your secret ingredient(s)
 

do you have particular spices or other such that you find yourself adding to lots of things that you cook?

i have two:

this is fantastic, particularly the chiles on the bottom.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...ZL._SL500_.jpg

this is more or less chinese balsamic vinegar--it's not as strong tasting and is excellent with greens or in sauces.

http://www.hkchunhing.com/images/nar...ackVinegar.jpg


on a more,um, individual side note, i like to mix raw egg with hot rice.
it has to be hot, though.

I put a dash of cayenne pepper in everything. And nutmeg is a must for any food that has a creamy aspect to it.

And also:
http://www.johnnysfinefoods.com/imag...dium/10003.jpg

And any time I cook Mexican, it must have some of this in it:
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2014_18610344

Unless it's enchiladas, in which case I use the El Pato enchilada sauce.

My Mom swears that her secret ingredient is TLC.

I don't have a secret ingredient for most things. The only one I can think of is boosting the salt in my chocolate chip cookies. The little bit of extra salt enhances the sweetness through contrast.

I don't really have a lot of secret ingredients, per se...I do use this a lot:

Tony Cachere (pronounced sasheray) Creole Seasoning
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../seasoning.jpg

Otherwise I use various combinations of sea salt, tri-color fresh ground pepper, balsamic vinegar, red wine, white wine, ex virgin olive oil.

I do find uses for this stuff whenever possible. I could live off this stuff on crusty slices of bread:

green olive tapenade
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...792315fc_o.jpg

It turns an ordinary turkey sandwich into a transcendent experience.

I have a few spices I add to lots of things:

Smoked Paprika

Fresh Garlic

Fresh Nutmeg (for anything creamy or involving cheese)

Cilantro

If I'm making a meal, 1 (or more ) of those is going to be in it, guaranteed.

Cumin. I like to sort of toast it on the stovetop in a dry, hot skillet which lends it a smoky flavor.

mmm

Saffron is a particular favorite.
http://www.saffron.biz/images/ghand.jpg
One of my favorite dishes is a Sausage Halibut Chowder that I found in Sunset Magazine a few years ago and tinkered around with. It has andouille sausage, sweet potato, and halibut... with dark red saffron. Delicious, flavorful, well balanced. With a decent Riesling and some sourdough it's sublime.

Roachie!?

*

Anyway, there is always five-spice powder, too.

I once ran out of powdered cinnamon so I was a little miffed when I had to grate it straight from the stick... I will never go back. I'd grind tablespoons of it if I had to. So fresh smelling!

http://blogs.menupages.com/chicago/sriracha.jpg

http://www.bigoven.com/uploads/garlic.jpg

geez, garlic...how could I forget garlic? I use a ton of it.

That's my SO's secret ingredient.

I also use a lot of sambal oelek if I'm cooking something Asian-flavored.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Garlic. Steak, chicken, veggies, ramen, soup, pizza, ice cream... it works with everything.

A squirt of worcestershire - or however you spell it.

I prefer to use Kosher salt...it seems to enhance flavor just a little more.

Lemon juice.

I cook a large pot of beans,
a large pot of rice.

Then I have fun with condiments, during the week or so that they last.

Breakfast rice, has cinnamon, sometimes nutmeg in it,
oh yeah...molasses too.

I use the good blackstrap molasses for a variety of things.

I panic, if I am out of Parmesan cheese, I love it so.

Other ingrediants I use frequently are Basil,
sesame seeds,
jalapenos,
and oh my...I can't forget peanut sauce.

Sometimes I open the fridge,
grab the bottle of peanut sauce,
and drink it right out of the bottle.

Onions, Oregano, Olive oil... Anything that starts with 'O' I guess!

And Oblack pepper, too.

depending on what type of meal im making i use one of three things. cayenne pepper when i want spicy. italian seasoning when i just want something good but not sure what kind of flavor im going for. Works wonders on breakfast skillet type meals. And lemon juice when i just want something a little different. lemony chicken can be really good. =)

I put garlic in just about everything. Oh and I love adding chili flakes in dishes people wouldn't expect them to be in.

For things like cheesey dishes I add Blair's Jersey Death Sauce...mmm fiery!

