What's your 'secret ingredient'? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Pellaz · 08-19-2003, 02:07 PM

My two mainstays that I put in about 60-70 percent of everything I make are Knorr Chicken Bullion and MSG. The bullion, especialy, can really boggle peoples minds.

bparker805 · 08-19-2003, 02:12 PM

chipotle and honey. i just discovered mango last night... yummy

sipsake · 08-19-2003, 02:18 PM

Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Whole-Grain Mustard

hotdogg · 08-19-2003, 04:50 PM

Not really a secret...I always use the freshest and best in season ingredients.

kalashnikov · 08-19-2003, 10:39 PM

You can add garlic to just about anything and it makes the dish more delicious.
For eastern recipes, if they call for oil (like for stirfry, etc) instead of olive oil or canola oil i use peanut oil - it is subtle, but makes the difference.

collide · 08-19-2003, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kalashnikov
You can add garlic to just about anything and it makes the dish more delicious.
For eastern recipes, if they call for oil (like for stirfry, etc) instead of olive oil or canola oil i use peanut oil - it is subtle, but makes the difference.

This is true. Ever try garlic ice cream? There is a town called Gilroy here, which hosts a Garlic Festival (I think annually) and everything they serve there has garlic in it. Tastes pretty good with garlic fries too! (Yes, I like to dip my fries in ice cream. Don't ask.)

It's a good thing I carry mints and packs of gum with me. Of course, the only way to really get rid of garlic breath is to brush and use mouthwash, and even then it'll still leave an aftertaste. It's some powerful stuff!

motdakasha · 08-20-2003, 12:38 AM

I'm with you guys on the garlic. I add it to just about everything. That's the closest thing to a "secret" ingredient I have. I have heard of nutmeg as quite an omnipotent secret spice, but I wouldn't know. I rarely use it.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is held annually during the last full weekend in July. (So far, I always end up missing it, but I plan to go next year.) http://www.gilroygarlicfestival.com/

TonySpilotro · 08-21-2003, 01:34 PM

Fresh lemon juice, good vinegar, and Tabasco. Puts a nice little tang to many blander dishes, and doesn't add any salt. Horseradish with certain things too...

lafemmefatale · 08-21-2003, 07:52 PM

GARLIC, ginger, scallions give a kick to almost anything.

cilantro is super for salads, noodles and soups.

philzilla · 08-23-2003, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pellaz
MSG.

dude. remind me never to eat at your house

a friend of mine says: Have sharp knives. Be creative. Cook to music.

have a glass of wine or beer handy too, and you can't go wrong

Pellaz · 08-23-2003, 08:57 AM

Dude. Remind me never to invite you.

Seriously though, what's your issue with msg? Are you allergic to it? I sure hope it's not long term health concerns everyone freaked out about and cired wolf 10-20 years ago. Do you think you don't like the taste? Ever eat KFC, chineese food out, canned vegetables, stew, or just about any kind of ready made food? Hate it all?

ktthequeen · 08-23-2003, 10:47 AM

What IS msg? I must've missed the freakout (but probably only because I was a wee lad when it apparently broke out).

Pellaz · 08-23-2003, 12:28 PM

msg is mono sodium glutamate. It's been used for almost 100 years now, and was developed after it was noticed that a seaweed broth eaten with certain foods made them taste better. In america, it's usualy made from fermented corn, other places, beets molasses, tapioca and more. The us brand name is Accent. It's in a whole lot of stuff, and the fda ruled a while ago that there is no difference between the glutamate found in it and that found in all other foods. It's usualy used as a flavor enhancer for meats, is a known migraine trigger for some, and the inspiration for the japaneese word umami, which describes a meaty or savory taste.

I use it primarily as a partial substitute for salt when brineing chicken and seafood.

matteo101 · 08-24-2003, 09:06 PM

msg makes my head hurt...

seizei · 08-24-2003, 10:24 PM

sesame oil (just a few drops add amazing flavour)

any kind of tea (green, fruit teas, herbal....in stir frys, stews, sauces... it's great!!!)

Cynthetiq · 08-25-2003, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by matteo101
msg makes my head hurt...

i know a number of people who get headaches from MSG....

I'm not one of them, but I don't use it as a seasoner. There are plenty of other seasonings out there without having to resort to MSG.

And real chinese food.... it doesn't have MSG.

mew · 08-27-2003, 06:48 PM

I like to use garlic and semsame oil a lot...dunno but yum yum. Yes, MSG is Really bad for you.

tinytim · 08-27-2003, 06:51 PM

Bacon and butter! These make everything better!

motdakasha · 08-28-2003, 02:37 PM

Quote:

What IS msg? I must've missed the freakout (but probably only because I was a wee lad when it apparently broke out).

