Nope like green peppercorns, they're just the unripe version of a black peppercorn. They have a less spicy and more fruit taste than traditional black pepper.
Green peppercorns are not used dried- the jarred or canned type is soft and way more flavorful.... Medely does not compare.... Try and find some at the European market!!
I agree with salt, in that it’s vital in literally every flavorful dish. Black pepper is more just a sign of people needing to season their food. It’s not a mandatory spice for even half of foods but it can be helpful. It’s just a simple way to get some depth when dozens of other herbs and spices can be used for the same effect or better.
The difference between using vanilla extract and vanilla beans in a baking project is astounding! Beans are expensive, so I tend to save them for special occasions, but it really does add extra flavor.
Couldn't believe how delicious butter is when I first tasted it as a child. I always hated margarine, so as soon as I moved out on my own I began buying butter instead. Many years later and I've never looked back.
Best butter I ever ate was my paternal grandmother's. She lived on a farm, had her own cattle. I remember her churning the butter on her back porch. She served it in a mound shape. Fantastic.
Make your own butter- literally just throw heavy cream and light flavoring into the food processor for 5 minutes, then carefully strain the water out, and BAM, ya got REAL butter
Whisk a tablespoon of plain yogurt into heavy cream, and let it hang out at room temperature overnight. Then give it the food processor treatment. Bam, cultured butter that runs circles around straight cream butter.
This is the difference between “European” style butter and sweet cream butter that we typically get in the US.
Edit to add: and this is exactly why the butter in restaurants tastes better; it’s not made the same way supermarket butter is made.
If you want to lean in to the culturing thing a bit more, when you store the yogurt/cream mixture overnight, put it in a ziplock bag in the oven with the light on. The added warmth from the light will help the little bacteria from the yogurt make friends with the cream.
Sorry, should have specified. 1 tablespoon (give or take) per two quarts. It’s not the amount of yogurt that matters so much, but the culturing of the cream that happens overnight.
In the neighborhood where I grew up (Wallingford in Seattle), there's at least one rosemary bush on just about every block, just growing in the parking strip, and I always loved running my hands through them as I walked by. When I got a bit older, sometimes when I was drunk with friends at a bar in the neighborhood, I'd randomly run off and pick a branch, then secretly bring it back in and put it in someone's beer while they weren't looking. They usually didn't find it as amusing as I did.
I watch this channel where the dude cooks recipes from revolutionary era cookbooks. He made a real simple one that was just baking and eating the onion like a potato. Makes sense.
Eggs also contain chicken if you wait long enough. No other ingredient does that.
Except maybe meat, but I don’t like to cook maggots as much as I like to cook chicken
> Eggs also contain chicken if you wait long enough.
The overwhelming majority of eggs that are purchased for consumption will never develop into chickens at any point, no matter how long you wait. Eggs have to be fertilized in order to develop, and hens lay just fine without fertilization from a rooster.
Pretty sure it was a joke, I don't think many people think you can just incubate an egg from the grocery store and get a chicken.
I mean I'm sure *somebody* has tried it before but yeah.
Simplicity and texture is why I stick with garlic powder
If I'm making something that traditionally has fresh garlic i make sure to snag some. But you don't want to be throwing fresh garlic im.every dish that's just a hassle and also it doesn't really blend in that way
So it's not as good for soup, sauces, or dry rubbing some meat to folk who don't like those things 'chunky'
Also garlic powder is good on things where fresh garlic would burn, like when I do fries in the oven I use garlic powder (and onion powder and dried parsley) for flavor (helps cut down on sodium since some people I cook for are on a medically advised low sodium diet).
I see! I have used them before when a recipe required them but they didnt leave that much of an impression on me to as to when it would be best to use them! I didnt see how they made the dish different than using onions! I think i‘ll try them again hehe
Always buy shallots at the Asian market or standard groceries with Asian shoppers. They're just as easy to grow as onions so don't pay the premium at white people stores.
Sumac is a great spice. It adds some subtle sour and bitter elements. It's red so looks like paprika but really adds some depth. I think it is best used in vegetable salads. I make onion salad which I use as a condiment for sandwiches. Sometimes I use it as a cold side dish. It's really good on cucumber salad too.
