Join The Conversation: What Are Your "Secret Ingredients?"
www.bittmanproject.com
On Tuesday, we talked about the kitchen staples that are best to keep stocked in your pantry or cupboard. Now—with your help—we want to brainstorm a list of the ingredients that can take our cooking to the next level, those ingredients you consider essential for your style of cooking.
So: What are your “secret" ingredients”? The ones you reach for again and again. The ones that bring your food to life. The ones that are less obvious than things like olive oil and soy sauce. The ones you just can’t live without.
To join the conversation, just type a comment below. I can’t wait to see what we all come up with.
My wife and I have always made things from scratch, including spice blends. But a Chinese friend, geochemist Zunli Lu, alerted us to McCormick Gourmet Cedar Plank Salmon Seafood Seasoning, which I now use all the time on fish and seafood and roast vegies. This commercial product really is quite wonderful.
Since I do a LOT of Asian cooking & absolutely ADORE spicy food, my must-have go-to pantry ingredients are Huy Fong's Chili-Garlic Sauce, Szechuan peppercorns, & most of all - Kadoya's Hot Sesame Oil. I usually sub in this delicious hot sesame oil whenever sesame oil is called for in a recipe. Even just a light drizzle over a bowl of Egg Drop Soup is heavenly. It's wonderful, & has excellent shelf life for an oil. I've yet to have a bottle turn rancid on me yet. But of course maybe that's because I use it so often - lol!
For other applications, I also keep a lot of different vinegars on hand - regular & white balsamic, white wine & red wine, tarragon, sherry, champagne, seasoned & unseasoned rice vinegars - you name it & I probably have it. They last forever & sometimes add just the right dash of acidity to a dish when lemon juice won't do.
And of course different dried herbs & spices. I won't list all of them individually as the fill one entire large 3-tiered lazy-susan cabinet. But trust me when I say I have quite a collection covering quite a few different cuisines. You can make a lot of simple food magical with the right seasonings.
Garlic granules, garlic paste, garlic powder, cumin seeds, cumin powder, coriander seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder, saffron strands, black mustard seeds, cardamom pods and cardamom powder, all purpose seasoning, cajun seasoning, old bay seasoning, grain mustard, lemon mustard cream, mustard, espelette pepper flakes amd powder, achiote paste, hot sauce in varying levels of heat, anchovy paste, anchovies fillets, tomato purée, dark and light soy, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, black bean sauce, sriracha, nduja paste in varying heat levels, dry mix herbs, italian seasoning, dried ancho chillies, surya spice, black and white sesame seeds, sesame oil, flavoured olive oils, extra virgn olive oil, tinned tuna, tinned mackarel, tuna in olive oil, sardines in olive oil, miso paste, masala paste, tandoori paste, togarashi, various types of vinegar, homemade different flavoured caramel sauces, white and black tahini paste, pomegranate molasses, treacle, golden syrup.These are just a few . 😋.
It’s great to see what other people’s cupboard staples. I’ll be looking out for some. Thank you for this forum , Mr Bittman 🙏🏽👌🏾
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. Beef marinade, add to tomato based spaghetti sauce for added depth of flavor, add to simple pots of beans to add a tangy note. Vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind, chili peppers : good things.
I always have pesto on hand, usually homemade. I use it to flavor soups, sandwiches, vegetable sides that need extra oomph. In a pinch, I frequently add a dollop
I'm surprised none of your guests mentioned fish sauce or canned anchovies as go-to umami boosters. I often put one or the other in soups, stews and pasta sauces. No one -- even the alleged anchovy hater in the family -- is the wiser, but everyone thinks the results are delicious.
These aren't really "secret" but are crucial to me: Vietnamese fish sauce, real balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy and real Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio.
Toom, that amazing Lebanese emulsification of garlic, lemon and olive oil. On sandwiches, roasted vegetables, lamb or chicken, with french fries on an egg sandwich. Please skip the egg whites though when you make it!
I haven’t been to a store since last March and am cooking these days for 4 generations. I use just about everything in this thread to keep things interesting but my best pandemic secret ingredients are my 2 countertop aero gardens, which give me an endless supply of fresh herbs, and music. No matter what I intend to cook it always turns out different if I am dancing around the kitchen or adding salty tears over some nostalgic romantic show tunes.
The one thing I make sure to keep in my refrigerator is roasted garlic. I roast three heads at a time in double aluminum foil when we cook on the Green Egg. This keeps for a long time in the fridge; I add a few cloves to salad dressings, soups, and sauces. This secret ingredient adds depth every time!
Another fave is tarragon - it kicks up tomato soup by several notches.
My favorite and most "versatile" pantry item is Crispy Fried Onions that are sold seasonally around Thanksgiving to the end of the year. They come in a tightly sealed container and remain fresh a long time. I use them with almost anything -- salads, sandwiches, to top off thick soups (that will hold them on top until served). I add them to stews if I'm feeling lazing about caramelizing onions), although "crispy" is best. A container lasts me around 4 months. Buy more than one to avoid "withdrawal symptoms."
Wow! You have something here Mark! Enough hours in the day?? Now, of course, the natural thing to do is to gather our pantry, spice & kitchen photos/videos?
In lieu of that, my go-tos are preserved lemons, shiitake powder from Curio in Cambridge, Black lime powder from Burlap and Barrel, etc. Back ups---SWAD Ginger puree, better than the rest for me, other Swad items: coriander chutney, shredded mango pickle. Whole peeled garlic, sesame tahini by Beirut, Tamarind concentrate, chicken, turkey and beef base (used as backups only), Teddie extra crunchy peanut butter, chutney du jour (I used to love Sun Brand) use local gifts now!!! Tillicherry peppercorns, crushed pepper blends from Flatiron, Hatch Valley jarred Chile products, dried Mexican chiles for sauces papadums and rotis from the freezer.....and so on! xGreg
We keep a hot sauce "bar" near the table. Current bottles include sriracha, original Cholula, chipotle Cholula, original tabasco, jalapeno tabasco, a Frank's knock-off, and a couple of pepper sauces from home-grown peppers. There's probably a couple more that I'm forgetting.
Preserved lemons from my Mom's tree. Tamari. Multiple vinegars. A selection of mustards (yellow, dijon, horseradish, sweet pepper). Capers, olives. Olive oil. The ginger pieces left over from making ginger simple syrup.
You people are killing me with all these great ideas - stop with the new-to-me condiments! There's not enough kitchen space in the world... Not sure this qualifies since I only use it in one dish but I didn't notice anyone talking about ginger juice so I will.
Take whatever size piece of ginger you have, rinse it off and throw it whole into your processor. Grind it down as fine as you can. Then dump it onto a thin clean piece of cloth -- keep one just for this purpose since it will get stained yellow and remain that way until kingdom come -- and wring it as hard as you can into a glass measuring cup. Over time it will separate into a liquid and a cloudy, thicker layer at the bottom. Stir it and add a little at a time to your dish because it's quite intense.
This is great for when you can only get those stingy small pieces of ginger and are too lazy to peel all the nooks and crannies.
Candied bergamot, citron and kumquats that will marinate in rum and port, then become Jamaica Black Fruit Cake. Several kinds of marmalade. Citron sugar, salt, and infused vodka from Buddha’s Hand Citron. New thing this year is yubeshi, a preserve made from yuzu stuffed with miso and chopped walnuts, steamed and then dried.
If all goes well this weekend, yuzu tea, yuzu chili sauce, candied yuzu... more citron to candy and pomelo peel to candy and maybe dip in chocolate.
Sautéed slivered almonds (or other nuts) in olive oil for rice dishes, oatmeal, ice cream, salads or after dinner snacking with dark chocolate and wine. Cardamom in smoothies. Lemon extract in Dutch babies, crepes, pancakes, yogurt, stews. Lemons and limes always in frig. Balsamic for the usuals and cooking and on top of steaks.
The colatura from Gustiamo. The bottle is expensive but lasts a very long time because just a few drops are needed to give a huge flavor boost to dishes, esp. dark leafy greens. Also, ground peperoncino from Italy - hard to find here and when you do, not as good. Normally, I prefer freshly ground spices, but for some reason, these little shaker spice jars are the thing I request whenever anyone goes there and asks me what I want. Several different kinds of sea salt, too, to finish off dishes and some desserts (especially brownies, chocolate chip cookies and salted oatmeal cookies).
Right, my head is exploding. I'm embarrassed to add my favourite condiment but I will anyway. Frank's Red Hot - inexpensive, easy to find, adds good flavour to anything savoury and even to a few sweet things. My husband and I have moved six times in three years - I learned to keep a bottle of Frank's in my suitcase to jazz up the makeshift meals we have often found ourselves throwing together. But seriously - this is the BEST THREAD EVER! Thanks everyone!
Smoked paprika, Trader Joe’s Everyday Spice, Maldon sea salt, white balsamic vinegar. When I cook veggies, which is frequently, I cook at high heat to caramelize the sugars in them.
I always keep a bottle of Vietnamese Nuoc Mam in the fridge to make instant fish stock. It's also delicious dribbled on shredded purple cabbage in place of dressing and salt; it makes a great veggie topping or topping for noodles (add a pinch of dried orange peel for the complete deal); or use as a marianade for chicken breast when you want to up the umami quotient. It is kind of like instant anchovies in pre-packaged form, good on almost anything savory.
Another secret ingredient -- the keffir lime plant on my windowsill is always available -- one leaf thrown into a pot of cooked rice is sublime, and it ups the game on pre-packaged curry pastes or Thai stir-fries.
Harissa seasoning has been a game-changer in my food, especially potato and other veggie dishes. It's a nice smokey flavor with just the right amount of spice. I try to get it as fresh as I can because I've noticed that the flavor definitely diminishes with time.
Flavor rampers - finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
, miso, anchovies, Coleman's mustard, horseradish mustard, big grainy French mustard, creole mustard, chile crisp, sweet spicy pickles, right now there is a squeeze tube of ginger I need to use up! Will probably add to lentil soup or vegan chocolate buttercream frosting this weekend for V.D. baking, in place of vanilla.
Balinese Long pepper bought at Atlantic Spice long ago but keeps forever & I throw a few into my pepper grinder & go at it to provide a different bit of flavor
Horseradish. It's amazing the number of tastes just a little enhances. Also gribenes. How can you go wrong with a dish that is cracklings and fried onions all in one?
My wife and I have always made things from scratch, including spice blends. But a Chinese friend, geochemist Zunli Lu, alerted us to McCormick Gourmet Cedar Plank Salmon Seafood Seasoning, which I now use all the time on fish and seafood and roast vegies. This commercial product really is quite wonderful.
Since I do a LOT of Asian cooking & absolutely ADORE spicy food, my must-have go-to pantry ingredients are Huy Fong's Chili-Garlic Sauce, Szechuan peppercorns, & most of all - Kadoya's Hot Sesame Oil. I usually sub in this delicious hot sesame oil whenever sesame oil is called for in a recipe. Even just a light drizzle over a bowl of Egg Drop Soup is heavenly. It's wonderful, & has excellent shelf life for an oil. I've yet to have a bottle turn rancid on me yet. But of course maybe that's because I use it so often - lol!
For other applications, I also keep a lot of different vinegars on hand - regular & white balsamic, white wine & red wine, tarragon, sherry, champagne, seasoned & unseasoned rice vinegars - you name it & I probably have it. They last forever & sometimes add just the right dash of acidity to a dish when lemon juice won't do.
And of course different dried herbs & spices. I won't list all of them individually as the fill one entire large 3-tiered lazy-susan cabinet. But trust me when I say I have quite a collection covering quite a few different cuisines. You can make a lot of simple food magical with the right seasonings.
Garlic granules, garlic paste, garlic powder, cumin seeds, cumin powder, coriander seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder, saffron strands, black mustard seeds, cardamom pods and cardamom powder, all purpose seasoning, cajun seasoning, old bay seasoning, grain mustard, lemon mustard cream, mustard, espelette pepper flakes amd powder, achiote paste, hot sauce in varying levels of heat, anchovy paste, anchovies fillets, tomato purée, dark and light soy, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, black bean sauce, sriracha, nduja paste in varying heat levels, dry mix herbs, italian seasoning, dried ancho chillies, surya spice, black and white sesame seeds, sesame oil, flavoured olive oils, extra virgn olive oil, tinned tuna, tinned mackarel, tuna in olive oil, sardines in olive oil, miso paste, masala paste, tandoori paste, togarashi, various types of vinegar, homemade different flavoured caramel sauces, white and black tahini paste, pomegranate molasses, treacle, golden syrup.These are just a few . 😋.
It’s great to see what other people’s cupboard staples. I’ll be looking out for some. Thank you for this forum , Mr Bittman 🙏🏽👌🏾
Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce - aka "stink juice" - my secret for sautéed rapini
Marmite. Just a little in things like buttercream frosting elevate it to salted caramel!
MSG it brings my food to life!
Roasted garlic always on hand in the fridge. Yoghurt made in the sous vide overnight.
Homemade hummus which is a staple in our kitchen.....esp since COVID became a part of our lives.
A few drops of Tabasco sriracha elevates it to another level.
I add a little miso to everything, to provide an umami boost. Works every time. It's my secret weapon !
Good vinegars, especially syrupy aged balsamic vinegar. Also umeboshi vinegar is quite versatile. I love chunky celtic sea salt.
Preserved meyer lemons, homemade miso, whole black pepper from Diaspora Co and yesss to savory breakfasts!
fresh ginger, basil, lemons, and limes; San Marzano canned tomatoes, mascarpone, wine
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. Beef marinade, add to tomato based spaghetti sauce for added depth of flavor, add to simple pots of beans to add a tangy note. Vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind, chili peppers : good things.
I always have pesto on hand, usually homemade. I use it to flavor soups, sandwiches, vegetable sides that need extra oomph. In a pinch, I frequently add a dollop
My go to secret weapons are Za'atar, nutritional yeast and cinnamon- I don't think I could live without those.
I'm surprised none of your guests mentioned fish sauce or canned anchovies as go-to umami boosters. I often put one or the other in soups, stews and pasta sauces. No one -- even the alleged anchovy hater in the family -- is the wiser, but everyone thinks the results are delicious.
Citrus Marmalade: I have a recipe for Meyer Lemon Marmalade, in the Instant Pot no less... and it couldn't be easier. If anyone is interested...
I buzz dried mushrooms in a spice mill and use the powder in soups and spice rubs for extra umami.
These aren't really "secret" but are crucial to me: Vietnamese fish sauce, real balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy and real Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio.
Toom, that amazing Lebanese emulsification of garlic, lemon and olive oil. On sandwiches, roasted vegetables, lamb or chicken, with french fries on an egg sandwich. Please skip the egg whites though when you make it!
Bitters used in most any dish that is enhanced by ginger.
Epazote is my secret ingredient. No one ever guesses it. . . well, they do now.
I haven’t been to a store since last March and am cooking these days for 4 generations. I use just about everything in this thread to keep things interesting but my best pandemic secret ingredients are my 2 countertop aero gardens, which give me an endless supply of fresh herbs, and music. No matter what I intend to cook it always turns out different if I am dancing around the kitchen or adding salty tears over some nostalgic romantic show tunes.
Nooch, for a nutty, cheesy, Unami flavor and hot sauce to perk things up (sriracha or Hoff’s, which is an amazing little company in Chattanooga).
The one thing I make sure to keep in my refrigerator is roasted garlic. I roast three heads at a time in double aluminum foil when we cook on the Green Egg. This keeps for a long time in the fridge; I add a few cloves to salad dressings, soups, and sauces. This secret ingredient adds depth every time!
Another fave is tarragon - it kicks up tomato soup by several notches.
Sorry I forgot to mention the important fact in my post that the Crispy Fried Onions are sold exclusively by Trader Joe's
My favorite and most "versatile" pantry item is Crispy Fried Onions that are sold seasonally around Thanksgiving to the end of the year. They come in a tightly sealed container and remain fresh a long time. I use them with almost anything -- salads, sandwiches, to top off thick soups (that will hold them on top until served). I add them to stews if I'm feeling lazing about caramelizing onions), although "crispy" is best. A container lasts me around 4 months. Buy more than one to avoid "withdrawal symptoms."
MSG it wakes food up!
Wow! You have something here Mark! Enough hours in the day?? Now, of course, the natural thing to do is to gather our pantry, spice & kitchen photos/videos?
In lieu of that, my go-tos are preserved lemons, shiitake powder from Curio in Cambridge, Black lime powder from Burlap and Barrel, etc. Back ups---SWAD Ginger puree, better than the rest for me, other Swad items: coriander chutney, shredded mango pickle. Whole peeled garlic, sesame tahini by Beirut, Tamarind concentrate, chicken, turkey and beef base (used as backups only), Teddie extra crunchy peanut butter, chutney du jour (I used to love Sun Brand) use local gifts now!!! Tillicherry peppercorns, crushed pepper blends from Flatiron, Hatch Valley jarred Chile products, dried Mexican chiles for sauces papadums and rotis from the freezer.....and so on! xGreg
Maple syrup. Mix with vinegar, oil and something hot. Makes a perfect glaze for any roast veggies.
We keep a hot sauce "bar" near the table. Current bottles include sriracha, original Cholula, chipotle Cholula, original tabasco, jalapeno tabasco, a Frank's knock-off, and a couple of pepper sauces from home-grown peppers. There's probably a couple more that I'm forgetting.
Preserved lemons from my Mom's tree. Tamari. Multiple vinegars. A selection of mustards (yellow, dijon, horseradish, sweet pepper). Capers, olives. Olive oil. The ginger pieces left over from making ginger simple syrup.
You people are killing me with all these great ideas - stop with the new-to-me condiments! There's not enough kitchen space in the world... Not sure this qualifies since I only use it in one dish but I didn't notice anyone talking about ginger juice so I will.