Some people are allergic to MSG, but you have to realize that some people are also allergic to eggs, wheat, and sugar. MSG is a naturally occuring chemical in foods. Originally, MSG was recognized by a Japanese scientist as a "fifth" flavor in soup broth that didn't fit into the typical categories (bitter, sweet, salt, sour). He devised a way to single out this fifth flavor and that's how we got MSG.

Google: monosodium glutamate
http://www.msgfacts.com/
Is MSG Safe?

http://www.internationalrecipesonlin...ionary.pl?4546
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

Cynthetiq · 08-28-2003, 02:43 PM

oh forgot to include my secret ingredient....

sambal oelek.

Rodney · 08-30-2003, 06:07 AM

Balsamic vinegar. It's very mild but has a nice tangy taste. Adds a lot to pasta salads, potato salads, is an excellent salad dressing along with oil (much better than regular oil and vingegar), is good on most cooked and raw vegetables, especially tomato-and-cucumber salad.

ack32 · 08-30-2003, 04:46 PM

Garlic, Balsamic Vinegar, a good sea salt are always good. For the Balsamic Vinegar, it can get really pricey to get the "good" stuff, but it's totally worth it.

bundy · 08-31-2003, 01:54 AM

GARLIC GARLIC GARLIC...
not really all that secret, but it never fails to impress me.

splck · 08-31-2003, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cynthetiq
oh forgot to include my secret ingredient....

sambal oelek.

Sambal Oelek and Sambal Badjak are one of mainstays too.

BatBoyJr · 09-01-2003, 10:48 PM

Gotta be white pepper for me. Makes everything taste better, gives it that "kick."

Plan9Senior · 09-01-2003, 11:16 PM

Garlic baby! Can't get enough of it.

Daval · 09-03-2003, 06:28 AM

i use insane amounts of garlic in my cooking. when people see me cook they get freaked but I use it in such a way that it does not overpower my meals but compliments them.

Hedgehog · 09-03-2003, 04:19 PM

Gotta agree with Chipotles. Yum!

bigdrunk92107 · 09-06-2003, 11:10 PM

Italian salad dressing does wonders. Let it marinate.

Baldrick · 09-07-2003, 06:25 AM

Worcestershire sauce. I use it on everything I can.

Oh, and I definitely agree with Chipotles too. Tabasco makes a new Chipotle Hot Sauce that is great!

Nimbletoe · 09-07-2003, 02:21 PM

Mmmm garlic.

jhericurl21 · 09-07-2003, 03:58 PM

white pepper and Cajun Seasoning.

How does Garlic Icecream taste? I cant really see it as "refreshing" like other icecreams.

collide · 09-07-2003, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jhericurl21
How does Garlic Icecream taste? I cant really see it as "refreshing" like other icecreams.

It's kind of salty and leaves a garlicky after-taste. It's actually not as bad as it sounds. There is a place here called Polly-Anne's that sells all sorts of exotic flavoured ice cream. It's a quaint little ice cream shop that stays open as late as 11pm! There are about 100 flavors to choose from, and if you're feeling indecisive, there is a wheel of available ice cream flavors that you can spin to help choose for you. If it lands on "Free" you get free ice cream, but there is a catch: if it doesn't land on what you want, you have to buy it anyway. Mmm, ice cream.

jhericurl21 · 09-07-2003, 07:31 PM

so its more savory then refreshing?

collide · 09-07-2003, 10:05 PM

It's more novel than anything else, so I'd have to say neither.

God of Thunder · 09-08-2003, 06:39 AM

Not really a "secret" ingredient, but I use garlic and mushrooms in just about everything.

cjvasco · 09-09-2003, 06:44 PM

Garlic, balsamic vinegar, and FRESH basil, i grow a bit and it just tastes so much better then store bought or the freeze dried stuff

scansinboy · 09-14-2003, 12:05 AM

The secret ingerdient in my bloody mary's is Steak sauce. Mmmm Mmm A1!

irseg · 09-14-2003, 12:38 AM

Another vote for Worchestershire sauce. Makes just about everything tastier. And my secret Bloody Mary ingredient, in addition to that, is a dash of pickle juice.

meff · 09-14-2003, 04:12 AM

I second the MSG stuff, it gives my wife really bad migranes.. Speaking of migranes, I need to go get the refill on my Maxalt

08-19-2003, 02:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
Pellaz Addict Location: Texas	What's your 'secret ingredient'? My two mainstays that I put in about 60-70 percent of everything I make are Knorr Chicken Bullion and MSG. The bullion, especialy, can really boggle peoples minds. __________________ " ' Big Mouth. Remember it took three of you to kill me. A god, a boy, and, last and least, a hero.' "

