pizza or pasta sauce so I substituted mild tomato salsa instead. It was fine and I have used salsa interchangeably with pizza sauce since then depending on my mood. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/56 "2021-08-16T03:00:02Z")
Plastic wrap is NOT parchment paper. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/57 "2021-08-16T11:34:32Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I once watched her make an omelette, and halfway through she realizes we’re out of cheddar, and she throws in a chunk of stilton instead. The taste was very… _special_ … let’s put it like that. I’ve never specifically used stilton, but bleu cheese omelettes can be pretty tasty, especially with the addition of crumbled bacon and grilled onions and mushrooms. Just a big massive umami bomb for breakfast. (Granted, I’d be crumbling the cheese in rather than “throwing in a chunk” as you put it.) ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/58 "2021-08-16T16:49:05Z")
Tangy! nothing wrong with a mexican pizza, salsa base, jalapenos, green peppers, maybe mushrooms, and maybe cheddar cheese. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/59 "2021-08-16T17:15:42Z")
In a related vein to @dorvann 's, in pretty any cooking option that calls for canned chopped/diced tomatoes I sub [Rotel](https://www.ro-tel.com/products/original). One disastrous substitution I made when I first started cooking was to sub table salt _by volume_ for kosher when I was making a dish. Thankfully, I already tend to over-salt my food, so I like a strong salt taste, but I was glad I wasn’t serving it to anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Tarataratara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tarataratara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarataratara)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561/60 "2021-08-16T21:15:42Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > I used to make Jiffy brand brownies. It occurred to me that I could substitute extracts for the water to give them more flavor. This was a good discovery. Have you tried coffee in place of water? That’s good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-horror-ingredient-swaps-you-have-made/948561.md?page=4)