But I Don't Have Buttermilk...

I don't always plan ahead when I'm going to bake.  Sometimes, I just decide on the spur of the moment that I need some baking therapy.  That being said, I occasionally run into ingredients that I don't have on hand.  This very thing happened the other day with buttermilk.  When a recipe calls for buttermilk, you can't just substitute regular milk.  That will throw off the chemistry, and it won't bake up the way it's supposed to.  Fortunately, buttermilk is pretty easy to substitute for.  See, it's the acid in buttermilk that you need.  The acid reacts with the baking powder and makes lots of little bubbles, which make your baked goods rise.  Where else can you find acid?  Well, lots of places really. 

Substitution #1:

For each cup of buttermilk you need, measure out one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, and then fill the rest of the way up to the 1 cup line with regular milk.  Allow that to sit for 5 minutes, and you have buttermilk... basically. 

Substitution  #2:

Using sour cream or plain yogurt, mix equal portions with regular milk to make whatever measurement you need.  So if you need 1 cup, mix together 1/2 cup of sour cream with 1/2 cup milk.  Whisk them to make sure there are no lumps, and you're good to go.   

Cover Me, I'm Going In

You know how guacamole turns brown?

I've tried keeping the pit in the container with it: doesn't work. Total bullshit; has to be some kind of urban legend.

Add lime, you say? Totally did. Lots of it. It still went brown in the fridge overnight.

I've tried an extra layer of lime juice on top. I've tried putting slices of lime on top. Neither worked. My lovely guac still oxidized into brown goo.

Usually I press a bit of plastic wrap down onto the top surface of the guac before I put the lid on. This helps a bit, but since plastic wrap is actually slightly porous, there's always still a little bit of brown to scrape off.

But this week, I ran out of plastic wrap. Crap.

So, I tore off a chunk of foil and used it instead. I pressed it down against the flattened top of the guac, then put the lid on the container and fridged it.

Holy crap it's still green! Two days later, my guac is as lovely as it was the minute I made it.

Try it! Make guac! Cover it with foil! Tell me I'm not the only one this works for!