08-19-2003, 02:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
sipsake Psycho Location: Memphis	Cavender's Greek Seasoning Whole-Grain Mustard __________________ When life hands you a lemon, say "Oh yeah, I like lemons. What else you got?" Henry Rollins

08-19-2003, 10:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
kalashnikov Insane Location: St. Paul	You can add garlic to just about anything and it makes the dish more delicious. For eastern recipes, if they call for oil (like for stirfry, etc) instead of olive oil or canola oil i use peanut oil - it is subtle, but makes the difference. __________________ 'Charmant, respektlos, und immer betrunken.'

08-20-2003, 12:38 AM	#7 (permalink)
motdakasha Hiya Puddin'! Miss me? Location: Silicon Valley, CA	I'm with you guys on the garlic. I add it to just about everything. That's the closest thing to a "secret" ingredient I have. I have heard of nutmeg as quite an omnipotent secret spice, but I wouldn't know. I rarely use it. The Gilroy Garlic Festival is held annually during the last full weekend in July. (So far, I always end up missing it, but I plan to go next year.) http://www.gilroygarlicfestival.com/ __________________ =^-^= motdakasha =^-^= Just Google It. BA Psychology & Photography (I'm not going psychoanalyze you nor will I let you cry on my shoulder. Have a nice day.)

08-21-2003, 01:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
TonySpilotro Insane Location: Little Italy	Fresh lemon juice, good vinegar, and Tabasco. Puts a nice little tang to many blander dishes, and doesn't add any salt. Horseradish with certain things too... __________________ I'm impressed with people from Chicago. Hollywood is hype, New York is talk, Chicago is work. -Michael Douglas

08-19-2003, 02:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
bparker805 is KING! Location: On the path to Valhalla.	chipotle and honey. i just discovered mango last night... yummy

08-19-2003, 04:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
hotdogg Crazy Location: NYC Metro Area	Not really a secret...I always use the freshest and best in season ingredients.

08-21-2003, 07:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
lafemmefatale Insane Location: Vancouver	GARLIC, ginger, scallions give a kick to almost anything. cilantro is super for salads, noodles and soups. __________________ -poor is the man whose pleasure depends on the permission of another-

08-23-2003, 08:57 AM	#11 (permalink)
Pellaz Addict Location: Texas	Dude. Remind me never to invite you. Seriously though, what's your issue with msg? Are you allergic to it? I sure hope it's not long term health concerns everyone freaked out about and cired wolf 10-20 years ago. Do you think you don't like the taste? Ever eat KFC, chineese food out, canned vegetables, stew, or just about any kind of ready made food? Hate it all? __________________ " ' Big Mouth. Remember it took three of you to kill me. A god, a boy, and, last and least, a hero.' "

08-23-2003, 10:47 AM	#12 (permalink)
ktthequeen Insane Location: Earth	What IS msg? I must've missed the freakout (but probably only because I was a wee lad when it apparently broke out).

08-23-2003, 12:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
Pellaz Addict Location: Texas	msg is mono sodium glutamate. It's been used for almost 100 years now, and was developed after it was noticed that a seaweed broth eaten with certain foods made them taste better. In america, it's usualy made from fermented corn, other places, beets molasses, tapioca and more. The us brand name is Accent. It's in a whole lot of stuff, and the fda ruled a while ago that there is no difference between the glutamate found in it and that found in all other foods. It's usualy used as a flavor enhancer for meats, is a known migraine trigger for some, and the inspiration for the japaneese word umami, which describes a meaty or savory taste. I use it primarily as a partial substitute for salt when brineing chicken and seafood. __________________ " ' Big Mouth. Remember it took three of you to kill me. A god, a boy, and, last and least, a hero.' "

08-24-2003, 09:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
matteo101 In transition Location: north, no south abit, over to the right, getting warmer...there!	msg makes my head hurt...

08-24-2003, 10:24 PM	#15 (permalink)
seizei Purple Monkey Dishwasher Location: CFB Gagetown, NB, CANADA	sesame oil (just a few drops add amazing flavour) any kind of tea (green, fruit teas, herbal....in stir frys, stews, sauces... it's great!!!) __________________ "If you're not weird, you're not interesting". I'm very interesting ... seizei; (adv - Japanese) at the most; at best; to the utmost; as much (far) as possible. (pronounced - say-zay)

08-27-2003, 06:48 PM	#17 (permalink)
mew Psycho Location: Canada	I like to use garlic and semsame oil a lot...dunno but yum yum. Yes, MSG is Really bad for you. Last edited by mew; 08-27-2003 at 06:51 PM..

