Shortening and Cheese

Regarding Shortening:

I noticed in an old topic, Mindy said:

"Ask for Trex pure vegatable fat.  It's in the chill cabinet, next to the margerine.  
Personally,  I use Stork Margerine for Baking, the one in the tub for absolutely everything."

Is this pretty much the consensus?

Also, I have a family recipe for veggie lasagna that calls for Monterey Jack cheese.  Anyone know what the equivalent would be?  Or for that matter, is there a 'cheese key' anywhere that lays out the basic UK/US cheese equivalents?

Thanks!

Also, I have a family recipe for veggie lasagna that calls for Monterey Jack cheese.

I've seen Monterey Jack cheese in our local Tesco, at the deli counter.

This isn't specific to US->UK but maybe it will help:

Substitutions for Cheeses, Creams and Milk


Blue Cheese also known as Bleu Cheese if imported: Roquefort or Gorgonzola
 
Brie: Camembert
 
Buttermilk: 1 cup milk plus 1 3/4 Tbsp cream of tarter. 1 cup sour cream.
 
Clotted Cream: Heavy cream, or sour cream plus a pinch of baking soda. Creme fraiche.
 
Cottage Cheese: Ricotta, yogurt (especially in dips), cream cheese.
 
Cream Cheese: Neufchatel or 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese and 2 Tbsp butter, pureed.
 
Creme fraiche: Sour cream in recipes, sour cream and a pinch of baking soda add to "sweeten."
 
Edam: Gouda cheese.
 
Evaporated Milk: Light cream (half-and-half), heavy cream.
 
Farmer Cheese (White cheese): Cottage cheese, ricotta, cream cheese.
 
Gruyere: Swiss or Jalsberg cheeses.
 
Heavy Cream, 1 cup (not for whipping): 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup butter; 3/4 cup milk plus
1/4 c shortening or butter; 2/3 cup evaporated milk.
 
Light Cream (half-and-half), 1 cup: 1/2 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup milk; 7/8 cup milk plus
3 Tbsp butter; 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup milk.
 
Milk, 1 cup: 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water. In baking, 1 cup fruit juice instead.
 
Parmesan Cheese: Romano cheese.
 
Ricotta: Cottage cheese, liquid drained; cream cheese in small amounts.
 
Sour Cream, 1 cup: 2 Tbsp white vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup, let stand 5 minutes
before using; 1 tbsp lemon juice and enough evaporated milk to make 1 cup; 1 cup plain yogurt;
cottage cheese mixed with yogurt and if desired, 2 Tbsp milk and 1 Tbsp lemon juice, blend
well; 6 oz cream cheese and 3 Tbsp milk.
 
Sour milk: 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to make 1 cup.
 
Swiss Cheese: Jalsberg which is lower in fat.
 
Whipping Cream, 1 cup, sweetened: 4 oz package frozen whipped cream topping; 1 cup nonfat
dry milk powder whipped with 1 cup ice water and sweetened to taste. For low calorie desserts
and drinks. It will not hold firm.
 
Yogurt: Sour cream; creme fraiche; buttermilk; heavy cream; mayonnaise (in small amounts,
especially in salads or dips.)

Just wanted to say thanks Missy for taking the time- this is a really helpful "cheese info list" !!

Wish Id had it 2 years ago!!

Regarding Shortening:

I noticed in an old topic, Mindy said:

"Ask for Trex pure vegatable fat.  It's in the chill cabinet, next to the margerine.  
Personally,  I use Stork Margerine for Baking, the one in the tub for absolutely everything."

Is this pretty much the consensus?

quote]  

As someone who spends a lot of time baking, if I am doing a recipe from the US that calls for shortening, I will use Trex or Flora vegetable fat. Especially with regards to American icing. But then I hate the taste of butter or marg in my frosting.

Missy...
you are a goddess!!!  x o x o

i just recently figured out that creme fraiche was similar to sour cream...  i was using "soured cream" before, and it was all runny and gross.
the creme fraiche is similar, but looks slightly yellowish, and seems a bit thicker.  tastes similar, and is good on tacos, though!  

being the cheesehead that i am, this list is very helpful... thanx a bunch!

Ta so very much Missy!

I used to use Trex but now use Stork - I find the smooth texture works really well in cookies and it's easy to mix. I use any old butter for icing as long as its unsalted. I dont much like the taste of it and have recently thought about using the age-old icing sugar and hot water trick.

Btw, Id beware of the Brie: Camembert substitution. The texture is very much the same but the smell and taste are so very very different!

Tip for containing the smell of camembert: tupperwear tupperwear tupperwear.

Missy...
you are a goddess!!!  x o x o

i just recently figured out that creme fraiche was similar to sour cream...  i was using "soured cream" before, and it was all runny and gross.
the creme fraiche is similar, but looks slightly yellowish, and seems a bit thicker.  tastes similar, and is good on tacos, though!  

being the cheesehead that i am, this list is very helpful... thanx a bunch!

i also found that if you buy the "soured cream", you can shake it for a few minutes before u open it, and it thickens up a lot.   just like the stuff back home!

good tip! I find sainsbury's soured cream is thicker than tesco's AND sainsburys has nice medium sized tubs... mmmmm....

I miss not being able to get velveeta cheese. I used to make sure a great cheese dip with it.

I'm a bit of a whizz at cooking . I always use stork for fat and i never use said cheese in recipes i use just whatever i like at the moment but you have to be careful because some cheese actually DOESN'T melt very good. Salty crumbly cheese especially.

Try White Flora (not the marg) it's as good as Crisco etc. just a smaller tub.

OK, just quickly to say that White Flora ROCKS. I'd had horrid luck finding a Crisco substitution that I liked - Trex and Stork for some reason just weren't working out for me. But I've now done three batches of cookies with White Flora and they've been PERFECT. Yay! 

is there nothing like Velveeta cheese in the uk? Iwill stock up before the move if not