huffingtonpost - 2 days ago

A family cookingEver try to recreate your favourite restaurant’s best dish and wish yours tasted more... more?It happened to me with my local pizzeria’s garlic bread (turns out a lot of chefs put garlic powder, as well as actual garlic, in the side’s topping).In general, I’ve found the pros pack in more flavour per spoonful. And I’m not alone: writing to r/Cooking, site user u/Sof_a_doc_tah asked, “Why does my food taste so unsatisfying?”They explained: “It’s not that the food is making me sick or I don’t want to eat it. It just doesn’t seem to ‘hit’ as well as a mum-cooked meal/restaurant meal”.Here are some of the best responses:1) “Far and away the most common mistake home cooks make is not using enough salt.” “You should be seasoning pretty liberally, a pinch at least, at every stage where you add new ingredients.“Another thing that can happen is that while cooking, your nose becomes desensitised to the aroma of what you’ve been cooking.“At least half of the experience of taste is really smell. Walking outside for a little bit before serving yourself can help, as weird as that sounds.” Credit:u/hachface2) “Vinegar.” Credit:u/devlincaster“And not just regular vinegar either. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic, flavoured balsamics, malt vinegar, Chinese black vinegar (my secret ingredient for excellent fried rice or stir fry), sushi Rice wine vinegar, any of the wine vinegars, coconut vinegar... they are all very different and add their own distinctive zing to foods!“I love me a good vinegar!” u/IndgoViolet agreed.3) “People have all said acid and salt, which I agree with, but is it also possible that all of your spices are old?” Credit:u/papersnakeWriter’s note: yep, these really can go off.4) “MSG is the magical flavour enhancer for many.” Credit:u/PhoridayThe13th“It adds a tremendous amount of flavour,” u/IndgoViolet agreed.5) “Wine, chocolate, anchovies, and certain cheeses also.” Credit:u/88yj6) “To punch up a dish, my go-to easy upgrades are chilli powder (cayenne or Kashmiri, not enough to be spicy, just a little prickle), drizzle of oil (if it’s too lean), lemon juice (or other tart acid), MSG (savoury boost) and fresh herbs (chopped parsley, thyme...).”“Usually, if a recipe doesn’t come out interesting, one of those things will help.”Credit:u/wasabimofi7) “Dijon mustard can perk up dressings and gravies.”Credit:u/IndgoViolet“Mustard, hot sauce, pickle brine... [are] all good,” u/Veskers agreed.8) “Occasionally... when the food tastes maybe a little earthy or bitter (this mostly happens to me when I make dishes with dried chillies that are past their prime), the teeniest tiniest bit of sugar can somehow bring out all the other flavours.” Credit:u/GrayMareCabal9) ”[If it’s] boring, [it’s] probably [a lack of] salt (add soy sauce or chopped olives or feta, etc), acid (add vinegar/lemon juice), sugar (add BBQ sauce, syrup, chutney), herbs, [or] spices (add hot sauce).” Credit:u/Odd_Cress_2898Related...17 Of The Best Free Internet Recipes Home Cooks Swear By9 Cooking Hacks People Say Are Actually A Waste Of TimeCooking Oil Can Make Or Break Your Dish, Here s How To Pick The Right One

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