08-27-2003, 06:51 PM	#18 (permalink)
tinytim Tilted	Bacon and butter! These make everything better!

08-28-2003, 02:43 PM	#20 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	oh forgot to include my secret ingredient.... sambal oelek. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

09-01-2003, 11:16 PM	#26 (permalink)
Plan9Senior Banned Location: Orange County, California	Garlic baby! Can't get enough of it.

08-30-2003, 06:07 AM	#21 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	Balsamic vinegar. It's very mild but has a nice tangy taste. Adds a lot to pasta salads, potato salads, is an excellent salad dressing along with oil (much better than regular oil and vingegar), is good on most cooked and raw vegetables, especially tomato-and-cucumber salad.

08-30-2003, 04:46 PM	#22 (permalink)
ack32 Tilted	Garlic, Balsamic Vinegar, a good sea salt are always good. For the Balsamic Vinegar, it can get really pricey to get the "good" stuff, but it's totally worth it.

08-31-2003, 01:54 AM	#23 (permalink)
bundy . Location: Tokyo	GARLIC GARLIC GARLIC... not really all that secret, but it never fails to impress me. __________________ Ohayo!!!

09-01-2003, 10:48 PM	#25 (permalink)
BatBoyJr Upright	Gotta be white pepper for me. Makes everything taste better, gives it that "kick."

09-03-2003, 06:28 AM	#27 (permalink)
Daval Junkie Location: The True North Strong and Free!	i use insane amounts of garlic in my cooking. when people see me cook they get freaked but I use it in such a way that it does not overpower my meals but compliments them. __________________ "It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it." Winston Churchill

09-03-2003, 04:19 PM	#28 (permalink)
Hedgehog Crazy Location: Charlotte, NC	Gotta agree with Chipotles. Yum! __________________ Wait a minute! Where am I, and why am I in this handbasket?

09-06-2003, 11:10 PM	#29 (permalink)
bigdrunk92107 Upright	Chicken and Fish Italian salad dressing does wonders. Let it marinate.

09-07-2003, 06:25 AM	#30 (permalink)
Baldrick We are everywhere... Location: Barrie, Ontario	Worcestershire sauce. I use it on everything I can. Oh, and I definitely agree with Chipotles too. Tabasco makes a new Chipotle Hot Sauce that is great! __________________ You can be young only once, but you can be immature for the rest of your life...

09-07-2003, 02:21 PM	#31 (permalink)
Nimbletoe Junkie Location: Michigan	Mmmm garlic. __________________ Go Pistons!

09-07-2003, 03:58 PM	#32 (permalink)
jhericurl21 Banned	white pepper and Cajun Seasoning. How does Garlic Icecream taste? I cant really see it as "refreshing" like other icecreams.

09-07-2003, 07:31 PM	#34 (permalink)
jhericurl21 Banned	so its more savory then refreshing?

09-07-2003, 10:05 PM	#35 (permalink)
collide Turn off your TV. Location: ... .- -. ..-. .-. .- -. -.-. .. ... -.-. --- --..-- -.-. .-	It's more novel than anything else, so I'd have to say neither. __________________ "inhuman fiery goat worship" is an anagram for "information superhighway" -kingvolc

09-08-2003, 06:39 AM	#36 (permalink)
God of Thunder Talk nerdy to me Location: Flint, MI	Not really a "secret" ingredient, but I use garlic and mushrooms in just about everything. __________________ I reject your reality, and substitute my own -- Adam Savage

09-09-2003, 06:44 PM	#37 (permalink)
cjvasco Tilted Location: Boston, Mass	Garlic, balsamic vinegar, and FRESH basil, i grow a bit and it just tastes so much better then store bought or the freeze dried stuff

09-14-2003, 12:05 AM	#38 (permalink)
scansinboy Insane Location: Milwaukee	The secret ingerdient in my bloody mary's is Steak sauce. Mmmm Mmm A1! __________________ Don't blame me... I voted for Kodos!

09-14-2003, 12:38 AM	#39 (permalink)
irseg Junkie Location: Florida	Another vote for Worchestershire sauce. Makes just about everything tastier. And my secret Bloody Mary ingredient, in addition to that, is a dash of pickle juice.

09-14-2003, 04:12 AM	#40 (permalink)
meff Vanishing, like I do.. Location: Austin, TX	I second the MSG stuff, it gives my wife really bad migranes.. Speaking of migranes, I need to go get the refill on my Maxalt __________________ Toy-like people make me boy-like.