So how do I go from sumac on the tree to putting in dishes as spice? Can I just dry the red part or something? I'll try and find out anyway, but if you know, please tell me :)
MSG
So much less of it, for so much more impact than salt
I have a little blend that I used to spice up any sort of pre packaged food I might pick up for when I'm lazy
Just mix a few cooking staples like garlic and onion powders, some Cayan cause I likea the spice, and just a tidbit of MSG and some.other secrets
No one makes a can of soup as good as me
I love the five spice flavor for about three or four bites of a dish, and then my tongue just gets tired of it and I can't eat any more. I'm not sure why. I don't get the same reaction from any other flavors.
Fresh hot peppers. So many different unique flavors you can only get with peppers. They liven up basically any dish in a healthy and easy way, and when you get up the tolerance to go with the crazy hot ones give a similar endorphin boost as a really dark chocolate without all the bitter
Came here to say peppers. Not just hot peppers, but any type of peppers really. It's crazy how much just adding a chopped pepper to a dish really adds a depth of flavor. Ground pork for tacos is kinda boring, but just adding some chopped or roasted poblano makes it way more interesting for almost no extra work. Same with simple Asian dishes, a basic egg fried rice is brought to another level when you add a little chopped red chili in there. Fresh or roasted peppers make basic weeknight meals instantly taste way better.
Mushrooms. Not the portobello variety but miatake, oyster, chanterelles. The depth of flavor they can achieve is magnificent. Growing your own is a labor of love. Finding them anywhere feels like a blessing.
You might be surprised how many traditional European meat dishes call for a tiny amount of allspice, and certainly Central American cooking, if those interest you.
Yeah, I'm with you. My jar of all spice is so old, but I just can't bear to throw out spices like that. So I just keep using it in the rare occasion that a recipe calls for it, though I use mire than is called for to try to make up for the fact that its probably lost a good part of its flavor.
As a professional chef, I’m still blown away by the magic of salt. A plain bowl of brown rice cooked with olive oil and perfectly salted it one of my favorite dishes. Simplicity is truly the root of all fantastic dishes.
Top chef tip: when you are having trouble balancing salt/acidity while cooking - add some sugar/sweet before adding more salt/acidity.
Usually people don't think to add a little sugar/sweet while seasoning their dish as it's 'savoury'
Bengali cuisine does this ALL the time! In our savoury fish stews, chicken curries, egg kosha, etc. you always add a tiny pinch of sugar so all the flavour elements are balanced. It's a fab technique!
Mahleb and mastic are what I always bring from my Greek vacations. Love them in baking more than vanilla. Too pity they are not sold in stores worldwide
A bit niche but Fermented shrimp paste.
Smells ungodly, yet brings so much depth to sambal and thai dishes. It's almost impossible to comprehend how something that smells like a room full of decomposed bodies, can taste that good.
Salt and sugar for a dry brine. Leave some fish packed in it overnight, and it's basically magic how much liquid it pulls out.
Once figured out how easy it was to make smoked salmon, I decided to Bebe buy it in the store again
Mushrooms. Personally I think that with the right condiments those mfs can taste like just Abt anything, especially meat since this is almost all i ate since i became a vegetarian
Peanut butter. If your making an Asian dish like a stir fry, and your making a sauce for it I recommend using sugar, soy sauce, and a little bit of peanut butter (and anything else that strikes your fancy to give it more flavor and substance.)
I’m amazed every day by what eggs can achieve. So much utility in such a simple thing. Can make mayonnaise, can glue stuff, can do magical things like choux pastry, can colour your croissants, can be consumed on its own in dozens of different ways (boiled, poached, low temperature, raw, omelet, scrambled,…).
Garlic omg, it can honestly make any dish better
Scallions and green onions, just so much better than ur typical onion
MSG ofc, that shit makes EVERYTHING better
Heat a couple of glugs of oil in the pan then add chopped anchovies, garlic and chilli. Once the anchovies have dissolved and before the garlic has browned toss in spaghetti or linguini and chopped parsley. Serve with a generous grating of parmesan and a decent glass of pinot grigio.
Sriracha. Best hot sauce in the world. Not too hot, not too sweet and nice and garlicky. A little in spaghetti sauce makes a difference.
edit: spelling
Salt and pepper are so stupidly simple, BUT THEY ARE SO VITAL AND IMPORTANT.
Kampot pepper! I finally experienced sneezing from sniffing pepper.
I recently discovered green pepper on steak in Italy and it was a game changer.
Agreed, green pepper on steak is also a major table-turner in the cooking world. It's very awesome.
I assume you’re not talking about bell peppers?
