It’s no secret that I love to watch Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals on Food Network and make his recipes. Food that is fresh, fast, and healthy will be a welcome addition to your cooking repertoire! But sometimes converting recipes from other countries can become a little tricky if you aren’t up on all the language or products. But never fear—I’ve compiled a list of commonly used terms or ingredients in Jamie Oliver books to help you.
Aubergine: Eggplant
Courgette: Zucchini
Rocket: Arugula
Chicory: Endive
Double Cream: Cream with 48% fat. I don’t know if there is something similar here, I usually use whipping cream in that case.
Heavy Cream: Cream with about 38% fat. You can use whipping cream, which usually has about 36%, or use old fashioned whipping cream, which has 38%.
Single Cream: Cream with 5-18% butterfat. You can use Dairyland light cream, creamo, or coffee cream.
Passata: Strained, uncooked tomatoes, usually sold in tall glass jars and in the tomato or pasta aisle. You can substitute crushed tomatoes, but be sure to use Italian ones so that the mixture is thick and not watery. Don’t substitute tomato sauce, as it often has other vegetables, garlic, and spices that you don’t want in it.
Prosciutto/parma ham: Paper-thin slices of Italian ham that is often served uncooked. You will find it in the deli section of the grocery store, often pre-packaged in vacuum packed containers like luncheon meat. You can substitute regular bacon in a lot of cases.
Chile: You’ll notice Jamie Oliver uses a lot of red chiles in his cooking. I have used tiny Thai bird chiles in his recipes with great success.
Coriander Leaves: Fresh cilantro
Spring Onions: Green onions or scallions
Butter Beans: Lima beans. Here in Canada we tend to eat them in the green an immature stage, where they can taste unpleasant and many people don't like them, but you can get them dried and beige at the store. Soak and cook them like you would any other dried bean, and they can be really delicious.
Minced pork/beef/chicken: Ground beef/pork/chicken
Powdered or Confectioner’s Sugar: Icing sugar
Demerara Sugar: Light brown sugar with larger crystals, a bit stickier from the molasses.
Muscovado Sugar: Dark brown sugar that has more molasses flavour which has larger crystals and is slightly stickier than regular brown sugar. You can find it in the sugar aisle.
Caster sugar: Superfine sugar that is often used in meringues. You can put regular granulated sugar in your food processor and give it a whiz to break it down if you can't find any. Don't use icing sugar. In BC, you can get berry sugar labeled as superfine, and this works well.
Greaseproof paper: Parchment paper
Do you ever have to convert recipes? Any success stories or hilarious mistakes? Spill it and add your own discoveries or ask questions below and soon you'll be rocking the kitchen!
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