Rachael is not a stickler in the kitchen: she urges people to use what they have in the pantry, even suggesting they make substitutions instead of a last-minute run to the store. (Who has time for that?) One viewer took her advice a little too far. While cooking shrimp scampi for his girlfriend, Chris substituted cherry ginger ale for the white wine the recipe called for. Needless to say, the meal was a disaster!

Rachael does what she can to give Chris a few ground rules on substituting, in case he feels the need to add soda pop to his shrimp again. "You need help that I can't give you, but I'll try," she says.

• First rule of thumb -- generally speaking, substituting two things in a single recipe is the maximum. If you go for three, you're not making the recipe anymore so just give up and make something else.

• Need a substitute for sugar? Think sweet. If you're trying to replace brown sugar in a dish -- it won't work for baking. Use maple syrup, it's sweet and brown, or a little bit of cider, cooked down. Or, just use white sugar; no one's going to know.

• Need a substitute for wine? Think acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. As a substitution for red wine, use a splash of balsamic vinegar, let it cook off, and add a shot of stock. If you don't have vinegar or wine, try lemon juice.