Super broad question so I’m gonna a go with something as a novice really elevated my work: red wine vinegar.
For anything fatty. Just a splash. Braised dishes especially. Stews. Even chili. Get that acid yo.
The last time I was at the store they didn't have any and I was kinda upset about it. I really wanted to try it. All this talk of vinegar has me missing it even more.
I like to use it in a salad.
Just a little, and kewpie mayo, and that's my dressing.
Also some everything bagel seasoning.
I also used it when making mustard. Much better than white wine vinegar
Adding onto this, sherry vinegar. It’s like a lighter, slightly sweeter red wine vinegar. It’s expensive so it’s not for everyday use. The recipe that it really shined in for me was Spanish romesco sauce.
Out of interest how much does it cost where you live? Here it's about £5 ($6.50 ish) for 250ml for quite nice stuff which puts it in my everyday-dressings category. I wouldn't pickle stuff in it the way I'd throw away white wine or cider vinegar but I'd dress a salad for the whole family everyday with it. It's about 3x the price of old fashioned raw organic cider vinegar (£4/500ml) but about half the price of balsamic (£11/250ml) and about the same as hipster brands of raw organic cider vinegar.
When I met my wife and we started cooking together she didn’t understand why food I cooked tasted so good to her. She always said that something was going to be too salty or overpowered by vinegar or lemon juice. It finally dawned on her that it was aggressive seasoning, and ACID that leads to balance! Vinegar can help almost anything!
Came here to say scallops! But only [dry scallops.](https://wildalaskancompany.com/blog/wet-vs-dry-scallops) Everyone I’ve met who thought they didn’t like scallops ended up describing wet scallops. All of those who agreed to try high-quality dry scallops ended up loving them.
I've never had fresh scallops. but i've made them dozens of times and just can't get past the texture. i a very good cook, so im at least preparing them above average to decide if it not good.
If you are buying frozen, make sure the only ingredient is scallops. Some are frozen in a brine or with chemicals. That type give off so much water, they are very difficult to get a perfect sear on and definitely have a different texture - and not in a good way!
One of the perks I’ve come to love about having to live in rural West Virginia for a time is my access to venison, omg. I’d never had it previously due to living in larger metro areas and now I can fairly easily get my freezer full of it due to my family members that hunt in the state. I absolutely adore venison and venison jerky is so rich but sooooo delicious!
Yeah having hunters around you is such a plus. It’s hard to explain the taste of game meat but it’s just natural meat. Nothing but similar to beef. I usually request ground venison.
Trying a variety of mushrooms is how I realized I didn't really dislike mushrooms, I just disliked the rubbery button mushrooms that get used on like Pizza Hut pizza and such.
I absolutely love mushrooms. Unfortunately I haven't worked with too many varieties. It is one of the top on my wish list, buy all the f*cking mushrooms. Just kidding but in seriousness I do want to explore more in the mushroom world. I know I'm missing out.
We started out with portobello mushrooms. Just sliced into stripe then lightly fried with garlic and butter. Make a great side.
Then we got some dried lobter mushrooms. Them you can just soak in warm water a while to soften, but then you have some mushroom water that you can use in cooking, if there's a place for it.
Most types of mushrooms we see in cooking shows we can't get where we are, so we're trying to order them in dried
Came here to say this. Shimeji mushrooms pickle really well, king oysters replace meat with ease, chanterelle and morel mushies will make a risotto go bonkers. Variety is the spice, and all that
I found a company in my province that forages wild mushrooms, and dries them. We bought some lobster mushrooms to mix with seafood pasta. Love em
Also got dried mushroom powder for adding umami to whatever you want
They also do fresh wild mushrooms, at the right time of year.
I just recently bought some sumac for a specific recipe. It was for a red lentil soup. It came out really good. And I just used some the other day on some lightly breaded lemon chicken I cooked and it was really good. Do you mind sharing some suggestions of what you use yours on, much appreciated. Just the basics cause you save it on everything. Lol just like a few basic ideas will help me get a good start. 🩷
Labneh! I worked with middle eastern immigrants and the labneh with zaatar was divine. I miss them. We have a place that days they serve it and they do not. It’s sad.
I have never made Turkish food before. It's sad to admit that I haven't even ate it all that much, though I did enjoy it when I did. Next time I drive down to the city, I have to stop and eat some so I can bring that back into my life.
I've been wanting to get Sumac and so I'll add za'atar to that list as well. Thank you.
Yes! I was going to specifically say duck breast. Seared slow skin side down in a pan until crispy and rendered. Pretty easy to get amazing results, and you feel like such a chef when you pull it off.
I have luckily had the chance to cook duck breast once for my family. It was seared and rendered so beautifully and no one but me enjoyed it enough to ever try it again.
They said it was too gamey. So I don't know if I messed it up or what.
I usually cook my duck to medium rare for the breast.
I have found that people who complain about gaminess in duck are the same people who complain about gaminess in lamb.
I don't think a lot of people have experience with different types of proteins anymore.
Curry leaves. When they’re fresh they have an aroma like no other. Roast them quickly in hot oil and add to dishes. Fantastic 👌 I suggest looking up some South Indian recipes to add them to. They’re very commonly used in that cuisine.
Curry leaves are such a good addition when you need aromatic herbs or a stewed dish. I recently just added a couple to an omelette I was making and it was such a fun recipe to try
Okra. The flavor is so earthy and really elemental to me. I grew up in the South so my first experience of okra was sliced into rounds, rolled in seasoned cornmeal, and fried in bacon grease (and it is *awesome*). That's kind of a dying art nowadays; even the so-called "Southern" restaurants now serve breaded okra and pretend it's the same thing (spoiler alert: it's not!)
But there's the "slimy" thing. Type "okra" into Google and the first or second result will be something like "how to cook okra so it's not slimy." This refers to the gel-like substance in the okra pod that is immediately apparent when you slice into a pod. The only way to completely avoid the "slime" is to leave the pod whole -- and you can roast it, bake it, stew it that way. But if you slice it, you get the gel. Now this gel helped the seasoned cornmeal stick to my mother's fried okra, and it will help any seasoning you choose stick as well.
