Matt Bray 
Have a recipe that calls for a few dashes of hot sauce, and there’s none in your cupboard? Or are you simply looking for alternative heat sources that don’t contain chili pepper? What are your options when you need a hot sauce substitute? There’s very …
Habanero peppers were once considered some of the hottest peppers in the world. These chilies acquired their notoriety long before the rise of the super-hots like the ghost pepper and the Carolina Reaper came around. Habanero chilies are nowhere near as hot as today’s hottest …
As Mexican cuisine becomes increasingly popular, more and more recipes are calling for chipotle paste. But what if you – or your supermarket – don’t have this spicy and smoky ingredient at hand? What are your options? What makes a good chipotle paste substitute when you …
Cajun seasoning is a versatile spice mix that brings a little Southern flair to any dish. From eggs to blackened steak, its taste is sizzling good. So good, in fact, that you may be surprised how easy it is to find an excellent substitute for Cajun …
So you have a recipe calling for dried chilies, and that’s not something you normally stock in your kitchen? Or maybe your specialty grocer is simply out. What’s the next best thing? What’s a good dried chili substitute that’ll still bring that hot pepper intensity …
Craving shishito peppers and none are around? Or do you have a recipe that calls for them, but you’d like to change things up a bit? What are your choices? What’s the best shishito pepper substitute when it comes to taste and flavor, and what …
Have a need for fresh banana peppers, but none are available in store? Or your supermarket is flat out of banana pepper rings and you need a good alternative? What’s a good banana pepper substitute for moments like this? The good news: You have two …
Pasilla chilies — also known as the pasilla negro or chile negro — and guajillos are two popular dried Mexican peppers. They both are part of the famous Mexican holy trinity of dried chilies (along with the ancho) that are so popular with mole sauces …
Known for its thin walls and sweet taste, the cubanelle – a.k.a. the Italian frying pepper – is fast growing in popularity. But, even so, if you live outside of areas with Italian or Caribbean influence, they can be hard finds in stores. So where …
Anchos and pasillas are two kinds of dried chili peppers that are also staple ingredients to keep around if you plan on cooking Mexican food regularly. Both chilies are musts for authentic Mexican mole and are part of what many consider to be the holy …