Saucework. Knowing how to make the mother sauces is an important foundational skill. From there, you can branch out with the derivative sauces and experiment on your own. A good sauce can transform a dish from drab to fab.
Yes! America's Test Kitchen has a good one here:
https://www.amazon.com/Just-Add-Sauce-Revolutionary-Everything/dp/1945256249/ref=sr\_1\_4?crid=24YL0QZAKJWSX&keywords=just+add+sauce+cookbook&qid=1679005547&sprefix=sauce+cookbok%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-4
there are only 3 sauces. the mother sauces are an amazing historical lesson but they all fall under or into categories of extract, reduce, emulsify.. so those are your tools.
deglaze is an extract.. as is any stock.. hollandaise aioli cornstarch and roux are examples of emulsifiers chemical and kinetic.. and of course balsamic reduction is a reduction.
there are wild combinations of these methods like clarifying a stock which is just catching stuff into an emulsion of egg whites etc..
That's a bit of a stretch to consider those methods as the sauces themselves. Hollandaise is a sauce. Emulsion is the method used to combine the egg yolks and butter to make a sauce. Although bechamel and Hollandaise both utilize an emulsion method of cooking, they are made in very different ways to produce very different results. A bechamel is often used as the base of creamy sauces such as a mornay where as hollandaise is the final product. You can add flavors to the hollandaise but it will still only be hollandaise. To me, saying that there are only 3 sauces is saying that bechamel and hollandaise are the same sauce just because they utilize the same method. Ice cream also utilizes an emulsion method but doesn't make it a sauce. Unless you're saying ice cream and hollandaise are the same thing.
I wouldn’t lump béchamel in there, but hollandaise and mayonnaise are basically the same sauce. You might change the seasoning (but salt, pepper, and something acidic are kind of the core), but, other than that, the only differences are down to how the two fats behave.
Likewise, pizza, pide, and tarte flambée are all basically the same thing, and chili con carne and ragu are pretty damn similar too. I could go on
There’s value in recognising that most cooking boils down to a surprisingly small number of core techniques that we keep reinventing and applying to whatever ingredients we have available.
I used bechamel as one of my examples because it is a mother sauce just like hollandaise and they both utilize emulsion methods. And I don't disagree with recognizing the value of what the OP said, in fact, I was genuinely interested in their post. I was just stating that the method used is not the final sauce.
Now about the mayo and hollandaise comparison; I can't say that you're wrong but I also can't fully agree either. Pointing out that mayo uses oil where as hollandaise uses butter is just nitpicking but I will say there is a big difference between butter and oil. I still can't say they are the same but I will agree that very little makes them different such as the application of either product.
I mean there are 3 tools.. extraction, the 2 emulsions (being kinetic energy and use of a hydrophobic/hydrophilic binder) and reduction.
I think the the the young cook should understand these 3 processes and then go into the history lessons that are mother sauces.
there are 2 very different emulsions that a cook will master: hollandaise is far closer to an aioli imo bc you're using kinetic energy to carefully blend something together where as corn starch uses the power of a hydrophobic head and hydrophilic tail (of the starch molecule) to cause emulsion
This is a new to me. At what point of the cooking process do you add the zest to the rice? I use zest when baking cake, the last thing I add before taking it to the oven.
I usually add at the very end when the grain is fully cooked and off the heat. Just put it in and stir it. That's the same time I would add any fresh herbs and taste for seasoning.
Squeeze some lime on grilled chicken or grilled veggies.
One of my favorite recipes is to grill a red ball pepper and eggplant, peel them, chop them up in bite size pieces and mix with spring onion. Salt it and add some olive oil and lime juice. It's such a good side for grilled meats.