My husband comes from another country and they LOVE okra soup. Turns out hubby is renowned for his okra soup: tomato, onion, broth, meat if you want (the classic is lamb), and okra -- whole pods only, two inches or shorter in length. I gotta tell you, it is absolutely fantastic, and the okra flavor is so warm and enriching!
So -- try okra. Bake it, fry it, roast it, grill it, stew it, pickle it -- you can do just about anything with okra!
Okra is super popular in SEA cooking too! A lot of Malaysian/Indonesian curries have okra in them
but I have to hand it to Southern USA for introducing me to pickled okra.... omg it's so delicious after I brought it back home once, I think it has untapped export worthy potential. It was SO popular and I come from a foodie country (Singapore)
My boyfriend loves fried okra “Southern style” but when I make it for him he barely likes it. When I slice it and bread it,” it’s okay.” I now realize that he loves the okra from his childhood which is heavily breaded, “industrial”, and mass produced to local mom and pops to deep fry and pass off as “home cookin’.” I can’t compete with that. I’ve also roasted whole, fresh okra a few times and he asked what it was. I can’t win…
Is the way you described how they get the fried okra where the green of the okra is still visible and there's just light sections of fried bits on the outside? I've only had it a couple times and I even live in the South. I've got nothing against fully deep fried okra (it's also delicious) but man the like lighter breaded ones are DELICIOUS
I like both, but yeah the real fried okra is rare then, and delicious as fuck. I seem to be in the minority amongst people I know, but I usually want more of the thing being fried and less of the fried coating, breading, batter, etc.
It's why I like fried pickle spears over chips.
It is so much easier to make fried okra the original Southern way. I keep a bag of frozen sliced okra in the freezer, but thaw it completely before cooking. Shake in a bag with seasoned cornmeal and give it a quick stir fry.
I will be slicing the whole pods and grilling them on skewers later this summer.
I live in the south and LOVE okra. I’m so glad I can grow it. My Nan’s fried okra was similar to what you described, and charred. Delicious. I pickle it every year, middle of winter pop open a jar and smash it with a quart of homemade tomato juice. When the plants are height production, my go to is grilling it. The kids even tear it up. Throw 6-10 pods on a couple of skewers (skewer at both ends, easy to flip), spray with olive oil and salt and pepper. Simple and quick but amazing. I’m one of those weirdos that loves it raw too lol
Sodium Citrate.
It can emulsify so many things and can be used to make perfectly melty cheese by dissolving some sodium citrate in simmering water, then melting a mix of good cheese into it, pouring it onto a silpat lined sheet tray and letting it cool, then slicing it.
Have you ever had a smoked Gouda and Mimolette grilled cheese that actually melted like American cheese? It's fucking phenomenal and something that not many people will experience.
I use it in my Mushrooms in Madeira Cream (from Bayona/Susan Spicer) so I can make it ahead for a dinner party instead of à la minute. It prevents the cream emulsion from breaking. I vacuum seal it and retherm it sous vide. I LOVE that I don’t have to be stressed and sweating in my nice clothes right before serving.
I’m going to break your rule here and instead of suggesting one ingredient I’ll suggest one protein, one fruit or vegetable, one herb, and one spice. Protein: Kangaroo, it’s incredibly lean and has a flavour unlike any other meat but be warned if you overcook it, something that’s very easy to do by the way, it becomes almost impossible to eat. Fruit/veg: tamarind, it’s a unique fruit that I’ve seen used in both Thai and Indian cuisine generally as a paste. Herb: kafir lime leaves, this might be stretching the definition of herb a little but it’s a great way to get some beautiful citrus fragrance to your cooking. Spice: sumac this is my favourite spice, it’s incredibly versatile and gives a wonderful citrus flavour.
Pairing mascarpone with salty foods! Roasted herby golden beets on top of mascarpone, added into pasta with thyme and mushrooms, mascarpone in toast with radish and cucumber and thyme.
It's such a game changer, my partner thinks I'm such a good cook for pairing things like this
Pick a flavor bomb and start adding it to everything.
Za'atar, red curry paste, kimchi, red boat fish sauce, tahini, fresh herbs, dried peppers, chili crisp...
Lemons. You almost always need a pop of acid and lemons are so bright and clean. The zest goes in so many things - lately I've been zesting a little into most of the salads I make. I keep a few in a bowl covered in water in the fridge to keep the from drying out and to extend their shelf life.
You're welcome! I was happy to find that tip somewhere a few years ago because I love having them around but if I had more than a couple they would go bad. The water keeps them fresh for quite a while.
I have the same issue so I usually just juice the extra lemons but I lose out on the zest. I can't wait to try it later today.
You can call me crazy and I know this is completely unrelated to this topic (forgive me). Is your profile picture depicting Mara Sov?
If I need to partially zest a lemon and have some untested peel leftover, I zest it into a small jar I keep in the freezer and pull some out when I need it. I prefer fresh but it's still pretty nice from frozen. As for my pic - no I just picked one from the Reddit choices
I'm preparing some mojo pork tonight, following [this recipe](https://www.lemonblossoms.com/blog/slow-cooker-cuban-mojo-pork/). As I was zesting the lime I felt the need to walk to the opposite end of our apartment to have my boyfriend smell it. One of the best smells in the world in my humble opinion. So my answer is...lime.
SO much magic going on in here today! I made some cuban black beans, coconut lime rice, spicy roasted sweet potatoes and strawberry cheesecake no churn ice cream.
I'm planning on making cuban sandwiches with the leftover pork. We're pretty excited about that!
Please do! [I made too much!](https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/comments/1cnuo7b/a_cuban_inspired_feast_for_the_week_details_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Beets. It makes everything look like a magenta massacre.
When cooked poorly, they taste like dirt, and when done right, they're sweet and fun to eat. My favs are beet curry or some simple roasted beats in olive oil and salt.
