More of making the most from a limited food supply

April 15, 2020 9:16 AM

No flour, eggs or butter? No problem! 23 cake recipes for when you're missing an ingredient (The Guardian). See also: The Food Expiration Dates You Should Actually Follow from the New York Times, who also has a virtual cookbook of recipes and tips for quarantine cooking. One final tip: if your supplies of bubbly drinks are limited, perhaps don't experiment with bottle sabring or chopping, as seen in this episode of Quarantine Quitchen with the Browns (no injuries, lots of laughing).
posted by filthy light thief (32 comments total)

Regarding food expiration, I know it can be tough for people. I'm definitely more in the camp of not taking those dates as gospel, but my partner I know has trouble with that attitude, not necessarily intellectually, but emotionally. The food tastes less delicious when you're anxious about food safety, even when you don't want to be.
posted by Carillon at 9:54 AM on April 15, 2020 [5 favorites]

Hey, the NYT one answered a question of mine! I've been eyeing a seriously old bottle of molasses wondering if there was an real goes bad date for it. I was guessing not, for the same reason as honey, but I was wondering if some component in molasses might degrade and leave a bad taste.
posted by tavella at 9:55 AM on April 15, 2020

The King Arthur flourless chocolate cake recipe is a little less fiddly than the Guardian version. Skipping the espresso powder and ganache still makes for a great treat.
posted by cowcowgrasstree at 10:11 AM on April 15, 2020 [4 favorites]

With old sugar syrups and honey I think the problem is it crystalises. Warming it might fix it, haven't tried so dunno.
posted by glasseyes at 10:18 AM on April 15, 2020

A couple weeks ago I drank some soju from a plastic bottle that had a 2016 expiration date on it. It still tasted like industrial solvent and got me drunk just fine, so I figure it was okay!
posted by Foosnark at 10:19 AM on April 15, 2020 [2 favorites]

I appreciate that last link consisting in significant part of Alton Brown getting deservedly low-key dragged by his wife.
posted by cortex at 10:44 AM on April 15, 2020 [7 favorites]

On Saturday we were on low egg rations and milk, and facing a few zoom birthday parties, I found a chocolate cake recipe that replaced the milk with coffee, and used sour cherry applesauce instead of the eggs. The batter tasted ok, and I poured it into cupcake tins. Well, the batter rose then spread across the tins, dripped over the side and caused a smokey mess. And when I went to take them out , there wasn't any good place to hold the tin with one hand, so I managed to flip the entire pan in the air, resulting in one cupcake getting wedged in the corner of the oven door (found that one later), and the rest splattering on the floor. ;_; Reader, I rescued the bits still in the cupcake cups, and ate them later. They were very moist.

TL:DR, when making lots of changes to a recipe, maybe use a larger pan on the first try.
posted by Hermeowne Grangepurr at 10:56 AM on April 15, 2020 [12 favorites]

For everyone who is making sourdough starter, the cast offs make a lovely vegan pancake with very little in additional ingredients. You can save the portion that would usually be discarded over several days to have enough for one cup, but this recipe halves really easily as well if you just want one large pancake for yourself.

Crumpet Pancakes:

- 1 cup sourdough starter discards, unfed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Coconut oil or butter for greasing the skillet

Mix the sugar and salt with the starter in a large cereal bowl. Add the baking soda and mix well. The dough will puff up pretty quickly, so you're done stirring melt your fat of choice in a skillet. Pour our the batter by the spoonful until you've added about a third to the pan. Let it cook until the edges start to brown. Flip. Cook until brown on the other side. Serve immediately with the topping of your choice.

This recipe is named for the King Arthur Flour recipe that uses the same ingredients to make crumpets. I don't have english muffin rings, so necessity is the mother of invention.
posted by Alison at 11:03 AM on April 15, 2020 [11 favorites]

If you take both ends off a tuna type can, isn’t that a crumpet ring? It was the pre-fancy cooking store version.
posted by clew at 11:25 AM on April 15, 2020 [1 favorite]

I know I've talked up Kritzer before, but I still am amused that such a relatively minor story as "So Much Cooking" turned out to be the most visionary SF of the last few years.
posted by tavella at 11:29 AM on April 15, 2020 [12 favorites]

My SO relishes flouting expiration dates. I've been forbidden from deaccessioning anything. Always a little frission of excitement in the kitchen when I extract something from the deep recesses of a cabinet that dates from the first Obama administration. We were at her mother's in October and cracked open some spices. That were a wedding gift in 1963. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but if it does, you keep that sucker until it's mushy and inedible.

Reheating honey (warm water bath, decant from plastic!) is okay, but not perfect. Taste is fine, mouth feel a little crystall-y.

Was told by a egg co-op marketing exec that expiry dates were bunko. That was 20 years ago and I've never thrown an egg out since. I've literally eaten eggs while idly wondering how many months old they were.
posted by 99_ at 11:30 AM on April 15, 2020 [7 favorites]

We're in love with our sourdough starter, Alfonso. He's the best! And he just keeps growing.

One thing we learned that helped a lot is that whole milk which is not ultra pasteurized and has gone sour - but not rancid - is great for baking! Even if it is a little lumpy. It is akin to buttermilk. Give it a sniff and if it smells sour but doesn't make you gag, bake away.
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:05 PM on April 15, 2020 [1 favorite]

I had plumbs which were way past the use by date and super squishy, so I made plumb cake and they were good.
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:07 PM on April 15, 2020 [1 favorite]

My bottle of sriracha has a best before date of 2017 but it still tastes fine. I've been going grocery shopping once a week so haven't had to resort to any substitutions yet, more making stuff with what I've now got instead of popping to the store to pick up one or two missing ingredients.

