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Sometimes, a dish is just one ingredient away from perfection. Just ask your grandma – she probably honed the perfect family recipe for years before discovering the one thing that took it from delicious to heavenly scrumptious.

Yet not all things that we eat have to have such a rich history. Sometimes, we might just want to make that cup of hot cocoa taste a little bit better. We here at Bored Panda are foodies, too, so we’ve compiled a list of the best cooking hacks that rely on one secret ingredient. Want to know how you can improve your cooking game by adding just one thing? Scroll down and find out!

To know more about cooking tips and tricks and their importance in the kitchen, Bored Panda reached out to a chef from Toronto, Eugene Wong, aka The Euge Food. He shared his kitchen secrets and gave some advice to those who feel uninspired in their cooking journey lately.

More info: The Euge Food | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | X | Facebook

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Adding salt to hot chocolate. It doesn't make it salty at all, but it makes it somehow more chocolatey. Everyone always says my hot chocolate is the best, but I just use prepackaged with milk and a dash of salt!

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In this day and age, we want everything to be faster, easier, and more seamless. That goes for cooking, too. We like looking for cooking tips and tricks to reduce the time spent in the kitchen. We want that one secret ingredient to elevate the whole dish with just one small pinch. But is that actually viable? Should we be looking for shortcuts if we want hearty, delicious food?

"I believe that cooking hacks and tricks truly have merit if they provide real value," chef Eugene Wong tells Bored Panda. "They should help the cook save time and energy while also enhancing the end product in terms of flavor and overall culinary experience."

Eugene observes that a lot of content on social media platforms focuses on quick and easily digestible tips and tricks. "The problem is that creators are trying too hard to come up with a 'hack' for the sake of views and likes and not so much helping the person cooking."

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#2

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste What's the secret ingredient you add to tomato sauce?  Pureed carrot if I'm trying to cut the acidity without sugar.

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#3

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Adding a splash of orange juice to pumpkin or banana bread. The acidity really adds some brightness against the spices.

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kelsischloe1986
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mmm! I can smell it through the phone. Lol! Such it is an amazing smell. :)

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However, Eugene still has some must-haves he would recommend for every home cook. As far as ingredients go, for him, it's garlic. But where essential kitchen tools are concerned, Wong names his trusty knife. "My tool of choice is the petty knife – a Japanese utility knife that is larger than a paring knife but smaller than a chef's knife. It's versatile, and I use it for 90% of my knife tasks."

Cooking for yourself at home every night can be exhausting. It's natural to lose inspiration and opt for takeout or some simple microwavable food once in a while. "Feeling uninspired often means you might be bored or too tired to cook, or perhaps, [you] lack the energy to try a new recipe," Eugene says.

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#4

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste MSG powder: a sprinkling can really elevate a dish. But people can be so afraid of it because they've been fed misinformation about its health effects. So unless a guest specifically mentions an allergy, I'll keep adding MSG to my food without telling anyone.

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Kyra Heiker
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

MSG occurs naturally in many foods that people eat without a problem because they don't know that it's in there. One of the biggest brainwashing successes ever.

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#5

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Substitute some of the liquid in Belgian waffles with seltzer or some other benign-flavored carbonated beverage (like ginger ale). Result: super airy, fluffy waffles.

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#6

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste When water is called for in a recipe, I use chicken broth instead. It has never not been way better.

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His solution to getting rid of the cooking block might surprise you. "I strongly recommend visiting a nursery and immersing yourself in the scents of fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, and parsley," he tells Bored Panda. 

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"This can reinvigorate your sense of smell and spark ideas for ingredients and dishes that pair well with fresh herbs. It is not the same as trying to smell herbs at the grocery store that are in packets – you need the smell of the plants in the soil."
#7

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Baking powder on your chicken skin for extra crispness.

dalore , Angela Bailey / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been doing this for years and everyone thinks I'm some kind of psychopath because of it.

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#8

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Lemon zest in garlic butter, specifically for garlic bread. It's an absolute game changer, even just a little bit.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm trying to think of something I wouldn't put lemon zest in. Coffee maybe.

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#9

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I add instant mashed potatoes to soup to thicken it up if it turns out too thin.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add a couple of spoons of cornflour - it’s a natural thickening agent !

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#10

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Espresso powder when baking with chocolate. It intensifies the chocolate flavor.

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John Bababuie
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

not just that, it also gives it that horrific coffee flavour

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#11

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I worked at Jimmy John's for a while and they had us use a little soy sauce in the tuna salad. I've been making it that way ever since (10 years)

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#12

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I keep parmesan rinds in my freezer for stock, sauces, and stews. I just throw it in after everything else to simmer. It makes a remarkable difference especially in tomato sauces.

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Megan Curl
Megan Curl
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Soups! Like minestrone or vegetable. Just make sure people know because it contains animal rennet.

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#13

Cook your rice in broth instead of plain water. Total game changer.

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Salty.Hag
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is true, I use half water half broth because of all of the other spices I use to season it.

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#14

When you're making mashed potatoes boil garlic cloves with the potatoes.

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#15

Nutmeg in white sauces or soups.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's good in almost any cheese sauce made with like a cheddar type cheese

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#16

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Friend of mine taught me to put herb and garlic cream cheese in my mashed potatoes. Tried dill pickle on my own and if you’ve never had dill pickle mashed you are in for a treat

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never thought of that - sounds delicious! Going to try this very soon

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#17

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I’ve replaced salt in 75% of my cooking with mushroom extract powder from the Asian market, it still seasons but bumps the umami.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with someone bumping my umami.

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Upil
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wife told me this a long time ago, still never do it since the price of mushroom powder is way more expensive than salt. At least here where i live ...