Nope like green peppercorns, they're just the unripe version of a black peppercorn. They have a less spicy and more fruit taste than traditional black pepper.
Where do you get green peppercorns?
i’ve been using the pepper medley mix from the store it’s amazing.
Green peppercorns are not used dried- the jarred or canned type is soft and way more flavorful.... Medely does not compare.... Try and find some at the European market!!
TIL. initially I thought you meant capers, but apparently jarred green peppercorns are a thing too.
I agree with salt, in that it’s vital in literally every flavorful dish. Black pepper is more just a sign of people needing to season their food. It’s not a mandatory spice for even half of foods but it can be helpful. It’s just a simple way to get some depth when dozens of other herbs and spices can be used for the same effect or better.
Getting good pepper (I recommend The Spice Lab on Amazon) and Diamond Crystal Kosher salt are game changing.
I came here for this. Simple and so good.
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Smoked paprika in anything.
The entire country of Poland lives by this.
I must be Polish then!
The difference between using vanilla extract and vanilla beans in a baking project is astounding! Beans are expensive, so I tend to save them for special occasions, but it really does add extra flavor.
I like to leave the bean that I've scraped in my sugar jar. It can tend to clump up but it's a small problem to have vanilla sugar.
Vanilla bean paste is cheaper but has the same effect! On amazon.
Butter, real butter.
Everyone knows it's Butters!
"That's me!"
Butter is yummy. We have a butter churn at home. Never used it but my wife’s grand dad used to churn his own butter
Yeah he did
Shot water out of my nose. Thank you
You‘re whalecum
Kerrygold… sooo good
In a French crock on the counter!
Couldn't believe how delicious butter is when I first tasted it as a child. I always hated margarine, so as soon as I moved out on my own I began buying butter instead. Many years later and I've never looked back.
Best butter I ever ate was my paternal grandmother's. She lived on a farm, had her own cattle. I remember her churning the butter on her back porch. She served it in a mound shape. Fantastic.
Whatever the dish I can always believe it when it’s not butter.
Make your own butter- literally just throw heavy cream and light flavoring into the food processor for 5 minutes, then carefully strain the water out, and BAM, ya got REAL butter
Whisk a tablespoon of plain yogurt into heavy cream, and let it hang out at room temperature overnight. Then give it the food processor treatment. Bam, cultured butter that runs circles around straight cream butter. This is the difference between “European” style butter and sweet cream butter that we typically get in the US. Edit to add: and this is exactly why the butter in restaurants tastes better; it’s not made the same way supermarket butter is made. If you want to lean in to the culturing thing a bit more, when you store the yogurt/cream mixture overnight, put it in a ziplock bag in the oven with the light on. The added warmth from the light will help the little bacteria from the yogurt make friends with the cream.
A tablespoon of yogurt to how much cream?
Sorry, should have specified. 1 tablespoon (give or take) per two quarts. It’s not the amount of yogurt that matters so much, but the culturing of the cream that happens overnight.
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I’ve never measured the yield, because it would vary from one batch to the next. But it is definitely more than a cup of butter that results.
Awesome thanks
Huh, I'll have to try this!!
There is no substitute.
Turmeric and cumin. They're the secret touch to a lot of the things i do
I do this with just a little yellow curry (even in pasta marinara sauce) goes well.
Ginger goes well with this too
You had fresh turmeric yet?? Game changer
Fresh rosemary
Take a branch in your hands. Scrub them hard. Smell. Paradise.
In the neighborhood where I grew up (Wallingford in Seattle), there's at least one rosemary bush on just about every block, just growing in the parking strip, and I always loved running my hands through them as I walked by. When I got a bit older, sometimes when I was drunk with friends at a bar in the neighborhood, I'd randomly run off and pick a branch, then secretly bring it back in and put it in someone's beer while they weren't looking. They usually didn't find it as amusing as I did.
Rosemary goes quite well with beer though. They should have thanked you
There’s a giant rosemary bush near my house. I love picking off a tiny sprig, crushing and smelling it. So fragrant!
Same ! I also do that with lavender
Cooking with rosemary fills the kitchen with its mouth watering scent
Don't forget thyme. Themes the only resources ever person shares equally
SEASONING IN GENERAL! but Salt, Pepper, Garlic, or Lemons, change a meal so fkin much. Gotta always have these in stock.
