There are certain secrets to cooking. Seasoning is one of them.
My favorite way to think of seasoning is that it shouldn’t flavor the dish; instead, it should make the dish taste more like itself. Certain ingredients are really good at that, especially in the right recipes. Here’s my quick list of “secret” ingredients that you can add to any dish to make the flavor pop. Look out because the cat’s coming out of the bag.
Salt is probably the most common seasoning. It’s also one of our taste sensations. We all salt our dinner plates but do you salt your desserts? A little bit of salt in sweets makes the flavor irresistible.
Example:
Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies with Peanut Butter Frosting
We all know a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. But we don’t all know how good it works in savory foods. Most of the time when we’re cooking dinner, we don’t think to use sugar. Even if the flavors you’re working at aren’t sweet, a little sugar—just like a little salt—can go a long way in making savory flavors pop.
Example:
Vegged-Out Quinoa and The Best Quinoa Dressing
I’m always(OK, once) asked what’s the secret to making brownies taste good? Well, here’s one of them: instant coffee. The bitterness in coffee pairs really well with the bitterness in cacao and helps to make the flavor richer and deeper. Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to any brownie mix to boost the flavor.
Example:
Outrageous Triple Chocolate Brownies
Most of the time, none of us think of nutmeg. We use it in pies and pumpkin bread in the Fall and that’s about it. But a pinch of nutmeg with any earth flavor like chicken, potato, or greens can enhance the overall dish.
Example:
Sautéed Spinach With Silken Tofu
Bay Leaves are the unsung hero of great tasting beans and marinades. You never see them because they’re not edible and need to be discarded after cooking. But adding a bay leaf when cooking beans or lentils, or when marinating chicken adds a strong earthy flavor that only enhances everything that’s there.
Example:
Mediterranean Chicken Marinade
Now I’ll open it to you: Do you have any secret ingredients that make people say “This is so good! What did you do to it?” that you’re willing to share?