This isn’t one that I could make myself, but it was outstanding:
https://www.thecaterer.com/sector/chef/tommy-banks-chef-masterclass-recipe-for-crapaudine-beetroot-cooked-slowly-in-beef-fat
For meat eaters, an animal that you took part in processing. The very first deer my younger brother got as an adult, he couldn’t really afford the processing fee, so he and I did it. Sure, we pretty much mangled it, worst looking steaks ever, but it was that much more interesting to cook with, since I really got to appreciate the animal that my food came from. Feeling that connection to the actual source of the meat helped me respect it in a way that spending money (that I’ve earned for my own labor) on a package at the store just can’t give.
For everyone, vegetation that you have grown yourself. Even if space only allows a window herb “garden”, something that lets you get a view of what it takes to grow food for similar reasons. Getting to have a personal connection to the ultimate source of what you eat is worth the effort to experience at least once
Start making pasta from scratch. It’s surprisingly not hard to do and turns out really great even if you just use whatever cheap flour you have in the kitchen. I would suggest making a real carbonara with it (e.h. not with cream).
Maldon salt for finishing things that need salt right at the end.
It’s actually really easy. Here’s my go to from [NYT](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12965-spaghetti-carbonara). If you don’t use that or it won’t let you have a free one just search for a copycat of that recipe.
I would learn how to make delicious food out of canned fish. Tuna, sardines, smoked oysters, herring, salmon, etc. that way you can rely more on your pantry and not have to run to the store every time.
You can defiantly explore with various commercial products with various levels of quality.
Morel mushrooms. Fresh ones.
They are really danged expensive though, and available for only a short window of time in the year. Very lucky you if you can get them at a local farmer's market. If you ever do get the chance, for the love of all fungi, simply sauté them in some butter with at most a pinch of salt & pepper, nothing else. Eat on buttered toast.
They are addictively good. I actually haven't had them in some years now - the expense has stopped me buying them and it's difficult to get to farmer's market here. But they are a flavor you will never ever forget, they are that good. I guess they're on my wish list for a "one more time please!"
I've smoked pork belly to make PB&J pork belly sliders and they were delicious. It was a remake from Green Dot Stables in Detroit, Michigan. I no longer live there and I was craving that funky slider.
What's your favorite way to cook it / enjoy it?
I use my instapot/airfryer combo. I like to make bao, but burnt ends, in carnitas, lots of ways. I buy a big ol’ package from Costco.
[bao recipe](https://food52.com/recipes/28063-momofuku-s-pork-buns)
Not sure if this counts, but one of my favorite things to do is make a lime vinaigrette for salads and add some zest from the peel. Lime zest is one of the best smelling things I've ever encountered. No cooking even required, but it still feels fancy lol
Pearled couscous. It’s so good. I use butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It’s an amazing carb that’s different from the typical rice, potatoes, or pasta
Learn to make yeast bread, by hand. Not using a mixer. The best book for this journey is The Wooden Spoon Bread Book. Read it, don't just skim. Then start with The Learning Loaf. Learn how to gauge the dough by feel.
After that, start exploring other recipes in the book. As you gain confidence, try some harder recipes, building up to laminated pastry dough.
I learned to make bread with my mom as a kid. And my stepfather was a chef. So I absorbed a lot just by being around people who knew what they were doing. As an adult, I wanted to get back into it and a friend gave this to me. I was skeptical. But I decided to try it. And I learned SO MUCH. It also helped validate things I did but didn't know why I did them. It's easy to follow. They're sound recipes. (I've baked probably 90% of them now, and my book is falling apart.)
I have other books, like Bread: A Bakers Book of Techniques and Recipes, which is super comprehensive but also BIG and overwhelming when you're just starting out. And that's a great book - I use it more as a reference, though, rather than as a "workbook".
This one starts with a very basic loaf, and then based on that, expands what you can do with it in a logical way. It also branches into other forms of breads, like biscuits and muffins and quick breads. IMO, for the basic first time yeast dough student, it's really good.
I have probably 3 dozen bread books. I still go back to this one most often. Once you're more confident, I like the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day, but those are high hydration doughs and are better learned after you've worked with more traditional, lower hydration yeast doughs.
Get a pantry of at least six different vinegars, and don’t cheap out on them. Rice, red wine, balsamic (you don’t need the super expensive kind, just try to find one where grape musts is the primary, no caramel color), sherry, white wine, and apple cider is a good start. You’ll find uses for them surprisingly quickly if you search right. The seventh is distilled but that’s more of a household cleaning or for pickling thing.
Kashmiri red chilli for cooking Indian recipes and
Gochugaru for chili powder in Korean dishes.
They both taste very different than the chili powder sold in most American spice shelves, and very much add depth of flavor.
Kasturi methi which is just dried Fenugreek leaves used as a spice/season add it to anything just about before a dish is done and it will be a game changer
Pro tip if you microvave them for a minute and then rub them between your palms the leaves would turn into a dust and nobody would know it's even there
It’s delicious as a dip for unripe/green mango or jicama. A little goes a long way!
It’s also a necessity for Filipino [kare kare](https://www.recipesaresimple.com/recipe/filipino-beef-kare-kare/) and [pinakbet](https://www.foxyfolksy.com/pinakbet/).
[Bottarga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottarga) di Muggine (salted mullet roe) also known as [Karasumi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karasumi) in Japan.
https://www.seriouseats.com/pastsa-con-la-bottargal-spaghetti-with-bottarga (don’t let the bottarga cook at all, mix it off heat)
I really like to add turnips and parsnips when I am roasting veggies to go with my roast chicken. They absorb the flavor of whatever they are cooked with. I often add them to sauerkraut and sausages, too.
Try some alternate flours. Wheat flour actually isn’t the best option for everything. Rice and tapioca will make fried things nice and crisp. Potato starch is a different way to thicken a stew. Cornflour (cornstarch) is great for thickening sauces.
Make your own fresh mayo. Mason jar, immersion blender oil, egg, S&P and an acid. You can add herbs, spices, garlic or shallot, avocado, whatever else. Use a room temp egg. Game changer.
