Smart Everyday Substitutions

1 medium onion -> 4 large shallots or 5 to 6 medium shallots

1 medium leek -> 1 large onion

1 clove garlic -> ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon fresh ginger -> ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon ground ginger, to taste

1 medium fennel bulb -> 3 celery ribs

3 teaspoons fresh herb -> 1 teaspoon dried

1 lemon -> 1 ½ to 2 limes

1 medium vine-ripened tomato -> 6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes

2 red bell peppers, roasted -> 1 cup jarred roasted red ­ peppers

Canned crushed tomatoes -> canned whole or diced tomatoes with their juice (pulse in a food processor)

10 ounces fresh tomatoes -> 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained (in cooked applications)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ­jalapeños -> 2 tablespoons jarred jalapeños

1 chipotle in adobo -> ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder or ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + ⅛ ­ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sambal Oelek chile-garlic sauce -> ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes + ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder -> 1 tablespoon mild paprika + pinch cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon gochugaru -> 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder + pinch cayenne pepper or 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper

1 tablespoon Sichuan chili­ powder -> 1 tablespoon gochugaru

Cajun seasoning -> Old Bay or Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice -> 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons mirin -> 2 tablespoons sake or white wine + 1 teaspoon sugar; or 2 tablespoons sweet sherry

White wine -> dry vermouth

1/2 cup red/white wine or vermouth -> ½ cup broth + 1 teaspoon wine vinegar or lemon juice (add the vinegar / lemon juice just before serving)

Chinese black vinegar -> balsamic vinegar

Shaoxing wine -> dry sherry

Pomegranate molasses -> equivalent amount of half lemon juice, half molasses

1 cup whole milk -> ⅝ cup skim milk + ⅜ cup half-and-half; or ⅔ cup 1 percent low-fat milk + ⅓ cup half-and-half; or ¾ cup 2 percent low-fat milk + ¼ cup half-and-half

1 cup half-and-half -> ¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup heavy cream; or ⅔ cup skim or low-fat milk + ⅓ cup heavy cream; or ⅞ cup skim milk + ⅛ cup heavy cream

Sour cream -> full-fat Greek yogurt

1 cup plain yogurt -> ⅔ cup Greek yogurt + ⅓ cup milk or water

1 cup tahini -> 6 tablespoons peanut butter + 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (you’ll use half the amount of tahini)

1 anchovy fillet (if anchovy is a background flavor) -> ½ teaspoon fish sauce

Pasta, specific shape substitute other pastas by weight, not by volume

1 teaspoon table salt -> 1 ½ teaspoons Morton Kosher Salt or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt