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Food Cooks, your secret weapon?

Discussion in 'Tilted Food' started by fflowley, Jun 18, 2012.

  1. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    What's the secret weapon you employ to jazz up a dish that isn't very exciting otherwise?
    Keep it to simple things, easy to have around and add at a moment's notice.
    I'll start with ground pork.
    Take any dish that calls for ground beef. Say a simple burger. Or lasagna.
    Substitute 1/2 of that with ground pork and I'll wager you just improved your dish.

    My second secret weapon: Goya chipotles in the can.
    Smoky, sexy and spicy.
     
    fflowley, Jun 18, 2012
    #1
  2. Levite

    Levite Levitical Yet Funky

    Location:
    The Windy City
    Hmmm....

    Worcestershire sauce. Poultry seasoning. Dried parsley and green onion. Paprika. Wine. Anchovy paste.

    There's nearly no dish I can't save, improve, jazz up, or otherwise lend support to with these few secret ingredients.
     
    Levite, Jun 18, 2012
    #2
  3. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Chipolte Pepper Powder. Not too much. Not enough that most people can even identify exactly what it is. But it kicks it up a notch.
     
    Borla, Jun 18, 2012
    #3
  4. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Nutmeg. Fresh grated with my Microplane. Anything creamy should have nutmeg added to it.

    Soy sauce, especially in dishes with mushrooms. It adds a little more umami.

    Thai chile, ground or chopped up from chiles I dried myself. Adds a lovely heat.

    Nutritional yeast. Surprise! Instead of parm to add umami and nuttiness, nutritional yeast accomplishes a similar feat--with B vitamins!
     
    snowy, Jun 18, 2012
    #4
  5. Wyvers

    Wyvers New Member

    Smoked Paprika will make things taste oh so amazing. Butter makes everything taste good as well, EVERYTHING.
     
    Wyvers, Jun 18, 2012
    #5
  6. Craven Morehead

    Craven Morehead Very Tilted

    Location:
    third rock from the sun
    Garlic, keeps vampires away, also.
     
    Craven Morehead, Jun 18, 2012
    #6
  7. Phi Eyed

    Phi Eyed Getting Tilted

    Location:
    Ramsdale
    Only fresh herbs. Flat Italian parsley is the key to nearly everything, for me. Also, capers can be disquised to add a pop of flavor without being obvious.
    Last one - grated lemon rind.
     
    Phi Eyed, Jun 18, 2012
    #7
  8. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    I will second a few things said above:

    Lemon or Lime Zest
    Nutmeg
    Fresh Herbs (a little thyme or rosemary in mashed potatoes or roast chicken... awesome)

    I will also add: Thai Fish Sauce. I use it in place of soy sauce or, sometimes, salt. You don't need a lot.
     
    Charlatan, Jun 18, 2012
    #8
  9. Hektore

    Hektore Slightly Tilted

    [​IMG]

    Simply the best hot sauce I've ever had. A little spicy and sweet in all the right ways. Will improve just about every tomato based dish(and quite a few others) in a way that people who don't like spicy foods don't even complain. Pizza, eggs, burgers all fantastic.
     
    Hektore, Jun 19, 2012
    #9
    • Like Like x 1
  10. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    Better than the mighty Sriracha?
     
    fflowley, Jun 19, 2012
    #10
  11. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Lowry seasoned salt
    Garlic
    Worcestershire sauce
    Paprika
    Sage
    Rosemary

    I've been known to put a bit of salad dressing on some meats for a bit of taste. (Father's Day I had Blue Cheese dressing on grilled steaks)

    I think the key is play see what works...usually of your favorite flavors.
    Salsa instead of ketchup on hamburgers, for example...

    But a key ingredient may be a bit more of something that others tend to lack,
    like I always put more chopped tomatoes in my guacamole than most.
     
    rogue49, Jun 19, 2012
    #11
  12. Hektore

    Hektore Slightly Tilted

    I like them both and find myself hesitant to really try to draw a line between the two any more than just to say I prefer the Cholula. However, that's not very interesting.

    Sriracha, while very good, too easily steals the show. Cholula seems much more subtle and that is part of the reason I like it so much; it seldom outshines the rest of the dish. I love spicy food. I even like food that is recklessly spicy for it's own sake, but the best dishes are where the added heat works with the dish to create something new and better, rather than simply adding more heat. Cholula more often and more easily accomplishes that goal in my cooking. Obviously, this will not be the same for all cooks. Your mileage may vary, as they say.
     
    Hektore, Jun 19, 2012
    #12
  13. Fremen

    Fremen Allright, who stole my mustache?

    Location:
    E. Texas
    I like to add cumin to a lot of different dishes, in different amounts according to the dish.

    Louisiana Hot Sauce goes a long way to improving certain dishes, as well.

    That Cholula looks interesting. I'll have to try that. Thanks, Hektore!
     
    Fremen, Jun 19, 2012
    #13
    • Like Like x 2
  14. Indigo Kid

    Indigo Kid Getting Tilted

    Location:
    NE OHIO, and hating it.
    Fresh ginger or garlic.
    Fresh lemon or lime.
    Avacados.
    Home made anything. From "scratch"...
     
    Indigo Kid, Jun 19, 2012
    #14
  15. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Yes. I get so many compliments from family members and others when I bring a dish--largely because what I make is from scratch and in their head, they think that it must have been super-hard. Sure, stirring a risotto is a good arm work out, but it isn't hard. Similarly, baking a cake means following directions and measurements precisely, but it isn't difficult to do. Neither are these things time-consuming. I can have a cake baked and frosted in less than 2 hours. I can have homemade cloverleaf rolls out of the oven in less than 2 hours. I can make a risotto in about 45 minutes. I think they assume that because making things from scratch is difficult for them (because they rarely do it) that it must be difficult for everyone, and as someone who bakes and cooks from scratch with frequency, I have to say that's a load of hooey.

    It also helps that I have a lot of cool tools to make my work easier--KA stand mixer, Cuisinart food processor, nice pans, etc.
     
    snowy, Jun 27, 2012
    #15
  16. Daval

    Daval Getting Tilted

    red chili flakes, thyme, rosemary, garlic all used a lot
     
    Daval, Jun 27, 2012
    #16
  17. Punk.of.Ages

    Punk.of.Ages Getting Tilted

    Red chili flakes and garlic are definitely the most versatile ingredients I have found. They make almost anything better.
     
    Punk.of.Ages, Jun 27, 2012
    #17
  18. Daval

    Daval Getting Tilted

    Agreed - I have three little bowls on my counter at all times so I can take a pinch (I hate shakers). Sea salt, ground pepper and chili flakes. They go in everything.
     
    Daval, Jun 29, 2012
    #18