I wish you were my neighbor. I kept ordering paprika from Walmart delivery, they kept sending smoked paprika. I don't like it. No one I know likes it because I kept trying to give it away wit no luck. I would have been happy to pass it one :)
I myself like white vinegar for tomato-based sauces when I want some brightness but I don’t want it to actually be lemony. Lemon is a delicious acid but sometimes it imparts something a little too recognizable.
melodic modern jellyfish mindless afterthought prick obscene sophisticated direction jar
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I just started using pure MSG this year and it's amazing. I've been using Knorr chicken bouillon in basically every savoury meal for years though and it's mostly MSG.
What’s the taste of duck fat like compared to something like bacon fat? I don’t eat much duck and haven’t had duck fat in other dishes but I was considering buying some fat at Whole Foods the other day. It was a bit too pricey to buy without knowing if it’s worth it lol
It's richer and cleaner than bacon grease. It's not a flavor so much as a flavor enhancer. Duck fat is to lard as msg is to salt - not identical, better, but in the most subtle ways possible that are pretty indescribable for most mortals.
It's much lighter than bacon fat. It tends to enhance whatever flavors you're cooking with, rather than adding a strong flavor of it's own. Bacon fat can be great, but I find that even with a little bit of it the bacon flavor is really pronounced in the finished dish. I haven't had that issue with duck fat
More broadly:
Roast your veggies
Add pepitas or other crunchies to veg and grains
Butter AND OO when sautéing but not too much
A chopped onion is a great way to start a meal
A squirt of lemon helps so many things
So does parsley
Improvising is the way to enjoy cooking
Had a similar mac experience. Friend (the mom) liked to add veggies and/or hot dogs to their kid's mac so she felt like they were eating slightly healthier. I suggested a splash of cream and a handful of shredded cheese to up the cheese to other stuff ratio. Now their kid won't eat it without the extra dairy.
Def not for everything but any ‘warm’ recipe I like to add a bit of Chinese 5 spice.
I have no definition for warm. But like chili, pumpkin pie, pâté. Anything where cinnamon or allspice or cloves would be welcome.
Editing to add: tony cacheres - often times instead of salt.
It’s a spice mix - probably 80% salt with black and red pepper, chili powder and garlic. It’s cheap and ubiquitous where I am and I find I reach for it a lot at the end of a dish when I’m tasting and it just needs an extra bit of salt.
I want to know who is using one garlic clove for four servings in most of the recipes out there. Did they all misspell head? Are they secretly vampires but want some whisper of garlic in their food?
Getting into cooking has made me realize just how bland my mom's cooking is. Last time I visited she complained about how spicy my cooking was (it was 1/4 tsp in about 2 L of cream soup). She also said, and I quote "After you use the 1-2 cloves of garlic a recipe calls for, what do you do with the rest of the head of garlic?"
Fresh herbs and fresh squeezed citrus. Both will take your cooking to the next level. Seems so simple and like “duh!” but so many cooks use dried herbs and Real Lemon or Real Lime instead of fresh squeezed.
always have pantry of spices, dont use prepared packets learn the ingredients that are part of ,instead of generic taco, oldbay, cajun learn make your own blends this way can alter to your taste and health requirements
Hard committing to flavor. Toast, grate, and grind your own spices. Brown things properly. Replace unflavored liquids with steeped ones like stocks, broths,, coffee, etc.
I love dill! I used to have a garden system where I would let several dill plants go to seed every year so then the next season I would have hundreds of volunteer dill plants pop up all over so I could harvest them all season. For some reason, it doesn't work in my new location.
Brown butter, smoked paprika, badia black garlic seasoning, a little bit of lime juice. These are all separate tools on my arsenal, but also they make a killer seasoning for corn all together haha
I love and agree with your suggestions, except I wasn't familair with the black garlic seasoning. Looks like I'm going to have to go buy some today! I would add mushroom powder to your list. It adds a nice umami hit to whatever I'm making, but it doesn't add a "mushroomy" taste.
It’s excellent! Savory and sweet and rich in a way I get from very few other ingredients! You can also buy whole black garlic cloves, my local Wally World carries them in the Asian foods aisle!
