Great explanation. I never really comprehended the difference from using citrus juices.
My (very picky) mom hates actual mushrooms yet really likes the flavor. I made her a mushroom risotto using a broth i made from dehydrated mushrooms, some dried mushroom powder mixed in, and then the liquid that comes out of the mushrooms when roasting after about 15-20, maybe 1/4c worth but very flavorful- along with some veg stock, butter, arborio rice, and a little parm. She loved it and yet there werenāt any actual mushrooms in the dish (i used the roasted ones as a garnish ontop for the mushrooms lovers at the meal)
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Pretty easy to make too. I made my first batch this fall and have used them in a couple Morrocan dishes and also a few times where I might add fresh lemon, but was out (tomato sauce or tuna salad).
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Any place where a mild green olive would taste good is a good starting point to experiment with preserved lemons. They have a nice affinity with fish. I use them in tartar sauce frequently too.
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Well, yes it is, as a matter of fact. Itās a hallucinogen.
Preserved lemon is definitely one of my aha! ingredients. Itās kind of hard to list them all over the years so I wonāt try - but smoked paprika, miso, tempeh, fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, seitan, truffles, fish roe, roasted garlic and peppers. Honestly one of the first big ones for me was real butter which I first had in a restaurant when I was about six - my mom was a pretty good cook but this was back in the 60ās in the Golden Age of Margarine. A few years later she wised up and started using real butter at home too.
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iāve made miso butter for steak, itās wonderful!
Fish sauce, for me too, was a revelation.
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pomegranate syrup, miso, doenjang, fish sauce, sherry vinegar, dried red chilies, toasted then soaked to make into a sauceā¦
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Oh man, pomegranate molasses is the best-- I put it on vanilla ice cream and sometimes on cracked wheat for breakfast. Do you have any non-traditional uses for it or doenjang?
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I went through a kaya jam period eleven years ago. Even worse, itās often consumed with a big slab of butter.
Since living in Indonesia many years ago, itās all about the cabe rawit (birdās eye chilies) with smoked skipjack tuna. Eating Manadonese food on a daily basis over there was euphoricā¦ if only because at first, I couldnāt handle any of the heat.
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Mine are fairly simple yet noteworthy for me:
flaked kosher salt vs table salt for salting meats for grilling
walnut oil for vinaigrettes
freshly squeezed lemon juice vs the lemon juice in a bottle (ick, I know, HUGE difference)
anchovy paste for umami in burgers
freeze dried herbs
dried beans soaked then cooked vs canned.
These are more āah ha!ā moments.
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I love pomegranate molasses for salad dressings.
The first time I bought a finishing quality olive oil. I didnāt know you could actually buy oil that good and add it to pasta or drizzle it on the food. I thought it was reserved for expensive restaurants or Europe.
And the first time I bought greens and lettuces at a farmers market, as opposed to a regular store. Thatās when I fell in love with Swiss chard and arugula. The flavor was so intense, each item actually had its own flavor. Who would imagine?! Once again, I was amazed that my food, even a simple salad could taste as good as what chefs make.
Finally, smoked paprika. It has such a unique flavor. I use often: in sauces, with vegetables, or in salad dressings and marinades.
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Iāve used pomegranate molasses to caramelize almonds - really good and Iāve used them to replace pom seeds when they were too expensive or unavailable.
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Pretty mundane compared to all f yours but my first life changing discovery was Maldon salt. I already had a pretty good collection of salts, including fleur de sel, but Maldon salt just blew me away.
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Vadouvan. Iāve only used the commercial, powdered version. From what I have read, the homemade sounds like it would be sublime, but easy to burn or otherwise screw up. As it is, the commercial style contributes a deep curry flavor to foods without adding what would be too much heat for what Iād term a traditional middle/northern European palate.
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Yes, this Iāve found is the best curry mixture for Mr Ratās Swiss tastebuds. I have made it from scratch and yes, itās pretty amazing - but I also feel like the pre-made vadouvan I get at Kalyustanās is pretty amazing too and a useful thing to have on hand in the pantry.
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A little late for this topic but here goes
I can not do without Chipotle and Adobo sauce as well as a tin of anchovy in olive oil
Miso, I use for fish ( seared salmon , chilean sea bass), using the same pan that i seared the fish in, add olive oil with ginger, spring onion, garlic, a tablespoon or two of miso ( depending for salt) , soy sauce rice vinegar or sherry, , let the sauce thicken- no more than a few minutes and serve over fish
SPANISH SMOKED PAPRIKA and for paella and cataplana
DATU PUTI PINOY SPICED VINEGAR ( COCONUT VINEGAR) 375 ml - This is one of the best salad dressing. It is so good on grilled vegetables with EVV. I discovered this 2015 in an Asian Store for $1.69. It was so good, even for marinading chicken etc. So, I went back and purchased 10 bottles.Started to give away as gift bec friends who visit swear by them and what is a bottle between friends? Next thing I know, it went up to $2.69 and then up to $3.50 if I can find it. Googling, I found out that it was so successful overseas even in UK that the companies that were exporting it had to go to the supreme court of the Philippines to decide who has the right to export it. By 2016, I no longer can find it but a friend who came for dinner found it in a remote Asian store, 2 hours from the DC Metro region, where there were very few Asian immigrants, bought all their stock for $3.50 per bottle. She let me buy 10 of them. I now have 12of them. Today, my son who is in Europe found it on sale at Walmart for $2.60/bottle, free shipping when you buy $35. I wonder if this matter has been settled in court, but at any rate, I am ordering another 12-15 bottles!! IT IS REALLY GOOD IF YO U LIKE SPICEY VINEGAR or as an ingredient for dips for your Dim Sum. I am having problem, uploading and downloading pictures. Go to WALMARTāS WEB SITE. DATU PUTI is the name of the company just like Heinz. They make a lot of vinegar etc but just look for Pinoy ( shortcut for Filipino) Spiced Vinegar in 375 ml made out of coconut vinegar. Y OU WILL NOT REGRET BUYING THIS
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naf, I just posted something now. I hope u will read it as I do not know how I can pass it on to you and alert you.
It is under INGREDIENTS THAT CAUSED REVELATIONS