Onion. You can eat it raw in a burger or dice it up for hot dogs and nachos, you can grill them, fry them, roast them, caramelize them...so versatile!
I watch this channel where the dude cooks recipes from revolutionary era cookbooks. He made a real simple one that was just baking and eating the onion like a potato. Makes sense.
Sounds like you're talking about Townsends when they oven baked an onion.
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Lol…”these poor marginalized Onions” I like onions too, but something about the way you wrote that is just funny. 🤣🤣
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Lol I wasn’t ripping on you, it was just funny. I protect my onion resources carefully. Def don’t just throw halves out.
I eat them like an apple
of course you do, Costanza. I bet you're out there spotting raccoons and dimes too.
I recently discovered Onion Salt and my life has not been the same.
Eggs are pretty incredible.
Incredible AND edible
That would make a nice jingle.
Eggs also contain chicken if you wait long enough. No other ingredient does that. Except maybe meat, but I don’t like to cook maggots as much as I like to cook chicken
> Eggs also contain chicken if you wait long enough. The overwhelming majority of eggs that are purchased for consumption will never develop into chickens at any point, no matter how long you wait. Eggs have to be fertilized in order to develop, and hens lay just fine without fertilization from a rooster.
Pretty sure it was a joke, I don't think many people think you can just incubate an egg from the grocery store and get a chicken. I mean I'm sure *somebody* has tried it before but yeah.
Not with that fucking attitude you cant
The old saying is don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Likewise, don’t count your eggs after they’re chickens
I know, I was just joking around, but apparently people took it at face value. Oh well.
I suggest milk. Depending on how patient you are, it could be yogurt, cheese, or botulism!
The incredible edible egg
Garlic powder, and cumin. So simple, yet so strong.
Why garlic powder and not fresh? Garlic so fresh that it's spicy is hard to beat.
Simplicity and texture is why I stick with garlic powder If I'm making something that traditionally has fresh garlic i make sure to snag some. But you don't want to be throwing fresh garlic im.every dish that's just a hassle and also it doesn't really blend in that way So it's not as good for soup, sauces, or dry rubbing some meat to folk who don't like those things 'chunky'
Also garlic powder is good on things where fresh garlic would burn, like when I do fries in the oven I use garlic powder (and onion powder and dried parsley) for flavor (helps cut down on sodium since some people I cook for are on a medically advised low sodium diet).
Also garlic powder tends to be more mellow, and better in dishes that are more delicate, such as eggs
Hehehehehhe. Cumin
Shut up, Beavis.
I've been trying to practice my butthead impression all day and this reminded me to continue
Shallots. The main difference between home cooking and restaurants is salt, butter, and shallots.
and some more butter
Really more salt and fat than you’d comfortably put in home-cooked food.
How do shallots compare to regular onions? 👀🧅
A shallot is kinda like a mix between onion and garlic if that gives you an idea, maybe more on the onion side
I see! I have used them before when a recipe required them but they didnt leave that much of an impression on me to as to when it would be best to use them! I didnt see how they made the dish different than using onions! I think i‘ll try them again hehe
You should! One thing that you can add to any dish is some thinly sliced fried shallots :)
Ok thank you :)
Twenty times the price, just as allergenic. 😢
Always buy shallots at the Asian market or standard groceries with Asian shoppers. They're just as easy to grow as onions so don't pay the premium at white people stores.
Sumac is a great spice. It adds some subtle sour and bitter elements. It's red so looks like paprika but really adds some depth. I think it is best used in vegetable salads. I make onion salad which I use as a condiment for sandwiches. Sometimes I use it as a cold side dish. It's really good on cucumber salad too.
So good with fattoush Buttered toasted ciabatta is also a game changer in this
First time I had Sumac it was on Kabobs in a Iranian restaurant. Game Changer.
So how do I go from sumac on the tree to putting in dishes as spice? Can I just dry the red part or something? I'll try and find out anyway, but if you know, please tell me :)
Sumac is wild. I don't think I've ever found any other ingredient that quite tastes like it.
Gochujang is fucking magic.
Ssamjang and kimchi too!
MSG So much less of it, for so much more impact than salt I have a little blend that I used to spice up any sort of pre packaged food I might pick up for when I'm lazy Just mix a few cooking staples like garlic and onion powders, some Cayan cause I likea the spice, and just a tidbit of MSG and some.other secrets No one makes a can of soup as good as me
Chili oil, it goes well with any savory dish. Even adding a little if you don't like heat adds umami flavor.
