Tell me about that one ingredient, that when discovered, it opened your mind to a whole new world of flavor possibilities!
For me, the first to come to mind is Worcestershire sauce. I’m talking about way back in my youth. It was my first introduction to what we now call umami. When I noticed my mom put it in her meatloaf I began experimenting. At the time I was just blown away by how much it changed things. I even used to put it in my Top Ramen I was so obsessed lol. More recently, dukkah. Trader Joe’s is correct when they say to take bread, dip it in olive oil, and then dukkah. So tasty!!
What about you?
Garlic chilly powder. An Indian mate of mine introduced it to me recently, and I reckon anyone who loves spicy food should have this in their pantry. You could use it as a spice in your stir-fries and curries, or sprinkle it on your fries/roasted veggies/pizza/pasta, add it to your favorite sauce or salsa, or just add some to whatever dish your making to give it a spicy garlicy boost. You can find this ingredient in Indian stores, if not, it’s simple enough to make it at home.
Balsamic condiment. I hadn’t realized just how much I was missing out on with more diluted balsamic vinegars. It’s a completely different experience, which is great because balsamic vinegar still has its place in my heart for things like salad dressings. I couldn’t even comprehend the balsamic + vanilla ice cream people until I’d splurged (slightly) on a mid grade balsamic condiment.
It’s basically the same for me! I’d say anchovies/fish sauce in general. My first introduction was through Thai fish sauce, which I grew up with and learned how to use in Thai cooking. Then, I started cooking with anchovies in oil and Worcestershire sauce in what I viewed as their respective cuisines. At some point I understood the similar role these ingredients played in providing the umami element needed to complete a dish, and that made me feel more confident using them in a wider variety of foods and “across” cuisines as needed. Used in the appropriate amount, they won’t overpower a dish or turn it fishy; a little bit provides so much flavor!
Chicken. Perhaps it is less the ingredient in this case than the techniques associated.
It’s not that I didn’t each chicken, but learning to roast a whole chicken was the gateway to real day-to-day cooking for me. I’d roast a chicken on the weekend, make sandwiches or salad with leftovers, make broth with the carcass, make soup or pot pie or gravy with broth and other leftovers, etc. Before cooking some something that seemed like a special occasion but now I had something that sort of begot more food naturally.
If I had to pick a single ingredient, probably cumin or curry spice if I can be allowed to cheat. So many dishes to add that to.
Butterflied roast chicken was the single recipe from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat that really nailed home so many of the lessons for me - especially about seasoning your meat overnight! Amazing what a difference it makes - one of my fave easy cooks now!
5 spice.
That and brining poultry. A salt/sugar solution will do amazing things
Smoked Paprika! Gives anything a quick/easy smoky flavor, with just a touch of heat (not like cayenne pepper). It’s works with just about anything.
Ooooo, this is a good question!
I think mine would be wasabi (or horseradish, depending on how much you are spending). So delightful.
Since the classics have been mentioned already (vinegar, MSG), I’ll go with tofu. It’s like a blank sheet of paper, ready for your creativity. There’s no form of cooking or kind of food that tofu doesn’t fit into. You could have crunchy tofu cubes, but you can go sweet with silken tofu. Or make a creamy sauce with way less fat. Or honestly just be lazy and crumble in raw tofu into whatever your cooking to add easy protein.
Some mf gonna come here and say cum
Vinegar. Adding vinegar to things can brighten them up or, depending on quantity, give something a sour flavor that is needed sometimes. I experiment with all kinds of vinegar. I even use the brine from my jar of spicy pickled vegetables in my cooking or to make a salad dressing. I also like to swap it with lemon juice to see what happens. For example, I have learned that I prefer lemon juice rather than vinegar in my alioli mayonnaise I make (probably not original, but I figured it out on my own). Going in the other direction, I prefer vinegar over lemon juice for making tartar sauce. I think my vinegar discovery started when I was a little kid. In my home town, famous for its fishing, lobster trapping, and clamming, you’ll find malt vinegar on the table at any restaurant. We use it on french fries and fried fish as a condiment. When I was a small child, I dipped my french fries in ketchup, splashed them with malt vinegar, and squeezed lemon juice on them. So, I think french fries are pretty much the vehicle to my discovery of ingredients. In turn, I have a tendency of turning condiments into ingredients I think I will dip french fries in just about anything on hand, at least once or twice.