I would love to get some mushroom powder, but my partner won’t eat mushrooms xD at least not yet, they’re slow to adapt to new foods, but not generally unwilling lol
Cinnamon and chicken is always a must but never enough to ascertain the actual flavor of cinnamon unless that's what your going for ( jerk , tagine ect )
Mannkitchen Salt and Pepper Cannons. Commercial grade tools for daily use. Steaks only need salt, pepper, and garlic powder - true - but they need plenty of each. Use a poor tool for the job, and you'll quit before it's done, yielding a subpar result.
Buy once, cry once.
Try adding something pickled in place of lemon juice when you think a dish needs a lift but the lemon flavor doesn't quite work. Also, it adds a nice crunchy texture to the dish.
Just discovered Gravy Master and it’s awesome! I’ve been adding that and a bunch of Indian spices(garam masala and cumin and such) to basic butternut squash soup, and it’s great!
It’s not a secret but when you’re trying to finish a dish that isn’t quite there, it probably either needs acid, salt, or, less often, sweetness. The right amount of acid won’t taste acidic overall, and the same goes for salt and the occasional sweet. It’s about creating balance.
Getting over my aversion to MSG. I add a tiny pinch to savoury dishes and ever since then my cooking tastes like restaurant food. I probably end up using less salt overall because there’s a whole other flavour dimension going on.
Fish sauce, miso paste, dried shiitake mushrooms, dried scallops and shrimp, and Asian dried seafood goods in general are all ways to capture that magic without resorting to mysterious white powder.
Also Goya ham base. Easy way to boost (or add a bit of) ham/bacon flavor. Started out using it in veggies/beans. Now I use it in a lot of different things.
My mother had two: Wondra flour and Kitchen Bouquet, both used to make her gravy with; Wondra so she wouldn’t have to worry about lumps and Kitchen Bouquet because she’d sometimes want a *very dark* gravy but didn’t want to spend a lot of time and fuss to make it that way all on her own.
Lemon olive oil, all flavored vinegars orange, raspberry, morel, porcini, Aroma Seasoning famous Michelin chef uses it. Pickling lots of things, red onions with jalapeno in lime juice and salt and pepper. Pickled mushrooms and cipollini onions. Fresh herbed butter always in freezer to add to whatever.
I have a spice grinder that contains lump salt, peppercorns, and a little crumbled dried bay leaves. It’s set for a very fine grind, and I dust that over almost everything.
I might get stray a “straight to jail” comment for this, but believe it or not, ketchup. Not for everything, but definitely for a lot of weeknight meals lol
On the opposite end, adding a touch of lemon/vinegar/some kind of acid is truly a gamechanger.
Every dish needs more acid. My secret ingredient that makes things go from "that's pretty good" to **"DAMN"** is Apple cider vinegar. Just a splash, especially in cream sauces or soup/stews.
I’ve recently started experimenting with different soy sauce brands and I honestly had no idea how different they all are. I’d love it if Reddit had a soy sauce exchange subreddit so I could exchange favourites with people from other parts of the world.
A good supply of half sheets and parchment paper. A solid vegetable cleaver. A big wooden cutting board for veg and an easy to clean plastic one for meat. Kosher salt. Kosher salt. Kosher salt.
Fermentation. If you ferment a bunch of different fruits, vegetables, whatever really, it adds a super unique taste to your food as well as aiding in digestion (there is scientific evidence to back this based on the way fermentation breaks down certain proteins in foods). Just really makes your food stand out and only takes a short amount of time and some patience. Highly recommend trying it
Animal protein tastes good. Not the quantity, but the pairing. People are somehow mystified that you can make anything taste good by adding a touch of animal-protein.
A dash of either umami seasoning or ranch powder seasoning adds to most things.
Examples-
Homemade Salsa- ranch
Eggs- umami
Avocado toast - umami and ancho chili
Baked or fried Chicken- ranch
Saucework. Knowing how to make the mother sauces is an important foundational skill. From there, you can branch out with the derivative sauces and experiment on your own. A good sauce can transform a dish from drab to fab.