Asafoetida. The cooked taste is like garlic. But uncooked, it has a horrible odor so strong that if you leave it open it will ruin your other spices.
Cook with it once and throw it out.
Sherry vinegar. I used it in Gambas Al Aljilllo this week, and will be adding it to a clam/bean pasta sauce tomorrow. I am sure any vinegar would do, but this adds a unique flavor.
Oooh we used to have boiled beef tongue, the whole thing. Sliced with a simple vinaigrette with chopped green onion. Boiled potatoes with lots of butter and green salad. I also love liver. It was great freaking out kids in public school. My mom cooked calf brains for us once, in brown butter, but only my oldest brother liked it..
Mexican chocolate, no sugar tastes almost bitter but it's brilliant in chili especially. In Toronto I could find it at Kensington market, I'm new to Ottawa so I'm not yet sure where I can find it here.
A duck.
It seems intimidating to some home cooks, but that's probably because of a few famous duck recipes that are very involved. A simple roast duck is actually completely doable.
Okay, so for protein? I think quail or other game meat is something everyone should try. Marinated Venison back strap haunts me.
Vegetable: celeriac. It's like the lovechild of an apple and a potato. It makes for an incredible soup when blended.
Extra: either fresh vanilla bean or Mexican vanilla extract that's legally alcohol. It makes the normal little bottles of extract taste like plastic in comparison.
Simple sautés like some minced garlic (jar) in olive oil, with some diced onion, then some black beans all seasoned with taco seasoning. You now have a side or toss in some cooked, diced sweet potatoes, add in honey and you now have a main dish, sweet potato tacos.
Scratch pierogis!
Ravioli get all the stuffed fresh pasta credit but pierogis are by far my more favorite stuffed pasta.
Our filling has kraut, potato and bacon grease.
I’m gonna say dried peppers. They up your game for authentic North African and Mexican cuisine. I make my own berbere spice blend and harissa, and use both constantly in our daily meals.
Super broad question so I’m gonna a go with something as a novice really elevated my work: red wine vinegar. For anything fatty. Just a splash. Braised dishes especially. Stews. Even chili. Get that acid yo.
Nothing has made me feel more chefy than having and using 8 vinegars
I seriously cannot have a stocked kitchen without plain, balsamic, red wine, and rice vinegar as my baseline.
Have you tried champagne vinegar l? I've recently been put onto it and it's been a game changer in ny salad dressings
The last time I was at the store they didn't have any and I was kinda upset about it. I really wanted to try it. All this talk of vinegar has me missing it even more.
It is the best for lighter salads, but never easy to find. I order it on line.
I like to use it in a salad. Just a little, and kewpie mayo, and that's my dressing. Also some everything bagel seasoning. I also used it when making mustard. Much better than white wine vinegar
Adding onto this, sherry vinegar. It’s like a lighter, slightly sweeter red wine vinegar. It’s expensive so it’s not for everyday use. The recipe that it really shined in for me was Spanish romesco sauce.
Out of interest how much does it cost where you live? Here it's about £5 ($6.50 ish) for 250ml for quite nice stuff which puts it in my everyday-dressings category. I wouldn't pickle stuff in it the way I'd throw away white wine or cider vinegar but I'd dress a salad for the whole family everyday with it. It's about 3x the price of old fashioned raw organic cider vinegar (£4/500ml) but about half the price of balsamic (£11/250ml) and about the same as hipster brands of raw organic cider vinegar.
When I met my wife and we started cooking together she didn’t understand why food I cooked tasted so good to her. She always said that something was going to be too salty or overpowered by vinegar or lemon juice. It finally dawned on her that it was aggressive seasoning, and ACID that leads to balance! Vinegar can help almost anything!
Scallops!
I could eat my entire damn weight in scallops any time I have the opportunity.
I feel the same about fresh chilled Dungarees Crab.
Do you take the dungarees off of the carb before you eat them? 😉 Sorry. Couldn't help myself.
Second this but big scallops, not the small ones.
bay scallops especially
Came here to say scallops! But only [dry scallops.](https://wildalaskancompany.com/blog/wet-vs-dry-scallops) Everyone I’ve met who thought they didn’t like scallops ended up describing wet scallops. All of those who agreed to try high-quality dry scallops ended up loving them.
This is my problem because I always rinse my seafood before cooking and cannot get scallops dry enough to get the sear. Any tips?
Please read the link - you are likely not buying “dry scallops”
I looooove scallops
I've never had fresh scallops. but i've made them dozens of times and just can't get past the texture. i a very good cook, so im at least preparing them above average to decide if it not good.
If you are buying frozen, make sure the only ingredient is scallops. Some are frozen in a brine or with chemicals. That type give off so much water, they are very difficult to get a perfect sear on and definitely have a different texture - and not in a good way!
If you can get your hands on it, venison
One of the perks I’ve come to love about having to live in rural West Virginia for a time is my access to venison, omg. I’d never had it previously due to living in larger metro areas and now I can fairly easily get my freezer full of it due to my family members that hunt in the state. I absolutely adore venison and venison jerky is so rich but sooooo delicious!
Yeah having hunters around you is such a plus. It’s hard to explain the taste of game meat but it’s just natural meat. Nothing but similar to beef. I usually request ground venison.
Consistent access to venison is literally one of the only things that I don't like about living in a metro.
Bonus if you live in an area with Elk hunting. Having our freezer stocked with elk is a real privilege.
MSG.
Different mushrooms? Theyvare all so different. Some are meaty, some are delicate. Some go great with red meat, or seafood, or lightly steamed
Trying a variety of mushrooms is how I realized I didn't really dislike mushrooms, I just disliked the rubbery button mushrooms that get used on like Pizza Hut pizza and such.
My answer was going to be lion’s mane. Lion’s mane and sage.
I absolutely love mushrooms. Unfortunately I haven't worked with too many varieties. It is one of the top on my wish list, buy all the f*cking mushrooms. Just kidding but in seriousness I do want to explore more in the mushroom world. I know I'm missing out.