Depending on what kind of beer im2smrt4u is drinking, I will sometimes steal a splash or two to add as long as it goes with what I am making. (That reminds me, I want to try making baked mac-n-cheese with his Stone Smoked Porter)

On most sandwiches, often in place of dipping sauces, and with cheese & crackers—I eat this straight out of the jar:
http://bluekitchen.files.wordpress.c.../05/maille.jpg

Turmeric: Powerful, healthful, and delicious; I try to sneak it in where I can:
http://power-of-turmeric.com/wp-cont.../12/haldi1.jpg

This is popular:
http://blogs.menupages.com/chicago/sriracha.jpg

Tahini (not my brand): It's not just for hummus, you know:
http://www.sizarfood.com/cans_tahini.jpg

And, in place of most fats/oils:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...9L._SL500_.jpg

Garlic, I cant think of anything I cook (thats not a dessert) that doesnt have garlic and dry onion soup mix (I really dont like cooked onion pieces in my food, and the soup mix give the flavor without having to eat hunks of cooked onion)

Cooking burgers? Push the tops in so they have a little bowl and pour some beer on. Cooking chicken? Marinate it in beer. Sausages? Soak them in beer. Cooking? Crack open a beer for refreshment while you cook. Something light like Magic Hat #9 or Sam Adams Summer Ale adds a nice, light flavor. Even Coors Light adds a bit of flavor to burgers.

Meat? Beer!

Sesame oil. Changes the ordinary into extraordinary and has the good cholesterol.

Dont forget rice vinegar! It has that clean taste.

I think we could safely say vinegars in general:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• White wine vinegar
• Malt vinegar
• Cider vinegar
• Rice vinegar

A vinegar for every purpose.

Another for Sriracha. Not so secret, I guess. =)

Cumin for a bit of smoky pungency, paprika for color. Another vote for vinegars, they really brighten up the flavors of a dish. Fresh lemon juice works, too.

I mostly use Kosher salt, but I've been using more sea salt recently. Again, it's the fresh, bright flavor it brings to a dish. Both of these do taste saltier than table salt, could be because of the non-uniform grain structure/size produces more surface area etc etc. Either way, they just taste good.

Probably doesn't count, but my cast iron pan. The fond that's produced after you sear a steak or chicken breast is perfect for building up and layering flavors.

I add lemon juice to just about everything. I am not one for things too spicy, so lemon juice just adds a little zip.

Sumac (not the poison kind) in anything with chopped meat (hamburger, meatloaf, meatballs) makes everyone who eats the meal say "damn, that's awesome, what did you put in it?" You get it at mideastern markets.

Lately I've been adding Zathar to everything. scrambled eggs, roasted vegtables, sauteed shrimp. It works well with some things, others, not so much.

oh, also a mix of turmeric, garam masala, and crushed corriander, I use it in lentils, satueed shrimp, scrambled eggs, etc.

liquid smoke

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...an_bottles.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...12-24-02AM.gif

all those other sambals and spices are great.

They just don't impart this extra layer that can't come from any other way but an extra layer of preparation. Once I discovered this small bottle and its variants.... it is a whole new hamburger, steak, lamb, roast, etc.

Do you mean dried grape skins?

no Sumac very tasty stuff...threr's no grape at all. I've never thought of getting some for home cooking use. I just know I use it liberally when I have kobideh barg.

There's sumac growing wild in Southern Ontario... the natives used it in a tea as an analgesic.

Ooh, zaatar and sumac :). I use both, but most often zaatar. There's nothing better than zaatar mixed with oil, with some labne (strained yoghurt) on the side for breakfast.. My parents brought me a kilo of zaatar when they came in June.

I also eat zaatar on its own sometimes. It's also good on mjaddara (a lentil based dish I just made yesterday). I tried pan-frying chicken rubbed in zaatar too, that worked pretty well.

How did you become familiar with these ingredients skizziks?

I use all of these except maybe turmeric. And yay for Beirut tahini paste, hometown pride! :lol:

these aren't exactly spices but I end up using these herbs and condiments lots in my cooking:

freshly dried oregano (very different from the usualy dried stuff):
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...4a4e9a978c.jpg

Basil:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ler/479202.jpg

Parsley:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...er/parsley.jpg

Fresh parmesan cheese:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...parmigiano.jpg

Balsamic Vinegar:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ic-vinegar.jpg

Marinate everything in wine.

I cook a lot, I have lots of cookbooks, and I eat lots of ethnic foods, and I've traveled to the Mid East.