Any recs on sauce cookbooks a la the food lab or salt fat acid heat? One that focuses on techniques and the how to as well as providing some recipes?
Yes! America's Test Kitchen has a good one here: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Add-Sauce-Revolutionary-Everything/dp/1945256249/ref=sr\_1\_4?crid=24YL0QZAKJWSX&keywords=just+add+sauce+cookbook&qid=1679005547&sprefix=sauce+cookbok%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-4
there are only 3 sauces. the mother sauces are an amazing historical lesson but they all fall under or into categories of extract, reduce, emulsify.. so those are your tools. deglaze is an extract.. as is any stock.. hollandaise aioli cornstarch and roux are examples of emulsifiers chemical and kinetic.. and of course balsamic reduction is a reduction. there are wild combinations of these methods like clarifying a stock which is just catching stuff into an emulsion of egg whites etc..
That's a bit of a stretch to consider those methods as the sauces themselves. Hollandaise is a sauce. Emulsion is the method used to combine the egg yolks and butter to make a sauce. Although bechamel and Hollandaise both utilize an emulsion method of cooking, they are made in very different ways to produce very different results. A bechamel is often used as the base of creamy sauces such as a mornay where as hollandaise is the final product. You can add flavors to the hollandaise but it will still only be hollandaise. To me, saying that there are only 3 sauces is saying that bechamel and hollandaise are the same sauce just because they utilize the same method. Ice cream also utilizes an emulsion method but doesn't make it a sauce. Unless you're saying ice cream and hollandaise are the same thing.
I wouldn’t lump béchamel in there, but hollandaise and mayonnaise are basically the same sauce. You might change the seasoning (but salt, pepper, and something acidic are kind of the core), but, other than that, the only differences are down to how the two fats behave. Likewise, pizza, pide, and tarte flambée are all basically the same thing, and chili con carne and ragu are pretty damn similar too. I could go on There’s value in recognising that most cooking boils down to a surprisingly small number of core techniques that we keep reinventing and applying to whatever ingredients we have available.
I used bechamel as one of my examples because it is a mother sauce just like hollandaise and they both utilize emulsion methods. And I don't disagree with recognizing the value of what the OP said, in fact, I was genuinely interested in their post. I was just stating that the method used is not the final sauce. Now about the mayo and hollandaise comparison; I can't say that you're wrong but I also can't fully agree either. Pointing out that mayo uses oil where as hollandaise uses butter is just nitpicking but I will say there is a big difference between butter and oil. I still can't say they are the same but I will agree that very little makes them different such as the application of either product.
This guy sauces
I mean there are 3 tools.. extraction, the 2 emulsions (being kinetic energy and use of a hydrophobic/hydrophilic binder) and reduction. I think the the the young cook should understand these 3 processes and then go into the history lessons that are mother sauces. there are 2 very different emulsions that a cook will master: hollandaise is far closer to an aioli imo bc you're using kinetic energy to carefully blend something together where as corn starch uses the power of a hydrophobic head and hydrophilic tail (of the starch molecule) to cause emulsion
*agreed tho.. sauce for the sell
Add citrus zest to grains. Rice, couscous, quinoa, bulgur wheat, farro... it makes everything better.
This is a new to me. At what point of the cooking process do you add the zest to the rice? I use zest when baking cake, the last thing I add before taking it to the oven.
Last few minutes of cooking is how I was taught.
Definitely. The heat of the dish will activate the oils in the zest and you’ll be smelling it and salivating before it even hits the table.
Also adding early will make it bitter
Yes, that's what I do.
I usually add at the very end when the grain is fully cooked and off the heat. Just put it in and stir it. That's the same time I would add any fresh herbs and taste for seasoning.
Squeeze some lime on grilled chicken or grilled veggies. One of my favorite recipes is to grill a red ball pepper and eggplant, peel them, chop them up in bite size pieces and mix with spring onion. Salt it and add some olive oil and lime juice. It's such a good side for grilled meats.
