My question had to do with creatively using a surplus of a related ingredient, thereby not having to spend money buying a quantity of another similar one. Yes, you can buy big containers of 'pepper flakes' at the dollar store, but what are their origins? If this were a precise ingredient, you could have a point, but getting purist about 'pepper flakes' seems petty.
And my answer is that it isn't a similar ingredient. You could substitute escarole for the cabbage, too, but it wouldn't be the same dish or anything like it. If you want to be creative, why not invent your own dish and your own name for it? If you're just stealing an idea or two from the author (another perfectly valid use of recipes), then speaking of "substitutions" is out of place, you're making your own dish.
There are various reasons for which one might use someone else's recipe; one of the primary ones is to learn how other people are doing things. If you impose your own tendencies (not that this is what the original poster is doing) the first time through a recipe, you don't have much chance of learning from it.
Hi Liz! The taste of your kimchi will definitely vary depending on the type of chilli you use. But since this is an inauthentic kimchi recipe anyway, I say go ahead and give it a try! I'm all for cross-cultural food experiments!
There are a million kinds of Mexican chiles- most of the larger ones, such as Ancho, Guajillo. New Mexico etc. have very distinct flavors and not much heat; the result might be good, but it would stray from the intent of the recipe, where the chili flakes will mostly add heat. A few types- Chile de Arbol would work well, and perhaps Chile Puya. You'd probably be better off using cayenne.
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