" They sell huge jar of it at Costco , FYI — much better savour , and vastly less expensive … "
As a home cook, I’m always looking for ways to take my meals up a notch, and I often find that the simplest additions go averylong way. So when redditoru/leeleez09asked ther/Cookingcommunity to share their"secret" ingredient, I was already taking notes. Here are the simple additions that home cooks swear by for leveling up their food.
1.“In different dishes: anchovy paste, smoked paprika, aged balsamic, powdered shiitake, and tamarind.”
2.“Fresh lemon and lime juice.”
— u / MyCatPostsForMe
" Yes ! I learned about this only recently . contribute it justly at the end , do n’t falsify it into the bag . "
— u / Hey - Just - locution
3.“Miso. It’s pure magic!”
4.“It’s not a secret, but the answer is salt.”
— u / Illegal_Tender
" The answer is MORE salt . I recently made stewed Citrus limon kale and seasoned it way more than I wanted to . It was delicious . I was shoveling back kale . "
— atomic number 92 / notnotaginger
5.“Angostura bitters. Just a dash adds a nice, subtle spice note to anything. Meat sauces, stews, and fruit desserts are particularly nice.”
6.“I toast peppercorns in a skillet before putting them in a grinder. It is unbelievable how much better the flavor is, especially in eggs.”
— uranium / farmgirlheather
" blossom ALL your spices , and ideally , grease one’s palms them whole and bloom them before crushing / travail . Totally different game . "
— u / Butthole__Pleasures
7.“Better Than Bouillon Organic Reduced Sodium Vegetable Base.”
8.“Onions. We always have red onions, white onions, shallots, and green onions ready to go. Pickled red onions elevate so much stuff, onions in my meatloaf or omelets, sprinkling green onions on top of something — gotta love an onion.”
— atomic number 92 / grumblebeardo13
9.“Nutmeg in a lot of dishes that most people around me wouldn’t consider putting it in. Also, a small spoonful of grape jelly into my Bolognese to cut the acidity.”
10.“I brown butter before I use it, most of the time.”
— u / PinkMonorail
" We of late made Daucus carota sativa cake with browned butter pick cheeseflower frosting , and it was sublime . I also love dark-brown butter Rice Krispies squares — so much better ! "
— u / janesfilms
11.“BothGreekand Mexican oregano — using the right one makes a lot a difference in a dish.”
12.“Powdered onion soup.”
— u / Ezra_lurking
" I ’ve used it in tater , inclination , and meatloaf and as a base for oven - fry Elmer Rice . "
— uranium / CWeed84
13.“MSG.”
14.“Forty years ago, my foodie brother gave me my first bottle of balsamic vinegar, and he said with great emphasis, ‘When you taste your food and it needs something, what it needs is balsamic vinegar!’ Of course, it’s not the only addition that can change foods for the better, but more often than not, it helps.”
— uracil / subroutine - Loud
15.“Parmesan rinds. When I’ve grated a chunk down to the rind, I chuck it in a bag that I keep in the freezer. It makes soups and sauces taste amazing (remove before serving, though!).”
16.“Fish sauce and gochujang. Gochujang is a great addition to any cheap pasta sauce in a jar.”
— uracil / latihoa
17.“Nutritional yeast.”
18.“Sazón Goya. If you ever try to make Caribbean Latin food and it doesn’t taste right, it’s because you didn’t put any or enough Sazón in.”
— uracil / ladymuse9
19.“Roasted sunflower seed butter (whipped up in the food processor) adds body and creaminess to vegan tomato sauce, among other things, and it’s the only ingredient I can think of that zero of the 100 people I cook for every week are allergic to or offended by.”
20.“Fresh-ground Cambodian white pepper. It has a sweetness that I find incredible. I like adding it to anything instead of black pepper. You just have to use less because while it has a sweeter flavor, it does add more spice.”
— uranium / sparklingwaterll
21.“Lately, granulated black garlic. It adds so much umami to a dish.”
22.“Cocoa powder and pumpkin puree. A spoonful of cocoa is excellent in a savory dish, but most people don’t recognize it because we think of chocolate as sweet. Pumpkin puree adds a rich, creamy texture and beautiful color to soups and stews.”
— uracil / ChiSquare1963
23.“A pinch of instant coffee in all my gravies. It doesn’t add a coffee flavor, just a little depth.”
Note : Some responses have been cut for length and/or clearness .
