kitchen tip Tuesday…faux buttermilk

Today was a very cold day.

A very cold and miserable day compared to last weeks temperatures of 70+ degrees.
Rain and sleet came down all day on the frosted covered grass dotted with red and yellow leaves. I could see my breath above the layers of scarves around my neck.
Yes, it is the season for this change in weather, but I am still not ready for it.

I wanted to make something in the oven for my guest from Berkeley, California for dinner and to warm the house a bit more as she is not used to these chilly Midwestern temperatures.


I had purchased a beautiful free-range chicken from my butcher this morning and Country Buttermilk Oven-fried Chicken came to mind. But, horrors…I had forgotten to replenish my buttermilk supply.

Then I remembered a little kitchen tip that my mother used for her baking when she did not have buttermilk on hand. Buttermilk is wonderful for baking as it produces a light texture and crumb in baked goods.

She made her own substitute for buttermilk using the ratio of one cup of whole milk to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar).
Let the milk/lemon juice mixture stand on the counter for 5-10 minutes and...
there you go…buttermilk.

Merci maman…

I know, it sounds like a no-brainer, but I would have not thought of it out of hand.

The Country Buttermilk Oven-fried Chicken marinated in the
faux buttermilk came out moist, tender and juicy and full of flavor.