Magic Ingredients
 

When youre cooking, throwing it together, you slowly learn that some ingredients are just magical. They will make whatever youre creating better.
And you also learn that its good to keep this stuff on hand or nearly so.

I give you Sesame Oil. Fragrant, wonderful. A few drops in a pot of standard rice- heaven. A few drops in tuna salad, holy cow. drizzled on steamed asparagus, well geeze.

What magic ingredients have you discovered?

Ground Cumin Seed.
Saffron.
Duck Sauce.
Of course never forget CHOCOLATE. Even if everything you make becomes a disaster, chocolate will make everything OK again.;)

Basil, garlic, and lemon can save lottsa chicken mistakes from the dog dish. Many rice based errors can be turned under with a cover crop of cumin, corriander, and butter.

Bacon. Every food is improved with the introduction of bacon.

It's so true! Vegetarians have no idea what they're missing. Bacon and Cheerios is one of my favorite foods.

Growing up, my brother wouldnt eat a BLT he would only eat a BM.(bacon and mayo) and of course it made us all chuckle.

Eeew!

Do you mean mutton?:D

Magic mutton. That's certainly some magic mutton, Mrs. Jones.

Tabasco--the spice of the gods.

Balsamic vinegar. oooh.

Jack Daniels.

Marinade, Sauce-zester, and great for washing down pretty much anything you make. Meat, Chicken, Fish ... good for all. :)

one for the steak, one for the wolf, repeat

Cinnamon
 

Cinnamon is underused in savory cooking. A touch of cinnamon adds that little extra something to chili. I know some people who just a little (tiny) bit in spaghetti sauce.

Also, the best place around here to get spinach pie is Emily's Lebanese Deli. I've noticed a hint of cinnamon in their spinach pie. It seems an odd combination when I think of it, but it sure is good.

Minnesota represent!

I agree about cinnamon. Ever try Gardens of Salonica's mousaka? hoooyaah.

Cheese.

I could eat old shoe leather if it was drizzled with cheese.

Garlic.

Garlic with onion.

Garlic with Jalapeno.

Garlic with onion and Jalapeno.

Garlic with onion while Jalapeno takes pictures.

Original Bagel in Broomall will put any 'seed' on a bagel if you request it. That means you can put sesame seeds on an onion bagel if you want. They already made jalapeno bagels. I thought about jalapeno and onion for a Mexican/South American. Then I considered jalapeno and garlic for an Oriental Scehzuan/Hunan flavor. In the end I just went for it all and had them create the JOG bagel. Jalapeno-Onion-Garlic.

Eat one of these in the morning and you will remember it the whole day. Tired of your lox overwhelming your bagel? Not anymore. Best with melted cheddar, it will overpower any spread or lunchmeat.

This would not be possible without Garlic.

Mmmm, Mousaka. I better try some of that. :3eye:

San-J reduced sodium Tamari soy sauce. I hardly ever use salt anymore, just this because it adds and enhances flavor.

Mushrooms. Wild if possible, portabellos or shitakes if wild are not available.

cayenne pepper -- spice up your life!
*crickets*
I throw cayenne on just about every non-breakfast meal I eat. I like it when my food makes me sweat.

I had some grilled corn on the cob last night with butter, salt and dash of cayenne. YAH!