I was able to get rid of a lot of sourdough "bread" over the weekend by using a fondue packet that was in the fridge for a while (best before November 2019). Tasted good, and I was the only one who knew about the date.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:09 PM on April 15, 2020

tavella, not half as amused as Kritzer.
posted by dannyboybell at 1:04 PM on April 15, 2020 [6 favorites]

I have eaten
the plums
that were past
expiration

and which
you were already
saving
for too long

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so old
posted by albion moonlight at 1:08 PM on April 15, 2020 [27 favorites]

25 years ago, my mom told me that the way to see if an egg is still good is to submerge it in water. if it floats it's spent, if it sinks it's good (think of a fish). no idea if this is real or why it would be, but it has worked like a champ since she told me.
posted by rude.boy at 2:12 PM on April 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

The Guardian had this: Easy as 1,2,3: chefs on the 50 most simple, delicious three-ingredient recipes
posted by mumimor at 2:31 PM on April 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

The other day I ate some canned fish with a 2015 "best by" date. All good.
posted by Liquidwolf at 2:43 PM on April 15, 2020

The floaty egg thing is about gases building up inside.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 2:46 PM on April 15, 2020 [2 favorites]

Well this is all fine, but what about about the chocolate cake made out of potatoes?
posted by newpotato at 3:22 PM on April 15, 2020

Our kids have egg allergies, so I've been making this great English muffin toasting bread. It's super easy and ridiculously delicious.

(And if you haven't figured it out by this point in the thread, King Arthur Flour has a ton of good recipes, and they're a good company, to boot.)
posted by phooky at 4:49 PM on April 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

Alison: This recipe is named for the King Arthur Flour recipe that uses the same ingredients to make crumpets. I don't have english muffin rings, so necessity is the mother of invention.

The crumpets recipe has been my favorite from the KA 'starter discards' recipe list so far. Biscuits turned out pretty OK but it was tough to say goodbye to another cup of flour and an entire stick of butter to make them. I made the crackers today, which turned out great but again used a cup of flour.

Crumpets twice now, the first time like you did as pancakes. But then I looked a little harder around the kitchen and found a couple jars that have the two-piece lids. The outer ring makes a fine english muffin ring, and the actual crumpets were to die for. It's the only thing I'll be making with my starter discard anymore.

I stuck my pinky finger in the butter and used it as the grease around the ring. Some kind of grease is key for dislodging it just before you flip. And unlike pancakes it's a good idea to let the top set pretty well before flipping them over. I spent a hearty amount of time cleaning batter splots off my range today.
posted by carsonb at 7:38 PM on April 15, 2020 [6 favorites]

And if you don't have flour or don't use flour, do not miss Alton Brown's peanut butter cookie recipe. They are glorious cookies, gluten-free and ridiculously delicious.
posted by MrVisible at 10:05 PM on April 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

The pandemic "missing ingredients" recipes are also great for people who have allergies or other conditions, so I've favourited this FPP for later use, specifically for my mother who have a number of health issues and is difficult to cook for.

I've made Nigella Lawson's olive oil chocolate cake for her, and it's quite good. It has no wheat or dairy.
posted by Harald74 at 10:30 PM on April 15, 2020 [2 favorites]

No flour, eggs or butter? Try one of these less-likely to be in your pantry substitutes. Where is my one small can of Diet Coke blended slowly with soggy lettuce substitute for eggs recipe?
posted by double bubble at 3:14 AM on April 16, 2020 [3 favorites]

25 years ago, my mom told me that the way to see if an egg is still good is to submerge it in water. if it floats it's spent, if it sinks it's good (think of a fish). no idea if this is real or why it would be, but it has worked like a champ since she told me.
posted by rude.boy

I was told that it was because when eggs go off there's a build up of gas in the shell, which leads to both the floating and to rotten egg smell if you crack it.
posted by Carillon at 9:09 AM on April 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

if it floats it's spent, if it sinks it's good (think of a fish).

Think of a fish! Brilliant! I have always known that you can put an egg in water to see if it's good or bad - but I've never managed to remember which is which.

... I suppose it's also like (medieval) witches. Duck the egg. If it floats, it's demonic, or at least bad...
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 10:00 AM on April 16, 2020

Has anyone actually tried that chocolate potato cake? I'm tempted but don't want to waste valuable food if it's not better than, say, torte or a good flourless chocolate cake.
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:15 PM on April 16, 2020

So do you think I can swap garbanzo beans for cannellini beans and walnuts for almonds in that Anna Jones recipe? Should be fine, right?
posted by blnkfrnk at 3:09 PM on April 16, 2020

blnkfrnk: if you haven't already, those sounds like decent swaps. If you have tried it, how was it? :)

We had tacos made with seasoning that out-dated in April 2008. The ground pork and turkey combo was still delicious :)

Forget sourdough! How to make 10 of the world’s easiest breads -- Keen to bake for your family or housemates, but put off by previous attempts? Here are delicious options – including some that don’t require yeast, and one that doesn’t even need an oven (The Guardian)

You might find more inspiration in an Alphabet of international bread recipes (around the world a few times) (previously).
posted by filthy light thief at 2:28 PM on April 22, 2020

More from The Guardian: No flour, pasta or eggs? The perfect substitutes for 20 common ingredients

Not a particularly new topic, but newly of interest.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:40 PM on April 24, 2020 [1 favorite]