# Substitutions



## lyndalou (Jun 17, 2006)

I have a couple of recipes that I'd like to try soon. One recipe calls for 1 tsp. saffron. Can I substitute something else if I can't find (or afford) the saffron?  Also, another recipe calls for ricotta salata cheese. I haven't see it around here, is there a good substitute for that?
Would appreciate any help.
Lyndalou


----------



## Angie (Jun 17, 2006)

I'm not sure on the saffron, but for the ricotta, cottage cheese is used a lot in place of it.  I imagine it depends on what you making.


----------



## jennyema (Jun 17, 2006)

Ricotta salata is entirely different than the ricotta that is like cottage cheese, so cottage cheese is really not a good sub.

It's ricotta that has been aged and salted, so it's a harder cheese that is often crumbled and used in salads. Feta would probably be an ok sub for it.

If you have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes nearby, they sometimes carry it.

Saffron can often be left out, unless it's a recipe focusing in saffron, like risotto milanese or something like that. A pinch of turmeric could be used for color.


----------



## Angie (Jun 17, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> Ricotta salata is entirely different than the ricotta that is like cottage cheese, so cottage cheese is really not a good sub.
> 
> It's ricotta that has been aged and salted, so it's a harder cheese that is often crumbled and used in salads. Feta would probably be an ok sub for it.
> 
> ...



Oh jeeze, I didn't even SEE the salata part!  Ooop!


----------



## jennyema (Jun 17, 2006)

No problem!!  What part of Iowa are you in?  I grew up in CR.


----------



## ironchef (Jun 17, 2006)

Jenny gave good suggestions. Ricotta Salata and feta are similar and they are both sheep's milk cheese, although feta can be made from goat or even cow's milk. There are other cheeses that you can use to substitute (Queso Cotija for example) but feta will be by far the most common and most easy to find.

And I agree that tumeric would be the best substitution for saffron. It's commonly referred to as "poor man's saffron" anyway, although you can buy little packets of saffron threads for relatively cheap prices these days. The best place to buy tumeric would be at a place that sells bins of unpacked/bottles herbs and spices. That way if you only want to buy a few tablespoons of the spice you can do it.


----------



## Angie (Jun 17, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> No problem!!  What part of Iowa are you in?  I grew up in CR.




UmM...YEAH....I'm in Marion..which as you know, is CR!     Small world!!


----------



## Michael in FtW (Jun 17, 2006)

RE: saffron

Substitutes include safflower (aka: American saffron), turmeric, marigold blossoms, and annatto seeds. The problem is that none of these will give you the same flavor - just the yellow color.


----------



## skilletlicker (Jun 18, 2006)

*saffron substitution*

I make achiote oil from annatto (achiote) seeds and keep it the ice box for rice.


----------