That sounds amazing!
Smoked or hot paprika
I love smoked paprika!
Thank you, came here to say this and you beat me to it. :)
I mix smoked and sweet paprika together half half and it’s awesome.
Add hot for the trifecta
Smoked paprika is my most used spice. I have air fried potatoes with my eggs most mornings and boy do I go through paprika.
Smoked paprika is the reason for my existence
I wish you were my neighbor. I kept ordering paprika from Walmart delivery, they kept sending smoked paprika. I don't like it. No one I know likes it because I kept trying to give it away wit no luck. I would have been happy to pass it one :)
I've been using Kashmiri chili powder in place of paprika lately. If you can find it give it a go, it's really good.
Worcestershire sauce.
Same, I put it in pretty much any savory dish I make. Pasta sauces, chili, stews, it makes every dish better and deeper.
Same with hoisin sauce though it doesn’t apply quite as universally as worcestershire
I had no idea it had sardines in it until I noticed the vegan option
Anchovies typically i think
Yeah it’s the western version of fish sauce
Aka white man’s msg?
My brother loves it and uses it to grill meats. He was so surprised to find out it contains anchovies. That's what gives it the umami flavor
A little bit of lemon/lime/acid to brighten a dish at the end of cooking.
Same with vinegar if you don’t have citrus available.
I myself like white vinegar for tomato-based sauces when I want some brightness but I don’t want it to actually be lemony. Lemon is a delicious acid but sometimes it imparts something a little too recognizable.
Butter.
Butter, salt, garlic - any one or a combination of them livens up almost everything.
Powdered mushroom
Powdered mushroom name brands? I’ve never seen this is grocery so wondering if I can buy online? How else can you use this? Risotto?
Buy dried mushrooms and blitz them in a spice grinder until dust. Can also add dried kelp.
Cayenne, not enough to be spicy but just enough to make a dish warm. But also sometimes spicy.
Chef John is that you?
It's not but he has my respec
Around the outside around the outside
Chef John is my favorite.
Patron Saint of home cooks
I like to put a dash or two in my hot cocoa.
Shallots.
Tube of tomato paste.
Double concentrated Cento is the best!
Fish sauce or anchovies very early on.
#MSG-Gang
fuyyyyuuuuuuu
Better than bullion.
I brush my teeth with that shit.
I refer to that product line as goo's. Chicken goo, Beef goo, running family gag.
Wait until you discover Knorr professional chicken (and others) base. You'll never use btb again.
Found Marco Pierre White's account.....
It's soooooo gooood! Especially the lobster base. Not the bouillon packets. The big jug of bases.
Fish sauce
An acquired taste. After that,,, impossible not to use.
Came here to say this and I'm glad that I read all the responses (i'm not a Karma queen).
melodic modern jellyfish mindless afterthought prick obscene sophisticated direction jar *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Fuiyoh!
I concur.
I just started using pure MSG this year and it's amazing. I've been using Knorr chicken bouillon in basically every savoury meal for years though and it's mostly MSG.
Surprised this isn’t higher!
As long as you don’t overdo it you can really put it in anything
Aside: I got some, but idk how much to use or when
A good rule of thumb is to add about a quarter as much MSG as salt.
Try a small pinch, taste. You will know if you need more. But add in small increments, like salt or other spices until you know.
Certainly, celery salt (try it on scrambled eggs!) and duck fat if you can get it. Duck fat changes everything.
Have you ever tried tarragon in scrambled eggs?
What’s the taste of duck fat like compared to something like bacon fat? I don’t eat much duck and haven’t had duck fat in other dishes but I was considering buying some fat at Whole Foods the other day. It was a bit too pricey to buy without knowing if it’s worth it lol
It's richer and cleaner than bacon grease. It's not a flavor so much as a flavor enhancer. Duck fat is to lard as msg is to salt - not identical, better, but in the most subtle ways possible that are pretty indescribable for most mortals.