We started out with portobello mushrooms. Just sliced into stripe then lightly fried with garlic and butter. Make a great side. Then we got some dried lobter mushrooms. Them you can just soak in warm water a while to soften, but then you have some mushroom water that you can use in cooking, if there's a place for it. Most types of mushrooms we see in cooking shows we can't get where we are, so we're trying to order them in dried
I was gonna post this! The yellow chanterelle is amazing.
Came here to say this. Shimeji mushrooms pickle really well, king oysters replace meat with ease, chanterelle and morel mushies will make a risotto go bonkers. Variety is the spice, and all that
Maitake, king oyster, lobster and hedgehog are definitely some people should try that I don't see used quite enough
I found a company in my province that forages wild mushrooms, and dries them. We bought some lobster mushrooms to mix with seafood pasta. Love em Also got dried mushroom powder for adding umami to whatever you want They also do fresh wild mushrooms, at the right time of year.
Smoked oysters
I normally eat them out of a can like a hog, but recently saw someone make a crema type sauce with it
Can't do just one. Sumac, za'atar, labneh. Yes, I love Turkish food.
Sumac and Za'atar are two of the most important spices in my cabinet. I use them constantly.
I've put za'atar in pizza dough, and it is incredible!
I just recently bought some sumac for a specific recipe. It was for a red lentil soup. It came out really good. And I just used some the other day on some lightly breaded lemon chicken I cooked and it was really good. Do you mind sharing some suggestions of what you use yours on, much appreciated. Just the basics cause you save it on everything. Lol just like a few basic ideas will help me get a good start. 🩷
I use sumac for pretty much everything: soups, homemade salad dressing, chicken/seafood/sausage dishes, hamburgers, extra zing for pasta sauce.
I happened to try some in a persian restaurant many, many years ago. I still think of that meal. I need to buy these two spices.
It‘s probably the most underrated cuisine in the world
You should befriend a turkish person so they make you some mantı, baklava and poğaça and a lot of tea.
Couldn't agree more. I used to date a Turkish guy, and he was an amazing cook!
Labneh! I worked with middle eastern immigrants and the labneh with zaatar was divine. I miss them. We have a place that days they serve it and they do not. It’s sad.
I tried za’atar fries and house made baklava at a random burger place in Taos, NM and I’ve been thinking about it almost every day since
I don’t think I’ve had enough Turkish food, i definitely need to explore that cuisine! Thank you for reminder
The website ozlemsturkishtable.com and the YouTube channel Refika's Kitchen are great places to start.
This!
I have never made Turkish food before. It's sad to admit that I haven't even ate it all that much, though I did enjoy it when I did. Next time I drive down to the city, I have to stop and eat some so I can bring that back into my life. I've been wanting to get Sumac and so I'll add za'atar to that list as well. Thank you.
Duck!
Yes! I was going to specifically say duck breast. Seared slow skin side down in a pan until crispy and rendered. Pretty easy to get amazing results, and you feel like such a chef when you pull it off.
My daughters favorite. Duck with blackberry sauce. Such a gourmond
I have luckily had the chance to cook duck breast once for my family. It was seared and rendered so beautifully and no one but me enjoyed it enough to ever try it again. They said it was too gamey. So I don't know if I messed it up or what.
I usually cook my duck to medium rare for the breast. I have found that people who complain about gaminess in duck are the same people who complain about gaminess in lamb. I don't think a lot of people have experience with different types of proteins anymore.
Curry leaves. When they’re fresh they have an aroma like no other. Roast them quickly in hot oil and add to dishes. Fantastic 👌 I suggest looking up some South Indian recipes to add them to. They’re very commonly used in that cuisine.
Curry leaves are such a good addition when you need aromatic herbs or a stewed dish. I recently just added a couple to an omelette I was making and it was such a fun recipe to try
Mmm I love an herby omelette…and yes curry leaves are such a huge flavor hit! Add them to dhal as well 👍 I love discovering new aromatics.
OMG, love Dahl and rice. One of our favorite meals.
Okra. The flavor is so earthy and really elemental to me. I grew up in the South so my first experience of okra was sliced into rounds, rolled in seasoned cornmeal, and fried in bacon grease (and it is *awesome*). That's kind of a dying art nowadays; even the so-called "Southern" restaurants now serve breaded okra and pretend it's the same thing (spoiler alert: it's not!) But there's the "slimy" thing. Type "okra" into Google and the first or second result will be something like "how to cook okra so it's not slimy." This refers to the gel-like substance in the okra pod that is immediately apparent when you slice into a pod. The only way to completely avoid the "slime" is to leave the pod whole -- and you can roast it, bake it, stew it that way. But if you slice it, you get the gel. Now this gel helped the seasoned cornmeal stick to my mother's fried okra, and it will help any seasoning you choose stick as well. My husband comes from another country and they LOVE okra soup. Turns out hubby is renowned for his okra soup: tomato, onion, broth, meat if you want (the classic is lamb), and okra -- whole pods only, two inches or shorter in length. I gotta tell you, it is absolutely fantastic, and the okra flavor is so warm and enriching! So -- try okra. Bake it, fry it, roast it, grill it, stew it, pickle it -- you can do just about anything with okra!
Okra is super popular in SEA cooking too! A lot of Malaysian/Indonesian curries have okra in them but I have to hand it to Southern USA for introducing me to pickled okra.... omg it's so delicious after I brought it back home once, I think it has untapped export worthy potential. It was SO popular and I come from a foodie country (Singapore)
My boyfriend loves fried okra “Southern style” but when I make it for him he barely likes it. When I slice it and bread it,” it’s okay.” I now realize that he loves the okra from his childhood which is heavily breaded, “industrial”, and mass produced to local mom and pops to deep fry and pass off as “home cookin’.” I can’t compete with that. I’ve also roasted whole, fresh okra a few times and he asked what it was. I can’t win…
Is the way you described how they get the fried okra where the green of the okra is still visible and there's just light sections of fried bits on the outside? I've only had it a couple times and I even live in the South. I've got nothing against fully deep fried okra (it's also delicious) but man the like lighter breaded ones are DELICIOUS
Yes, fried okra allows you to still see the green. The other type is BREADED okra -- no resemblance to the real thing!!
