Fun Time! What secret ingredient do you add to typical dishes/recipes?

Parent Cafe
21

<p>Any kind of meat/vegetable/bean soup with tomatoes…I add raisins (instead of sugar)…interesting taste and it cuts the bitterness.</p>

22

<p>Cocoa powder in chili recipes. 6 in 1 tomatoes in puree for pasta sauce.</p>

23

<p>I got my zahtar at the Fairway Market - small chain in the NYC area.</p>

<p>Penzey’s sells spices in the Market at Grand Central Station in NYC. They have cinnamon from a bunch of countries (I put a different variety in each stocking at Christmas.) <a href=“http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscinnamon.html[/url]”>http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscinnamon.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

24

<p>6 in 1 tomatoes in puree for pasta sauce.</p>

<p>What is that?</p>

25

<p>I don’t have one secret ingredient, because I like things to taste different, but I do rotate cayenne, saffron, turmeric, sesame oil, and a few other characteristic spices to jazz up dinner. I hate the umami taste and I am a spice snob: I never buy the mixes. My dream is a mortar and pestle…</p>

26

<p>moonchild/roshke: Penzey’s YES! Of course I don’t have one any where near me, but the mail order is great. They’ve got wonderful spices! Sopranomom92: your cocoa powder in chili reminds me of Cincinnati Chili (ala Skyline) recipes, as they’re rumored to also have cocoa or some type of chocolate.</p>

27

<p>A shot of lemon juice or cider vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar – this improves tons of savory dishes.</p>

<p>I put a bottle of beer in my chili.</p>

28

<p>I add a teaspoon of sugar to spaghetti sauce. It cuts the acidity and brings out the flavors.</p>

<p>I like to add orange liqueur (triple sec) to turkey drippings to make gravy. </p>

<p>Mix Heinz 57 chili sauce 50/50 with any brand of barbecue sauce, add re-hydrated instant minced onions and some brown sugar to taste. It makes a chunky BBQ sauce that is delicious on just about any kind of meat.</p>

29

<p>My Cinncinatti chili recipe doesn’t have cocoa. (The spicing is chili pepper, cinnamon, allspice (tons!!), and bay leaves. I’d say the surprise ingredient in it is 2 Tb a vinegar. I haven’t made it in years since dh won’t eat spaghetti, but may be I could serve it “3 ways” minus the spaghetti.</p>

<p>I see cocoa in lots of the online recipies so maybe I should add some. My recipe came from firemen in Cinnicinatti.</p>

30

<p>I’ve been making lots of bean/lentil soups lately; given all the snow days–what’s better? I recently used a recipe that called for finishing the soup with 2T of sherry vinegar. I loved it and so did my H. I’ve used the sherry in other soups and it’s been great. It adds a nice flavor.</p>

31

<p>Brown sugar in my chili.
Good organic yogurt in my biscuits, cornbread, and pancakes.</p>

32

<p>Cardamom! Ok, not really but it seems to be in everything these days!
[What’s</a> with Cardamom? - Home Cooking - Chowhound](<a href=“http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/732378]What’s”>http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/732378)</p>

<p>And anchovies. Or fish sauce, but that’s pretty stinky and gives it away.</p>

33

<p>6 in 1 is a brand of canned tomatoes. I find it here in our local Little Italy. It tastes WAY better than any other brand. </p>

<p>[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.escalon.net/6in1.aspx]Escalon[/url”&gt;http://www.escalon.net/6in1.aspx]Escalon[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Also, regarding sugar in tomato sauce: equal parts sugar and salt, though if you use sea salt, then use slightly less salt than sugar.</p>

<p>One more: fennel seed in meatballs.</p>

34

<p>I add bittersweet chocolate to chili.</p>

35

<p>Really, ACM? How much?
I have a big pot of chili on the stove right now.</p>

36

<p>I’d start with an ounce an taste it!</p>

37

<p>a bit of sugar in tomato sauces
a little bit of current jelly in roast pork gravy
dry sherry just before serving pea soup
layering herbs: 3/4 or so during a long cook; the rest in the last 15 minutes or so
chicken stock (!), V8, and red wine in beef stew
sauteed shallots in anything that could work
layering sauteed onions, shallots, and garlic in savory dishes
deglazing red meat sauces with white wine
deglazing chicken and mushrooms with vodka and tarragon (yum!)
Speaking of vodka, check out the pastry recipes that substitute vodka for some of the water. it really works!
lemon and orange zest: orange zest and cinnamon in blueberry cobbler. I use lemon zest in all sorts of things but can’t think of a single one at this moment.
Kosher salt: despite the news story tonight about drastically reducing sodium, a judicious sprinkling of kosher or sea salt gives another dimension to many dishes
Enough for the moment, I’m sure. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I’ll have to pay attention as I cook and come back! This has has been fun.</p>

38

<p>Green chile in almost everything. Corn chowder, chicken soup, meatloaf, scrambled eggs & omelets, beef or chicken stew, pizza, dinner rolls, eggrolls, fried rice, stir fry, quesadillas, cheese dip/balls, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac &cheese. It’s a New Mexico thing. </p>

<p>Nutmeg (freshly ground) in steamed spinach.</p>

<p>Coffee or espresso in chocolate baked goods.</p>

<p>Fresh fennel (the bulb, not seeds) in marinara</p>

39

<p>Old Bay, which is typically a crab or shrimp seasoning blend. Good on chicken, pop corn, french fries, corn on the cob, in bloody mary’s. I like it so much I’ve put it on vanilla ice cream - I am hard core.</p>

40

<p>Our local gourmet shop is selling artisnal ice cream, fig and goat cheese, salty caramel for example.</p>