First off, let me congratulate you for this website! It’s a real find!
My question resides on the use of shallots… Every chef uses shallots abundantly instead of regular onions. I understand that shallots add a more refined taste to the recipe, but where I live (Portugal), shallots are just to expensive to use on a daily basis… Is there anything I can do to the onions to emulate shallots?

Thank you, and keep up the great work!

The reason why I link to that gum in particular is because it’s a personal recommendation from me. Although I’ve used other brands of Xanthan Gum, none of them are quite as pure, and can sometimes lead to a gummy, pudding like texture. You can definitely play around with other brands, I just don’t feel comfortable recommending them. Remember too, when using Xanthan Gum you use such small amounts that it will last you for a really long time.

Your product link recommendation for Xanthan Gum is a product that costs $96 — a bit expensive for the home cook. What’ s the difference between this product and something less expensive like Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum? I’ve also seen small amounts on Amazon for about $1 per ounce. Would it be disadvantageous to use these lesser expensive products?

You should usually seed a tomato when it will be a topping for something where you do not want excess juice. Brushetta would be a good example, because the excess juice could cause your toasted bread to become soggy. So, for a rule of thumb, seed tomatoes when they are a topping and garnish, leave the seeds in when using them for a salsa or sauce.

Other than that, just follow your own personal taste preferences and you’ll be fine.