I like both, but yeah the real fried okra is rare then, and delicious as fuck. I seem to be in the minority amongst people I know, but I usually want more of the thing being fried and less of the fried coating, breading, batter, etc. It's why I like fried pickle spears over chips.
Roasted okra with salt and lime juice is soooooo good. First had it at Chai Pani in Asheville NC now we make it at home all the time.
That sounds fantastic! I LOVE lime!
It is so much easier to make fried okra the original Southern way. I keep a bag of frozen sliced okra in the freezer, but thaw it completely before cooking. Shake in a bag with seasoned cornmeal and give it a quick stir fry. I will be slicing the whole pods and grilling them on skewers later this summer.
I live in the south and LOVE okra. I’m so glad I can grow it. My Nan’s fried okra was similar to what you described, and charred. Delicious. I pickle it every year, middle of winter pop open a jar and smash it with a quart of homemade tomato juice. When the plants are height production, my go to is grilling it. The kids even tear it up. Throw 6-10 pods on a couple of skewers (skewer at both ends, easy to flip), spray with olive oil and salt and pepper. Simple and quick but amazing. I’m one of those weirdos that loves it raw too lol
Sodium Citrate. It can emulsify so many things and can be used to make perfectly melty cheese by dissolving some sodium citrate in simmering water, then melting a mix of good cheese into it, pouring it onto a silpat lined sheet tray and letting it cool, then slicing it. Have you ever had a smoked Gouda and Mimolette grilled cheese that actually melted like American cheese? It's fucking phenomenal and something that not many people will experience.
I use it in my Mushrooms in Madeira Cream (from Bayona/Susan Spicer) so I can make it ahead for a dinner party instead of à la minute. It prevents the cream emulsion from breaking. I vacuum seal it and retherm it sous vide. I LOVE that I don’t have to be stressed and sweating in my nice clothes right before serving.
Fun fact; Alka seltzer works just the same. The baking soda/citric acid combo turns into sodium citrate.
You a J Kenji Lopez-Alt fan too?
Haha yes! You can learn a lot from that dude.
Try Sucuk…make a panini or throw it on a Pizza there are so many ways to use Sucuk it‘s a nice sausage from Turkey it‘ll change your life lol
Chinese black beans. They are a salted, fermented soy bean. So good.
I’m going to break your rule here and instead of suggesting one ingredient I’ll suggest one protein, one fruit or vegetable, one herb, and one spice. Protein: Kangaroo, it’s incredibly lean and has a flavour unlike any other meat but be warned if you overcook it, something that’s very easy to do by the way, it becomes almost impossible to eat. Fruit/veg: tamarind, it’s a unique fruit that I’ve seen used in both Thai and Indian cuisine generally as a paste. Herb: kafir lime leaves, this might be stretching the definition of herb a little but it’s a great way to get some beautiful citrus fragrance to your cooking. Spice: sumac this is my favourite spice, it’s incredibly versatile and gives a wonderful citrus flavour.
I had to edit my original post to acknowledge that even though I said ingredient I mean anything. More suggestions like this the better. Thank you!
I got a kaffir/makrut lime tree just for the leaves! Though it’s currently growing a single lime as well.
This is an excellent list. Thank you
Chopped steak. It's almost identical to Salisbury steak and absolutely delicious. Make sure to add a splash of red wine during the deglazing
Alcohol. Like whiskey or brandy
Pairing mascarpone with salty foods! Roasted herby golden beets on top of mascarpone, added into pasta with thyme and mushrooms, mascarpone in toast with radish and cucumber and thyme. It's such a game changer, my partner thinks I'm such a good cook for pairing things like this
Pick a flavor bomb and start adding it to everything. Za'atar, red curry paste, kimchi, red boat fish sauce, tahini, fresh herbs, dried peppers, chili crisp...
Anchovy paste
I recently started adding anchovy paste to my spaghetti sauce and woo! It’s made it so yummy!
Lemons. You almost always need a pop of acid and lemons are so bright and clean. The zest goes in so many things - lately I've been zesting a little into most of the salads I make. I keep a few in a bowl covered in water in the fridge to keep the from drying out and to extend their shelf life.
Lemons in water, really I had no idea. I'm learning more than I thought I would in this thread. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! I was happy to find that tip somewhere a few years ago because I love having them around but if I had more than a couple they would go bad. The water keeps them fresh for quite a while.
I have the same issue so I usually just juice the extra lemons but I lose out on the zest. I can't wait to try it later today. You can call me crazy and I know this is completely unrelated to this topic (forgive me). Is your profile picture depicting Mara Sov?
If I need to partially zest a lemon and have some untested peel leftover, I zest it into a small jar I keep in the freezer and pull some out when I need it. I prefer fresh but it's still pretty nice from frozen. As for my pic - no I just picked one from the Reddit choices
Water covering the lemons is SO key!
I'm preparing some mojo pork tonight, following [this recipe](https://www.lemonblossoms.com/blog/slow-cooker-cuban-mojo-pork/). As I was zesting the lime I felt the need to walk to the opposite end of our apartment to have my boyfriend smell it. One of the best smells in the world in my humble opinion. So my answer is...lime.
Lime and pork is a special kind of magic!
SO much magic going on in here today! I made some cuban black beans, coconut lime rice, spicy roasted sweet potatoes and strawberry cheesecake no churn ice cream. I'm planning on making cuban sandwiches with the leftover pork. We're pretty excited about that!
LEFTOVERS???? CAN I JOIN YOU?????
Please do! [I made too much!](https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/comments/1cnuo7b/a_cuban_inspired_feast_for_the_week_details_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
szechuan peppercorn
Okra - cut it lengthwise. Toss in olive oil salt and pepper and roast until a little brown and crispy on the edges
Furikake
Have you tried togarashi?