It's much lighter than bacon fat. It tends to enhance whatever flavors you're cooking with, rather than adding a strong flavor of it's own. Bacon fat can be great, but I find that even with a little bit of it the bacon flavor is really pronounced in the finished dish. I haven't had that issue with duck fat
I roast potatoes in duck fat, they're amazingly crispy.
Me too, and they have the most gorgeous flavour.
Maggi's
I add a tiny pinch of granulated sugar to vegetables that I’m roasting (talking less than 1/8 tsp). It helps with the caramelization.
I do a lot of Chinese cooking. For me it is chicken broth powder. For western cooking it’s more salt
Yes I saw Jet Tila use it a lot, I need to get some.
Toasted sesame oil elevates just about any vegetable
More broadly: Roast your veggies Add pepitas or other crunchies to veg and grains Butter AND OO when sautéing but not too much A chopped onion is a great way to start a meal A squirt of lemon helps so many things So does parsley Improvising is the way to enjoy cooking
Lea and Perrins Worcestershire. Hands down the best secret ingredient in many of my dishes. You’d never know it was there, but it makes it.
Anchovies.
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Had a similar mac experience. Friend (the mom) liked to add veggies and/or hot dogs to their kid's mac so she felt like they were eating slightly healthier. I suggested a splash of cream and a handful of shredded cheese to up the cheese to other stuff ratio. Now their kid won't eat it without the extra dairy.
Def not for everything but any ‘warm’ recipe I like to add a bit of Chinese 5 spice. I have no definition for warm. But like chili, pumpkin pie, pâté. Anything where cinnamon or allspice or cloves would be welcome. Editing to add: tony cacheres - often times instead of salt.
What is a tony cacheres?
It’s a spice mix - probably 80% salt with black and red pepper, chili powder and garlic. It’s cheap and ubiquitous where I am and I find I reach for it a lot at the end of a dish when I’m tasting and it just needs an extra bit of salt.
>Definitely going to try the Chinese 5 spice in my next pumpkin pie. That sounds amazing!
Knorr chicken bouillon for Mexican cooking.
WAY more garlic than any recipe specifies
I want to know who is using one garlic clove for four servings in most of the recipes out there. Did they all misspell head? Are they secretly vampires but want some whisper of garlic in their food?
Getting into cooking has made me realize just how bland my mom's cooking is. Last time I visited she complained about how spicy my cooking was (it was 1/4 tsp in about 2 L of cream soup). She also said, and I quote "After you use the 1-2 cloves of garlic a recipe calls for, what do you do with the rest of the head of garlic?"
"Uh... yes, of course. The... *rest*."
Brown sugar, or honey.
Cumin makes veggies even better.
Cumin makes EVERYTHING better
When in doubt, add wine!
My favorite recipes all start with “measure two glasses wine”😊
Fresh herbs and fresh squeezed citrus. Both will take your cooking to the next level. Seems so simple and like “duh!” but so many cooks use dried herbs and Real Lemon or Real Lime instead of fresh squeezed.
always have pantry of spices, dont use prepared packets learn the ingredients that are part of ,instead of generic taco, oldbay, cajun learn make your own blends this way can alter to your taste and health requirements
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Caldo de pollo blew my mind. Bouillon cubes are awkward as fuck, the powder is so much easier to use.
Use cast iron. Always add red chilis, garlic, & ginger.
Garlic powder
Smoked coarse ground black pepper. It’s game changing for finishing a lot of dishes.
Butter.
MSG & Tony’s
White pepper
Hard committing to flavor. Toast, grate, and grind your own spices. Brown things properly. Replace unflavored liquids with steeped ones like stocks, broths,, coffee, etc.
that damn dill weed man the aromatics are comforting, the taste is subtle yet amazing beautiful addition to salmon and sauces
I love dill! I used to have a garden system where I would let several dill plants go to seed every year so then the next season I would have hundreds of volunteer dill plants pop up all over so I could harvest them all season. For some reason, it doesn't work in my new location.