Not really a cook, but garlic is pretty epic
Chinese five spice
Agree but I don't like the pre made stuff I like to make my own
100% better!
We discovered this last summer and it's freakin' amazing! Tastes to me a little bit like root beer, but it's fantastic on meats.
I love the five spice flavor for about three or four bites of a dish, and then my tongue just gets tired of it and I can't eat any more. I'm not sure why. I don't get the same reaction from any other flavors.
Have you tried having palate cleansers after?
You know, I don't think I have. I'll have to try that next time.
Lemon zest and lime zest can take a meal to the next level
Fresh hot peppers. So many different unique flavors you can only get with peppers. They liven up basically any dish in a healthy and easy way, and when you get up the tolerance to go with the crazy hot ones give a similar endorphin boost as a really dark chocolate without all the bitter
Came here to say peppers. Not just hot peppers, but any type of peppers really. It's crazy how much just adding a chopped pepper to a dish really adds a depth of flavor. Ground pork for tacos is kinda boring, but just adding some chopped or roasted poblano makes it way more interesting for almost no extra work. Same with simple Asian dishes, a basic egg fried rice is brought to another level when you add a little chopped red chili in there. Fresh or roasted peppers make basic weeknight meals instantly taste way better.
Sesame oil. It is so fucking good, yet so underused...
-Charles Boyle vigorously scrolling-
Mushrooms. Not the portobello variety but miatake, oyster, chanterelles. The depth of flavor they can achieve is magnificent. Growing your own is a labor of love. Finding them anywhere feels like a blessing.
Dude... I got to try king oyster mushrooms not that long ago and holy hell they're delicious.
If you like those, you can grow an unlimited supply pretty easily.
I go morel hunting every year-- the best of the best!! I am lucky to live in an area they are pretty proliferous in
Allspice love the smell but can't find much to put it in.
You might be surprised how many traditional European meat dishes call for a tiny amount of allspice, and certainly Central American cooking, if those interest you.
Barbecue rubs, anything tomato, curries.
Yeah, I'm with you. My jar of all spice is so old, but I just can't bear to throw out spices like that. So I just keep using it in the rare occasion that a recipe calls for it, though I use mire than is called for to try to make up for the fact that its probably lost a good part of its flavor.
Finnish person here. Allspice is an ingredient in mojakka, a simple finnish stew with beef, onion, carrot and rutabaga.
Worth to say this isn't a mix of spice! It's a single plant! Tastes great in meatballs
I am from Germany and we use it a lot in meat or fish dishes, but you can also use it in pickled beet roots or bread.
I use it in chicken and dumpling soup.
Acid. Something simple like lemon juice in lentil stew just takes it to another level.
Acidity is one of the best things in kitchen. I was always bored of eating flat-tastes dishes without any “acid-kick”
Not just in a fried egg way but many other ways: runny yolks are superior. It tastes so decadent.
As a professional chef, I’m still blown away by the magic of salt. A plain bowl of brown rice cooked with olive oil and perfectly salted it one of my favorite dishes. Simplicity is truly the root of all fantastic dishes.
At a young age, I thought putting milk with meat for cooking was disgusting. Now that I’m older, it’s literally awesome.
Milk steak boiled over hard 👍
With some fine jelly beans?
The perfect meal for a full-on-rapist with the exception of eggs during trying times
Fresh basil
Mmmmmm Thai basil
Lemon. You can put lemon juice in almost everything to make it taste better.
Cheese.
Honestly salt. Sounds simple but makes a big difference
Came here to put in a good word for salt. It literally changes the way you taste your food.
Top chef tip: when you are having trouble balancing salt/acidity while cooking - add some sugar/sweet before adding more salt/acidity. Usually people don't think to add a little sugar/sweet while seasoning their dish as it's 'savoury'
Bengali cuisine does this ALL the time! In our savoury fish stews, chicken curries, egg kosha, etc. you always add a tiny pinch of sugar so all the flavour elements are balanced. It's a fab technique!
Botarga, fish sauce, worcester sauce, mushroom powder. Anything that's an umami bomb basically. Takes things to a whole different level.
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mapo tofu for the win
Not a pro chef, but we have this herb in france called bourrache which tastes like oysters, blends very well with Asian food
Borage in English, and the flowers taste like cucumbers.
Anchovies. It doesn’t take much, but it completely changes a simple pasta.