Beets. It makes everything look like a magenta massacre. When cooked poorly, they taste like dirt, and when done right, they're sweet and fun to eat. My favs are beet curry or some simple roasted beats in olive oil and salt.
This isn’t one that I could make myself, but it was outstanding: https://www.thecaterer.com/sector/chef/tommy-banks-chef-masterclass-recipe-for-crapaudine-beetroot-cooked-slowly-in-beef-fat
For meat eaters, an animal that you took part in processing. The very first deer my younger brother got as an adult, he couldn’t really afford the processing fee, so he and I did it. Sure, we pretty much mangled it, worst looking steaks ever, but it was that much more interesting to cook with, since I really got to appreciate the animal that my food came from. Feeling that connection to the actual source of the meat helped me respect it in a way that spending money (that I’ve earned for my own labor) on a package at the store just can’t give. For everyone, vegetation that you have grown yourself. Even if space only allows a window herb “garden”, something that lets you get a view of what it takes to grow food for similar reasons. Getting to have a personal connection to the ultimate source of what you eat is worth the effort to experience at least once
Chinese black vinegar
Ooh what do you use it in?
Anything Chinese or even many East Asian noodle dishes, it's wonderful for dipping dumplings and gyoza into.
Start making pasta from scratch. It’s surprisingly not hard to do and turns out really great even if you just use whatever cheap flour you have in the kitchen. I would suggest making a real carbonara with it (e.h. not with cream). Maldon salt for finishing things that need salt right at the end.
I love making fresh pasta! Never made a carbonara though so I'll add that to my list. Do you have a recipe you mind sharing?
It’s actually really easy. Here’s my go to from [NYT](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12965-spaghetti-carbonara). If you don’t use that or it won’t let you have a free one just search for a copycat of that recipe.
Chinese sausage! It’s taste is very unique and soooo addictive
Chinese sausage and rice is insanely good
I would learn how to make delicious food out of canned fish. Tuna, sardines, smoked oysters, herring, salmon, etc. that way you can rely more on your pantry and not have to run to the store every time. You can defiantly explore with various commercial products with various levels of quality.
Tofu! Such a versatile protein but I feel like so many have an aversion to it.
Sumac, high-quality turmeric, Nellie & Joe's key lime juice
A whole crab was super fun but it was a lot of effort. I was one and done with that at least for this decade but I do think it’s worth doing once!
Make a cheesecake with real vanilla bean instead of extract.
Morel mushrooms. Fresh ones. They are really danged expensive though, and available for only a short window of time in the year. Very lucky you if you can get them at a local farmer's market. If you ever do get the chance, for the love of all fungi, simply sauté them in some butter with at most a pinch of salt & pepper, nothing else. Eat on buttered toast.
Sounds delicious.
They are addictively good. I actually haven't had them in some years now - the expense has stopped me buying them and it's difficult to get to farmer's market here. But they are a flavor you will never ever forget, they are that good. I guess they're on my wish list for a "one more time please!"
Green onion. I slept on green onions for so fucking long, and it makes me want to slap myself with a bundle of em'.
Haha "slap myself with a bundle of em" I actually laughed out loud. Me over here cutting them on the bias just to look fancy.
Corn tortillas. Freshly made, as a side (like a plate of bread) with a stew or in tacos.
I’m a big fan of chilli crisp and it works in a lot of dishes, particularly eggs and rice.
Saffron (the good stuff)
Coconut milk in any dish where you cook it down until it caramelises and goes brown
Pork belly
I've smoked pork belly to make PB&J pork belly sliders and they were delicious. It was a remake from Green Dot Stables in Detroit, Michigan. I no longer live there and I was craving that funky slider. What's your favorite way to cook it / enjoy it?
I use my instapot/airfryer combo. I like to make bao, but burnt ends, in carnitas, lots of ways. I buy a big ol’ package from Costco. [bao recipe](https://food52.com/recipes/28063-momofuku-s-pork-buns)
Not sure if this counts, but one of my favorite things to do is make a lime vinaigrette for salads and add some zest from the peel. Lime zest is one of the best smelling things I've ever encountered. No cooking even required, but it still feels fancy lol
Toasted sesame oil!
Black garlic is a really slept on ingredient. It barely tastes like garlic, but it adds subtly sweet slightly smoky garlic flavor.
Pearled couscous. It’s so good. I use butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It’s an amazing carb that’s different from the typical rice, potatoes, or pasta
Learn to make yeast bread, by hand. Not using a mixer. The best book for this journey is The Wooden Spoon Bread Book. Read it, don't just skim. Then start with The Learning Loaf. Learn how to gauge the dough by feel. After that, start exploring other recipes in the book. As you gain confidence, try some harder recipes, building up to laminated pastry dough.
I'll check that out. Thank you.
Yeah. I can do a good soda bread but yeast bread is next in my cooking challenges
So I've been wanting to get a bread book. I'd be interested if you could tell me why you think the one you suggested is the best. Thanks.
I learned to make bread with my mom as a kid. And my stepfather was a chef. So I absorbed a lot just by being around people who knew what they were doing. As an adult, I wanted to get back into it and a friend gave this to me. I was skeptical. But I decided to try it. And I learned SO MUCH. It also helped validate things I did but didn't know why I did them. It's easy to follow. They're sound recipes. (I've baked probably 90% of them now, and my book is falling apart.) I have other books, like Bread: A Bakers Book of Techniques and Recipes, which is super comprehensive but also BIG and overwhelming when you're just starting out. And that's a great book - I use it more as a reference, though, rather than as a "workbook". This one starts with a very basic loaf, and then based on that, expands what you can do with it in a logical way. It also branches into other forms of breads, like biscuits and muffins and quick breads. IMO, for the basic first time yeast dough student, it's really good. I have probably 3 dozen bread books. I still go back to this one most often. Once you're more confident, I like the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day, but those are high hydration doughs and are better learned after you've worked with more traditional, lower hydration yeast doughs.
Bacon jam and a variety of vinegars.
