Kitchen Staples Revisited

Saltine crackers for grandma’s meatball recipe?  Velveeta Cheese for your go-to dip every time you entertain?   A can of cola the secret ingredient in your barbeque sauce or a dollop of Hellman’s Mayo in your great-aunt’s chocolate cake recipe?

What’s a newly-Paleo person to do when they are faced with the desire to prepare a long time favorite recipe that calls for something that might have occupied a regular place in the pantry but now, thanks to your Paleo kitchen makeover, no longer makes an appearance?

Home cooks and professional chefs alike sometimes feel that there is simply no replacement for the one ‘go-to’ that they’ve relied upon for years.

And sometimes, there simply isn’t.  This is when we have to weigh the pros and cons.   If you’re like me, and avoid anything with gluten like the plague, for example, the idea of using saltines in an old family recipe is not even a slight consideration.    So, I’ve made my own version of meatballs that have meat, spices…and nothing else.  Yes, the texture is different, however it’s equally delicious, if not more so, as eating them doesn’t result in several days of excruciating abdominal pain!

Easy to see why it’s a tougher choice if your personal reaction to eating non paleo fare is not as severe, but it is still something to be considered.

Play with the recipe, see what you might be able to Paleoize and begin a series of experiments in the kitchen.

Often, as in my example, the resulting product may be a different consistency, or have a slightly different flavor profile, but you never know; you might end up coming up with something you like even more!