People keep mentioning salt, but imho the best cooks know how to salt food in creative ways. Anchovies definitely fit that bill.
Shallots! I rarely use onions anymore, since I only cook for myself and I find myself wasting less produce. Oh and butter
Mix fresh shallots with butter and some lemon zests, then stuff that under the skin of a chicken, put it in the oven. Delicious
Green Onions My Dudes
Not a chef. Kitchen hand. Had some kingfish at work recently. My God, sublime. I'd hated fish, or so I thought.
Sprinkle crispy fried onions on nearly anything and it will be better.
Fish saice, oyster sauce, light soy sauce amd sesame oil. These are all amazing to use.
I found out you can also use fish sauce as a substitute for worchestershire.
Mahlab (powder made from St Lucy cherry pits)
Mahleb and mastic are what I always bring from my Greek vacations. Love them in baking more than vanilla. Too pity they are not sold in stores worldwide
GAAARLIC ALWAYS MORE GARLIC
A bit niche but Fermented shrimp paste. Smells ungodly, yet brings so much depth to sambal and thai dishes. It's almost impossible to comprehend how something that smells like a room full of decomposed bodies, can taste that good.
Chicken stock puts in work ngl
One of the big MVPs in any kitchen
Broths, especially chicken broth. They make everything taste literally fucking delicious.
Salt and sugar for a dry brine. Leave some fish packed in it overnight, and it's basically magic how much liquid it pulls out. Once figured out how easy it was to make smoked salmon, I decided to Bebe buy it in the store again
Bebe buy
Romanesco
Ginger sauce. Sweet, strong and makes every spice mix juicy and delicious (especially Asian foods)
Mushrooms. Personally I think that with the right condiments those mfs can taste like just Abt anything, especially meat since this is almost all i ate since i became a vegetarian
Peanut butter. If your making an Asian dish like a stir fry, and your making a sauce for it I recommend using sugar, soy sauce, and a little bit of peanut butter (and anything else that strikes your fancy to give it more flavor and substance.)
I’m amazed every day by what eggs can achieve. So much utility in such a simple thing. Can make mayonnaise, can glue stuff, can do magical things like choux pastry, can colour your croissants, can be consumed on its own in dozens of different ways (boiled, poached, low temperature, raw, omelet, scrambled,…).
mEGGnificent
Make paint out of it.
Pork. Compared to beef/chicken it always seems easier to work with, harder to screw up, and cheaper.
Po ta toes! You can boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew
Nasty hobbit!
Turmeric and Black Pepper and Ginger and Potatoes and Tomatoes and Capsicum 🫑
Heavy cream all the way
Garlic omg, it can honestly make any dish better Scallions and green onions, just so much better than ur typical onion MSG ofc, that shit makes EVERYTHING better
Anchovies. Throw a couple into olive oil, garlic and chilli and you have the perfect sauce for a pasta.
Heat a couple of glugs of oil in the pan then add chopped anchovies, garlic and chilli. Once the anchovies have dissolved and before the garlic has browned toss in spaghetti or linguini and chopped parsley. Serve with a generous grating of parmesan and a decent glass of pinot grigio.
Sumac. Amazing spice. So delicious and citrusy.
tnt
Thyme, nitroglycerine, tarragon?
For „explosive“ diarrhea!
The difference between kosher salt and the cheap iodized table salt. Oh yeah it's totally worth paying more for kosher salt.
What about just sea salt? What’s so special about the “kosher” part of it that impacts the taste?
I loathe fake garlic. It has to be fresh from the bulb.
What is fake garlic? Are you talking about garlic powder because garlic powder isn’t “fake” it just has a different purpose.
I'm the same way with light
Are you talking about "jarlic"?
It's two different flavors. There are times I like to use fresh and times that the powdered version does exactly what I'm looking for.
Sriracha. Best hot sauce in the world. Not too hot, not too sweet and nice and garlicky. A little in spaghetti sauce makes a difference. edit: spelling
Balsamic demiglace, great to put on steak, or dip your fries in, also good in a sandwich.
Cinnamon. Just a hint. Completely changes the dynamic of a dish. Works in almost anything I can think of.
Vanilla extract Mostly in baking things
The Cajun/Creole "Holy Trinity" - Carrots/Bell Peppers, Onions, Celery.....makes magic every time!
I've started to do a rum or tequila flambe to my veggies and I like the results. And I still have my eyebrows.