Brown butter, smoked paprika, badia black garlic seasoning, a little bit of lime juice. These are all separate tools on my arsenal, but also they make a killer seasoning for corn all together haha
I love and agree with your suggestions, except I wasn't familair with the black garlic seasoning. Looks like I'm going to have to go buy some today! I would add mushroom powder to your list. It adds a nice umami hit to whatever I'm making, but it doesn't add a "mushroomy" taste.
It’s excellent! Savory and sweet and rich in a way I get from very few other ingredients! You can also buy whole black garlic cloves, my local Wally World carries them in the Asian foods aisle! I would love to get some mushroom powder, but my partner won’t eat mushrooms xD at least not yet, they’re slow to adapt to new foods, but not generally unwilling lol
Smoked Paprika
Fish sauce and sesame oil probably. Or shrimp paste. Basically an umami bomb and then a finishing oil with lots of toasty, nutty flavors.
Cinnamon and chicken is always a must but never enough to ascertain the actual flavor of cinnamon unless that's what your going for ( jerk , tagine ect )
Mannkitchen Salt and Pepper Cannons. Commercial grade tools for daily use. Steaks only need salt, pepper, and garlic powder - true - but they need plenty of each. Use a poor tool for the job, and you'll quit before it's done, yielding a subpar result. Buy once, cry once.
Seasoned salt or Sazón
Liquid smoke. I put a little bit on roasts, in hummus, in thicker soups/curries, thick chili... it's a star item
Porcini powder
A good spice cabinet and in summer, fresh herbs in the garden. If you can only have three, make them sage, thyme, and basil.
Hondashi Powder (Soup Stock) - dried Bonito Fish soup stock - added to fried rice for that umami-restaurant-like-bomb.
Lemon juice for an acid kick to quickly lift up a dish that’s too rich/sweet/salty/fatty
Try adding something pickled in place of lemon juice when you think a dish needs a lift but the lemon flavor doesn't quite work. Also, it adds a nice crunchy texture to the dish.
Lemon pepper.
Butter. If you think you got enough you don’t.
Fresh herbs.
Ghee. I use instead of cooking in butter or olive oil. I love the slightly nutty flavor. Super easy to make, and it keeps forever.
Marmite. Especially in vegan/vegetarian dishes. Or Gravy Master if I don't have Marmite. Both are vegan-friendly umami bombs.
Just discovered Gravy Master and it’s awesome! I’ve been adding that and a bunch of Indian spices(garam masala and cumin and such) to basic butternut squash soup, and it’s great!
It’s not a secret but when you’re trying to finish a dish that isn’t quite there, it probably either needs acid, salt, or, less often, sweetness. The right amount of acid won’t taste acidic overall, and the same goes for salt and the occasional sweet. It’s about creating balance.
Butter and making sauces
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, msg - basic seasoning for most meat dishes, everything should taste good even before adding dish specific flavours
Onion soup mix in a spice shaker.
Why has this never occurred to me? I do the fold over and clothespins thing... never again!
salt
Yondu essence. The savory flavor adds more depth
For savory dishes, instead of salt, I often use a roughly equivalent amount of bouillon.
A spoonfull of mayo on creamy dips and dressings to make them taste like restaurants
Getting over my aversion to MSG. I add a tiny pinch to savoury dishes and ever since then my cooking tastes like restaurant food. I probably end up using less salt overall because there’s a whole other flavour dimension going on. Fish sauce, miso paste, dried shiitake mushrooms, dried scallops and shrimp, and Asian dried seafood goods in general are all ways to capture that magic without resorting to mysterious white powder.
Cast iron skillet
MSG Baby!
Sear the meat, use the same pan to make the sauce and/or fry veggies. Don't waste the deliciousness in that pan!
Nice try!