Same here, I’ve been making vinaigrettes for everything. Not just vegetable and pasta salads, but meats and roasted vegetables as well. I’m also falling into fermentation fast and hard. I just started with a variety of fermented cucumbers, and am already planning to ferment beets, turnips, peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage this season. I’ve also been wanting to make some vinegars, I think I’ll start with choke cherry and raspberry this year.
I think I’ll also make some fermented sauces. I’m thinking a fermented tomato ketchup, and a couple sriracha style pepper sauces, with different types of pepper.
Next spring, I’m already planning both fermented asparagus and strawberries.
I don’t ferment anything, but it’s something I’ll think about trying.
It’s a rabbit hole, let me tell you! Just learning about different approaches to salt concentration is kind of nuts. Then all the different container styles - ceramic crocks, different styles of mason jar crocks. The use of tannins to keep some vegetables crisp.
I am into it. I made my own Limoncello once. It was a wonderful beverage, but yeah, the constant vigilance. The container selection. Made me crazy!
Maybe it’s my autism, but I’m feeling like the obsession is right up my alley. But I’ve long felt like I’m wasting my life on work, and just want to play in the garden and kitchen all day.
You like it. It has nothing to do with your autism. I mean, I have a thing for pickling, and it’s really specific. I like to make hot pickled veggies. I have a huge jar, and it’s for one thing: my hot pickled veggies. I have patience for that endeavor, because when I make them, I make them, in the fridge. When they’re pickled, I use them on everything. It goes with my thing for vinegar. When it comes to fermented things, I prefer to buy them already fermented, mostly because I don’t trust myself to ferment at home. I think it is fantastic that you have that kind of attention to detail that fermenting has at home. I’m willing to bet your fermented stuff is amazing. I love fermented ketchup, for example, and I buy it already made and cherish it. I would love to make it on my own, but I don’t feel confident about doing it. It’s what I’d call my limit in the kitchen. You could probably convince me it’s not so bad. The closest I’ve gotten to fermentation and successful is friendship bread starter and sourdough bread starter. I can handle that, because it’s something you put in the fridge. Do you see what I mean? I’m all about food safety and all that, so I’m cautious. I ought to be more brave like you and just go all out on fermenting things at home, because I think I’d evolve.
Not an ingredient, per se, but for me the game changer was the flavor compounds from the Maillard reaction. Good browning is what makes some soups and sauces and meats and vegetables taste better than others. Regular supermarket cauliflower or broccoli or zucchini or ground beef or roast chicken taste way better just from proper temperature and moisture control (boiling water tops out at 212°F/100°C so the presence of liquid water tends to keep temperatures too low for Maillard reaction to happen). It’s why grilling tends to taste better than, like, boiling, for many dishes.
Chicken broth. I started buying the cheap bone in chicken at the grocery store. Toss the leftover bones/fat/tendons into a crock pot and toss in the vegetable bits you would have thrown away otherwise. Cook it on slow cook while you’re asleep and strain it in the morning. Now you have liquid flavour to add to rice, sauces, soups, etc., and it’s full of vitamins, too
A couple of my local groceries sell packed chicken feet, and I absolutely love them for stocks. They’re packed with gelatin and I end up with silky stocks that look like Jello in the fridge. Store rotisserie chickens are also great for stocks in my experience. I get a meal or few out of most of the meat, then you chuck the rest in a pot to turn into stock.
I think at least one of my local groceries also used to sell ox tail. Great for beef stock, but I think it got expensive after it became a trendy cut for some reason. I don’t remember how that happened, I guess people got in the know 🤔.
Not sure why it became trendy, but ox tail pho is some of the best food i’ve ever tried
Ghost pepper flakes, finally I can make things properly spicy without using a ton of really expensive hot sauce.
These are easy to make too. I made a ghost pepper red sauce I dehydrated and pulverized to add a spicy salsa flake to any dish.
How did you go about dehydrating it?
Sorry for the delayed response. I spread the “Soup” (for a lack of better word) thinly on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. And place the sheets in the oven on a low heat for about 20 minutes
I’ve been getting into a recipe book lately that regularly suggests using the zest of a lemon/lime as well as just the juice. I can’t believe I used to throw it away! It adds a slight bitter counterbalance as well as some nice floral notes to whatever I’m preparing.
Curry! This one Call simply organic curry powder
Something went wrong with your link ;) I agree that this is a very versatile spice mix which can be the star of so many yummy dishes, from chicken salad to pumpkin soup!
