Matt Bray 
You can find pre-made Picante sauce and pre-made salsa in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store. Mild and hot versions of each are available and can serve similar purposes, but how different are these two ingredients? When should you use one and when …
With their smoky sweet flavor and lightly simmering heat, piquillo peppers are a family-friendly favorite. They’re typically simple to source (sold jarred) at higher-end supermarkets and specialty stores, But if they’re not available, what’s a good piquillo pepper substitute? What’s quick to pick up? What’ll …
Ras el hanout is a favorite for spicing up Moroccan tagines and other North African cuisines. But as popular as this exotic spice blend is for this regional fair, it can be tough to source for the everyday chef. So where should you turn? What’s …
Cowboy candy refers to candied jalapeño peppers. If consists of sliced jalapeños preserved in a syrup made with sugar, vinegar, and spices like turmeric, garlic powder, and cayenne. Think of it as being like a pepper jam but with larger pieces of pepper. The recipes’ …
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 …
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 …