Take whatever size piece of ginger you have, rinse it off and throw it whole into your processor. Grind it down as fine as you can. Then dump it onto a thin clean piece of cloth -- keep one just for this purpose since it will get stained yellow and remain that way until kingdom come -- and wring it as hard as you can into a glass measuring cup. Over time it will separate into a liquid and a cloudy, thicker layer at the bottom. Stir it and add a little at a time to your dish because it's quite intense.
This is great for when you can only get those stingy small pieces of ginger and are too lazy to peel all the nooks and crannies.
Citrus season, so my kitchen is full of citrus.
Candied bergamot, citron and kumquats that will marinate in rum and port, then become Jamaica Black Fruit Cake. Several kinds of marmalade. Citron sugar, salt, and infused vodka from Buddha’s Hand Citron. New thing this year is yubeshi, a preserve made from yuzu stuffed with miso and chopped walnuts, steamed and then dried.
If all goes well this weekend, yuzu tea, yuzu chili sauce, candied yuzu... more citron to candy and pomelo peel to candy and maybe dip in chocolate.
Anchovies and preserved lemons. In fact, Meyer lemons are in season and it's a good time to make a batch.
fish sauce: nuoc mam, shiitake and always homemade MISO
Sautéed slivered almonds (or other nuts) in olive oil for rice dishes, oatmeal, ice cream, salads or after dinner snacking with dark chocolate and wine. Cardamom in smoothies. Lemon extract in Dutch babies, crepes, pancakes, yogurt, stews. Lemons and limes always in frig. Balsamic for the usuals and cooking and on top of steaks.
Gremolata! Finely chopped parsley, lemon rind and garlic. On pasta, fish, chicken....
The colatura from Gustiamo. The bottle is expensive but lasts a very long time because just a few drops are needed to give a huge flavor boost to dishes, esp. dark leafy greens. Also, ground peperoncino from Italy - hard to find here and when you do, not as good. Normally, I prefer freshly ground spices, but for some reason, these little shaker spice jars are the thing I request whenever anyone goes there and asks me what I want. Several different kinds of sea salt, too, to finish off dishes and some desserts (especially brownies, chocolate chip cookies and salted oatmeal cookies).
Ras el Hanout! It’s the best, we use it in almost everything we cook
Right, my head is exploding. I'm embarrassed to add my favourite condiment but I will anyway. Frank's Red Hot - inexpensive, easy to find, adds good flavour to anything savoury and even to a few sweet things. My husband and I have moved six times in three years - I learned to keep a bottle of Frank's in my suitcase to jazz up the makeshift meals we have often found ourselves throwing together. But seriously - this is the BEST THREAD EVER! Thanks everyone!
A little ground mustard in my scrambled eggs. Everyone loves them. Know one can figure it out.
Smoked paprika, Trader Joe’s Everyday Spice, Maldon sea salt, white balsamic vinegar. When I cook veggies, which is frequently, I cook at high heat to caramelize the sugars in them.
I always keep a bottle of Vietnamese Nuoc Mam in the fridge to make instant fish stock. It's also delicious dribbled on shredded purple cabbage in place of dressing and salt; it makes a great veggie topping or topping for noodles (add a pinch of dried orange peel for the complete deal); or use as a marianade for chicken breast when you want to up the umami quotient. It is kind of like instant anchovies in pre-packaged form, good on almost anything savory.
Another secret ingredient -- the keffir lime plant on my windowsill is always available -- one leaf thrown into a pot of cooked rice is sublime, and it ups the game on pre-packaged curry pastes or Thai stir-fries.
Harissa seasoning has been a game-changer in my food, especially potato and other veggie dishes. It's a nice smokey flavor with just the right amount of spice. I try to get it as fresh as I can because I've noticed that the flavor definitely diminishes with time.
Flavor rampers - finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
, miso, anchovies, Coleman's mustard, horseradish mustard, big grainy French mustard, creole mustard, chile crisp, sweet spicy pickles, right now there is a squeeze tube of ginger I need to use up! Will probably add to lentil soup or vegan chocolate buttercream frosting this weekend for V.D. baking, in place of vanilla.
Balinese Long pepper bought at Atlantic Spice long ago but keeps forever & I throw a few into my pepper grinder & go at it to provide a different bit of flavor
Baharat are yummy
Zatar
I bake more often than cook, so it's lemon, lime, ginger (all three in multiple forms), lavender, cardamom, poppy seeds, and black pepper.
Horseradish. It's amazing the number of tastes just a little enhances. Also gribenes. How can you go wrong with a dish that is cracklings and fried onions all in one?