Home Pantry and technique guides and tools Pantry and technique guides and tools
What to stock, what each ingredient does, and the methods that make bakes work.
Vegan protein swaps in cooking: tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans and TVP How to prepare and cook tofu by firmness, tempeh, seitan, lentils, beans and TVP, and which dishes each suits. Seitan is never gluten-free. Vegan mayonnaise: how egg-free emulsions hold oil How aquafaba, soy milk and starch hold oil in egg-free mayonnaise, why an emulsion splits, and how to rescue and store it safely. Vegan gelatin substitutes: agar, pectin, carrageenan How agar, pectin and carrageenan each set a liquid, how they react to heat and acid, and which suits jellies, jam, panna cotta and gummies. Vegan cream substitutes: cashew, coconut, oat and soy How to make and use dairy-free cream: cashew cream, coconut cream, oat and soy creams for pouring, whipping and sauces, and why some split. Vegan cheese alternatives: types, melting and cooking Nut-based, starch-based, tofu and cultured vegan cheeses compared: which melt, stretch or set, and how to cook with each, with no brand rankings. Vegan baking pantry: what to stock and what each item does A practical shopping list for vegan baking, grouped by job: structure, binding, fat, sweetness, lift, flavour and acid, plus how to store each item. Thickeners compared: starches and agar How cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca, potato starch and agar behave in sauces, fillings and puddings, with starting ratios and fixes for lumps. Nutritional yeast: what it is, how to use it, and gluten-free checks Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast sold as savoury flakes. What it tastes like, how to cook with it, fortified versus plain, and label checks. Egg-free binders for burgers, patties, balls and fritters How to hold veggie burgers, patties, meatless balls and fritters together without egg, using flax, chickpea flour, crumbs, potato, oats and starches. Cooking dried beans and lentils: soaking, salt, acid and hard beans How to soak and cook dried beans and lentils, when to add salt and acid, why some beans stay hard, and how to cook kidney beans safely.