Do You Have A Special Ingredient You Use In Almost Everything?

[Diane Lane]

In talking to people and watching cooking shows, I've noticed there are certain things that some cooks/chefs seem to favor, and use in most of their dishes. I'd like to find out what they are, and how many of us tend to use the same ingredients.

I love the aroma and flavor of cloves, so I tend to add ground clove into many of my dessert dishes. I also love mild to medium salsa verde and Rotel (chopped tomatoes mixed with green chiles) so I use them or their equivalents in many of my casseroles and main dishes.

 

[ChanellG]

I wouldn't say I have a special ingredient. but I use garlic a lot as well as Spike seasoning blend. Last year I was in love with lemon zest, lol. It just adds such a lovely brightness to a dish. I love being about to go out to the garden and snip some fresh basil to toss into a dish as well.

 

[winterybella]

In talking to people and watching cooking shows, I've noticed there are certain things that some cooks/chefs seem to favor, and use in most of their dishes. I'd like to find out what they are, and how many of us tend to use the same ingredients.

I love the aroma and flavor of cloves, so I tend to add ground clove into many of my dessert dishes. I also love mild to medium salsa verde and Rotel (chopped tomatoes mixed with green chiles) so I use them or their equivalents in many of my casseroles and main dishes.

Where you reading my mind? I was planing on asking that very thing and why? Recently, I ran out of soy sauce (maybe it's not ingredient) and I have felt naked. Because I know or heard it has lots of sodium, I tried very hard for it not to matter but I have to confess, I missed it. I actually want to ask now, if anyone knows of anything to substitute if for that's more healthy. If I am able to speak to other things/ingredients, I never want to be without onions, garlic or thyme and the list can go on.

 

[Berties]

no not really ,every dish is different,and needs to be treated different,spicing and seasoning is individual ,to the dish and your taste,

 

[Duck59]

I would go so far as to say that I put it in everything, but most of what gets cooked in our house has garlic in it somewhere.

There are places where you get garlic in everything: I went to a restaurant in Riga where all dishes contained garlic, and that included the desserts.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Fresh garlic or garlic powder. Sometimes, even both!!

 

[Diane Lane]

Where you reading my mind? I was planing on asking that very thing and why? Recently, I ran out of soy sauce (maybe it's not ingredient) and I have felt naked. Because I know or heard it has lots of sodium, I tried very hard for it not to matter but I have to confess, I missed it. I actually want to ask now, if anyone knows of anything to substitute if for that's more healthy. If I am able to speak to other things/ingredients, I never want to be without onions, garlic or thyme and the list can go on.

I use low or reduced sodium soy sauce. I love soy sauce and fish sauce. I searched on healthier soy sauce and the results mentioned liquid or coconut aminos, but apparently a healthier version can be made using broth, fish sauce, a mix of vinegars, and coconut aminos. Here's a link to that recipe: http://wellnessmama.com/37262/soy-sauce-alternatives/ It's not mine, but it's got a 5-star rating.

 

[Diane Lane]

I would go so far as to say that I put it in everything, but most of what gets cooked in our house has garlic in it somewhere.

There are places where you get garlic in everything: I went to a restaurant in Riga where all dishes contained garlic, and that included the desserts.

How were the desserts? Was the garlic taste noticeable? I have issues with garlic, so limit it in my cooking, and can't imagine it in a dessert, but I'm sure in other parts of the world, dessert flavors are different.

 

[Diane Lane]

I wouldn't say I have a special ingredient. but I use garlic a lot as well as Spike seasoning blend. Last year I was in love with lemon zest, lol. It just adds such a lovely brightness to a dish. I love being about to go out to the garden and snip some fresh basil to toss into a dish as well.

I'd never heard of Spike seasoning blend, so I looked it up. It sounds as if it has a lot of good things in it, so I'm sure it tastes delicious. I have a blend like that that was given to me by a friend, but I don't have the original container, so I can't compare the ingredients, but I might look for Spike next time I go shopping, so I can try it out. I'll be grilling soon, and it's always nice to spice up the grilled veggies.

 

[Duck59]

How were the desserts? Was the garlic taste noticeable? I have issues with garlic, so limit it in my cooking, and can't imagine it in a dessert, but I'm sure in other parts of the world, dessert flavors are different.

Eastern Europe is something of a garlic stronghold, perhaps related to the vampire myths. I don't think, though, that garlic in desserts is the norm! The restaurant that I went to was decidedly specialist - the only other 'garlic restaurant' I know of is in Tallinn. We had garlic tapas (all vegetarian) and a few glasses of delicious dark Latvian beer. As my partner observed, it was just as well that there were no elephants in Riga, as our breath would probably have felled one from about 100 metres.

 

[pattyk]

I'm going through a cardamom phase at the moment. I cannot get enough of this sweet and somewhat citrussy spice! I keep trying it in sweet and savoury dishes to see if it works. It seems to go really well with pistachios, or if you're baking muffins with a streudel topping, replace the cinnamon with cardamom. Yummy!

I also find it works well with other spices in curries - dopiaza is the one I make most often, and I always chuck in a half teaspoon of ground cardamom with the other spices. Love it.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I'm going through a cardamom phase at the moment

are you using green or black cardamom? I ask because whilst I don't really like green cardamom, I love black cardamom which has a really smoky, deep earthy flavour to it.

 

[Diane Lane]

Eastern Europe is something of a garlic stronghold, perhaps related to the vampire myths. I don't think, though, that garlic in desserts is the norm! The restaurant that I went to was decidedly specialist - the only other 'garlic restaurant' I know of is in Tallinn. We had garlic tapas (all vegetarian) and a few glasses of delicious dark Latvian beer. As my partner observed, it was just as well that there were no elephants in Riga, as our breath would probably have felled one from about 100 metres.

I wondered about the garlic aftereffects. I often like something going down, but not so much when it lingers, especially as long as garlic does. Love the vampire reference, that could be due to the popularity of certain television shows and movies.

 

[Diane Lane]

I'm going through a cardamom phase at the moment. I cannot get enough of this sweet and somewhat citrussy spice! I keep trying it in sweet and savoury dishes to see if it works. It seems to go really well with pistachios, or if you're baking muffins with a streudel topping, replace the cinnamon with cardamom. Yummy!

I also find it works well with other spices in curries - dopiaza is the one I make most often, and I always chuck in a half teaspoon of ground cardamom with the other spices. Love it.

Pistachio is something I haven't used at all, but I love. I will have to remember to try out this combination, and the cardamom sounds lovely in the topping.

 

[Pat]

I like to bake and I add cinnamon to most of the items I bake or oatmeal, I always have both in the house.