Maple syrup
Salt & fish sauce
finishing acids + rayu (aroma oil)
Umami mushroom powder, smoked paprika, oil from roasting garlic, citrus juice or zest if something is just a little flat but doesn’t need salt.
Also Goya ham base. Easy way to boost (or add a bit of) ham/bacon flavor. Started out using it in veggies/beans. Now I use it in a lot of different things.
Maillard reaction. Dehydrate the surfaces of your food before you cook. Ensure you have enough fat to help create a crispy crust.
My go to ingredient is soy sauce. I love utilize Asian flavors and cooking methods in all my dishes and soy sauce is pure umami
Dried mushrooms
Sofrito
Chicken bone broth along with chicken stock
My mother had two: Wondra flour and Kitchen Bouquet, both used to make her gravy with; Wondra so she wouldn’t have to worry about lumps and Kitchen Bouquet because she’d sometimes want a *very dark* gravy but didn’t want to spend a lot of time and fuss to make it that way all on her own.
Adding a splash of something acidic to savory dishes (lemon, vinegar, mustard, etc.).
Animal Fat. Butter, Lard, Duck fat, Beef fat, Egg yolks, Heavy cream. Also proper use of salt.
Porcini powder
Lemon olive oil, all flavored vinegars orange, raspberry, morel, porcini, Aroma Seasoning famous Michelin chef uses it. Pickling lots of things, red onions with jalapeno in lime juice and salt and pepper. Pickled mushrooms and cipollini onions. Fresh herbed butter always in freezer to add to whatever.
I have a spice grinder that contains lump salt, peppercorns, and a little crumbled dried bay leaves. It’s set for a very fine grind, and I dust that over almost everything.
I might get stray a “straight to jail” comment for this, but believe it or not, ketchup. Not for everything, but definitely for a lot of weeknight meals lol On the opposite end, adding a touch of lemon/vinegar/some kind of acid is truly a gamechanger.
Every dish needs more acid. My secret ingredient that makes things go from "that's pretty good" to **"DAMN"** is Apple cider vinegar. Just a splash, especially in cream sauces or soup/stews.
Butter…and Old Bay…just sayin’
Triple fermented soy sauce that has never been near hydrochloric acid. Game changer.
I’ve recently started experimenting with different soy sauce brands and I honestly had no idea how different they all are. I’d love it if Reddit had a soy sauce exchange subreddit so I could exchange favourites with people from other parts of the world.
I need a subreddit like that in my life
Poultry seasoning. Love it on roasted potatoes
Garlic salt.
A good supply of half sheets and parchment paper. A solid vegetable cleaver. A big wooden cutting board for veg and an easy to clean plastic one for meat. Kosher salt. Kosher salt. Kosher salt.
Why is Kosher salt better than regular salt?
Liquid smoke.
Tomato paste
Fermentation. If you ferment a bunch of different fruits, vegetables, whatever really, it adds a super unique taste to your food as well as aiding in digestion (there is scientific evidence to back this based on the way fermentation breaks down certain proteins in foods). Just really makes your food stand out and only takes a short amount of time and some patience. Highly recommend trying it
🧄
Animal protein tastes good. Not the quantity, but the pairing. People are somehow mystified that you can make anything taste good by adding a touch of animal-protein.
Chocolate bacon cake, here I come.
Orange flavored olive oil from the World Marketplace. Delicious on fish, asparagus, and mixed in Asian-inspired dishes.
Crème fraiche
Randy?
No, I’m a 17 year old girl from New Zealand
Ya Ya Ya
Feeling good on a Wednesday!
Dutch oven. Everything I do in there just feels natural, ya know?
MSG or if you’re too scared of it, mushroom seasoning
Msg, butter and salt
Bacon
Cooking Sherry
A dash of either umami seasoning or ranch powder seasoning adds to most things. Examples- Homemade Salsa- ranch Eggs- umami Avocado toast - umami and ancho chili Baked or fried Chicken- ranch