By Irene Hayton

Baking powder is a fast-acting leavening agent that causes dough or batter to rise by releasing bubbles of carbon dioxide.

Some of the recipes on this website and in Eating Alive II call for non-alum baking powder (“alum” stands for aluminum). When buying baking powder, choose a brand that doesn’t contain aluminum since it’s best to avoid putting metals into your body. The label should say that it’s aluminum-free, otherwise you can check the ingredients to make sure it’s not listed there. Organic brands do not contain aluminum. Non-alum baking powder can be found in the natural foods section of grocery stores and in health food stores.

Baking powder loses its potency and becomes ineffective over time, so check the container for the expiration date. If there isn’t one listed, you can test to see if it’s outdated or not. Just add 1 teaspoon to ½ cup of hot water: if it fizzes, it’s still fresh; if it doesn’t, you should buy more.