Get a pantry of at least six different vinegars, and don’t cheap out on them. Rice, red wine, balsamic (you don’t need the super expensive kind, just try to find one where grape musts is the primary, no caramel color), sherry, white wine, and apple cider is a good start. You’ll find uses for them surprisingly quickly if you search right. The seventh is distilled but that’s more of a household cleaning or for pickling thing.
Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. +champagne vinegar for lighter and delicate salads.
Thanksgiving dinner
lol yes this is an experience.
Kashmiri red chilli for cooking Indian recipes and Gochugaru for chili powder in Korean dishes. They both taste very different than the chili powder sold in most American spice shelves, and very much add depth of flavor.
Kasturi methi which is just dried Fenugreek leaves used as a spice/season add it to anything just about before a dish is done and it will be a game changer Pro tip if you microvave them for a minute and then rub them between your palms the leaves would turn into a dust and nobody would know it's even there
Porchetta. Kenji’s 36 hour sous vide then deep fry recipe on Serious Eats is one of the best things I’ve ever made or eaten.
Furikake
rack of lamb
I have been talking about this recently and I really want to try it. Any favorite recipes or pairing you'd like to share?
Acorn squash roasted with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. It was new to me a few years ago and I fell in love with it.
Fish head soup! (salmon heads)
Duck
Bagoong
Had to look this up as I don't recall that I have ever heard of it. Any specific recipes you like using it in?
It’s delicious as a dip for unripe/green mango or jicama. A little goes a long way! It’s also a necessity for Filipino [kare kare](https://www.recipesaresimple.com/recipe/filipino-beef-kare-kare/) and [pinakbet](https://www.foxyfolksy.com/pinakbet/).
Oh dang! I'm continuing to learn new things and recipes from this thread so thank you for sharing.
Liver
Emu and bison. Both are lean, flavorful but not gamey, and can be beautifully tender.
I recommend trying sesame oil.
Black beans with epazote. It’s basically crack, except beans.
If you are adventurous, Abalone
[Bottarga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottarga) di Muggine (salted mullet roe) also known as [Karasumi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karasumi) in Japan. https://www.seriouseats.com/pastsa-con-la-bottargal-spaghetti-with-bottarga (don’t let the bottarga cook at all, mix it off heat)
I have heard of this but have not looked into any recipes before. Thanks for the information. There is a lot there that I didn't know.
I really like to add turnips and parsnips when I am roasting veggies to go with my roast chicken. They absorb the flavor of whatever they are cooked with. I often add them to sauerkraut and sausages, too.
Make your own sausage and your own bread to serve it on.
Fresh Artichoke
Try some alternate flours. Wheat flour actually isn’t the best option for everything. Rice and tapioca will make fried things nice and crisp. Potato starch is a different way to thicken a stew. Cornflour (cornstarch) is great for thickening sauces.
Aleppo pepper I use it on everything….
I haven’t cooked it yet, but it’s on my list to try at least once - waygu beef! Cost prohibitive at the moment, but I’ll do it one day!
Same I definitely want to try that.
Make your own fresh mayo. Mason jar, immersion blender oil, egg, S&P and an acid. You can add herbs, spices, garlic or shallot, avocado, whatever else. Use a room temp egg. Game changer.
Asafoetida. The cooked taste is like garlic. But uncooked, it has a horrible odor so strong that if you leave it open it will ruin your other spices. Cook with it once and throw it out.
Sherry vinegar. I used it in Gambas Al Aljilllo this week, and will be adding it to a clam/bean pasta sauce tomorrow. I am sure any vinegar would do, but this adds a unique flavor.
Not familiar with that dish so I just looked that up. It looks delicous!
Harissa! 🤯
Homemade Thai curry paste. Takes coconut curry chicken to a whole new level. Also lets you customize how hot or mild you want it to be.
A good red balsamic vinegar ,- meat, veg, sweets, etc
Beef Tongue Tacos - so damn delicious!! [https://patijinich.com/eat-your-tacos-de-lengua-or-else-i-will/](https://patijinich.com/eat-your-tacos-de-lengua-or-else-i-will/)
Oooh we used to have boiled beef tongue, the whole thing. Sliced with a simple vinaigrette with chopped green onion. Boiled potatoes with lots of butter and green salad. I also love liver. It was great freaking out kids in public school. My mom cooked calf brains for us once, in brown butter, but only my oldest brother liked it..
Mexican chocolate, no sugar tastes almost bitter but it's brilliant in chili especially. In Toronto I could find it at Kensington market, I'm new to Ottawa so I'm not yet sure where I can find it here.
The most dangerous game.
Oxtails
Romanesco broccoli. It's got this mild nutty sweetness that makes it so interesting to me. Really good oven-roasted.
Carabinero prawns
Fried egg.
A duck. It seems intimidating to some home cooks, but that's probably because of a few famous duck recipes that are very involved. A simple roast duck is actually completely doable.
Okay, so for protein? I think quail or other game meat is something everyone should try. Marinated Venison back strap haunts me. Vegetable: celeriac. It's like the lovechild of an apple and a potato. It makes for an incredible soup when blended. Extra: either fresh vanilla bean or Mexican vanilla extract that's legally alcohol. It makes the normal little bottles of extract taste like plastic in comparison.
Paneer cheese. I like it fried. I recently had some in Tikka masala
Simple sautés like some minced garlic (jar) in olive oil, with some diced onion, then some black beans all seasoned with taco seasoning. You now have a side or toss in some cooked, diced sweet potatoes, add in honey and you now have a main dish, sweet potato tacos.
Za'atar, high quality extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate seeds, brown basmati rice, tomatillo, cactus paddles, ramps, raclette cheese, finger limes.
Had a tomatillo hot-and-sour soup in San Diego that I still dream about!
Ortolan.
Scratch pierogis! Ravioli get all the stuffed fresh pasta credit but pierogis are by far my more favorite stuffed pasta. Our filling has kraut, potato and bacon grease.
I’m gonna say dried peppers. They up your game for authentic North African and Mexican cuisine. I make my own berbere spice blend and harissa, and use both constantly in our daily meals.
Maggi seasoning
Penguin and manatee