Guest Post: Liza Chrust

Coconut Oil

Recently I have been thinking a lot about coconut oil.  It seems to be everywhere right now!  My aunt-in-law sent me an article from the New York Times about coconut oil and it's comeback in the health food world.

I was introduced to coconut oil when I bought the Babycakes cookbook and began baking with it. It became my butter/vegetable oil substitute.  I knew it was on my movie theater popcorn, but I didn't really know much about it.  When you buy coconut oil it looks like solid lard, but when you heat it, it turns into a clear liquid. If  you choose to use coconut oil, be sure to melt it before you measure it.  I learned the hard way.

When I started using coconut oil, I only used it in baking because that is how it was introduced to me. It took me a while to get out of my comfort zone and using it in a new way.  Now, don't get me wrong, it is amazing for baking, but there are so many other ways to use this amazing product.  It has a nice mild sweet flavor that goes nicely with many dishes.

The Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe in the NYT article is vegan and looks amazing!  Why not start out your coconut oil journey with this simple, easy recipe.

Happy experimenting!