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LB
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It think it's because of the MSG that's in there. At least, that's basically what yeast extract is (source: a friend is mildly allergic to MSG and can't eat a lot of these extract things either)

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A staple in my pantry - use it in ground meats, stews, tacos, gravy, and especially vegetarian dishes

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#18

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Try putting a decent amount of butter in a red sauce. It will taste twice as good and no one will be able to guess the secret.

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#19

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I use olive brine/pickle brine to add flavour to a lot of dishes like casseroles, stews, etc. It adds a nice depth of flavour

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Megan Curl
Megan Curl
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sweet gherkin brine is really great in deviled eggs, potato salads, pasta salad and Cole slaw (the U.S. versions).

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#20

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I save all the scraps of my vegetables — onions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots, celery, herb stems, tomatoes, mushrooms — and collect them in a freezer bag and when it’s full I turn it into stock and then use that stock to replace the water while cooking rice, quinoa, lentils, etc.

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#21

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I add sour cream to my boxed Mac n cheese. Makes it creamier and so rich.

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#22

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste If a cake recipe calls for milk and eggs; a can of 7-Up (soda) works equally well. The cake is extra moist and light.

My friend introduced it to me as Newfie Cake. All you need is one box of Betty Crocker (or similar alternatives) and instead of eggs and milk, one can of 7-Up. I HAVE used it in a brownie and muffin mix, and have had good success.

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Traci Thomas
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is everyone so close-minded? I have made many of these and it is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! Screenshot...85daed.png Screenshot-710-6626b7b85daed.png

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#23

Worked In a very high end restaurant that locally became quite well known for its cheesecake. It was just cream cheese and marshmallow fluff blended together and put in store bought graham cracker crust.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In prison we made cheesecake with creamer. Some of the women made it so well that you couldn't tell it wasn't real.

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#24

I never tried mixing butter and soy sauce in the same dish until I was in my late twenties, but once I tried it, it quickly became one of my favorite flavor combinations. It's excellent in just about any savory dish. It works especially well with mushrooms.

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Angela C
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Butter and soy sauce on popcorn. So much better than using regular table salt. Sometimes I'll add Cajun seasoning if I want a little heat.

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#25

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste I've recently discovered the wonderful world of anchovies! I've been adding them to nearly all of my savory dishes. Really takes the complexity up a notch by incorporating an umami-ness. My family doesn't know, cause if they did they wouldn't eat it. When I can't find the jarred ones, I settle for the paste. I'll usually add it when sautéing my garlic in butter. Unless you're allergic, you should give it a try!

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was hesitant when my friends kept singing the praises of anchovies, but then I tried the paste.... wow, what a umami bomb!!!!

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#26

You have to brown the butter, no one ever takes the time to brown the butter.

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Connie Wade
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always brown the butter! For cookies, on vegetables, poured over a steak. Takes the flavor to a new level.

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#27

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste What is your favorite seasoning for popcorn?  Kraft Mac & Cheese packets.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nutritional Yeast flakes (if I'm not going with 3 - 4 TBS melted butter)

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#28

A tiny amount of tarragon in fries (frozen or homemade), not enough that you get flecks of green on every fry, just a bit enough to get the aroma but people usually have a hard time wondering why the fries taste so good.

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Kate Jones
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Speaking of fries, tartar sauce instead of ketchup. So freaking good.

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#29

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Jello vanilla pudding powder substitutes half of my sugar in cookies! It keeps them super soft for days and gives them almost a cake interior.

Life_On_the_Nickle , https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-cookies-on-round-brown-bowl-kID9sxbJ3BQ / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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#30

“No One Will Be Able To Guess The Secret”: 30 Best Secret Ingredients That Elevate A Dish’s Taste Adding mayonnaise to eggs when scrambled, omelet, or quiche. It increases their volume and makes them light and fluffy.

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Pascale Laurent
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

mayonnaise is very high in calories, milk does the job very well

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#31

I add marmite to dishes to add umami and salt.

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#32

Dissolve your cinnamon in vanilla before adding eggs and milk to your batter for French toast. The cinnamon will incorporate so much better instead if just sitting on top of the mixture.

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Helena
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have never liked vanilla in my french toast. I find it dulls the cinnamon.

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#33

I use flavored coffee creamer (usually Hazelnut, but sometimes French Vanilla) in the egg batter when making French Toast.

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#34

Save and freeze bacon grease then use it to cook a variety of foods. Popcorn is one of those foods.

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Megan Curl
Megan Curl
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This has been common is the U.S. South for a very long time. Collards, southern green beans, etc. It also makes bangin’ home fries.

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#35

Mustard and mustard powder. Adds complexity to lots of dishes where you wouldn’t expect it

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's perhaps worth pointing out that in most of the world (i.e. outside the US) mustard is hot and not sweet. Colman's English mustard will blow your head off if you're not used to it, for example, and should only be used sparingly in cooking.

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#36

Cocoa powder for tomato sauces and chilis. Wooster for virtually any stew or soup. Soy sauce for hamburger meat. Red vinegar on boiled greens, from spinach to turnip greens.

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Poppy
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wooster!! lol its Worcestershire sauce. I use it in minced beef dishes like bolognese or cottage pie. I also use it in chilli

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#37

A splash of vinegar in the water to boil potatoes for either potato salad or for roasting after boiling.

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#38

When I bake, I grease my pans, but instead of using flour to coat it, I use granulated sugar. It makes the edges sweet and crunchy, and saves me from needing to use icing or frosting.

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Vonny
Vonny
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And when baking chocolate cake/brownies etc. sprinkle cocoa, instead of flour, onto greased pans, then add the batter. Doesn't effect the taste.

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#39

Adding a little cornstarch when I’m whisking eggs for scrambling. Makes them super fluffy.

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#40

Bay leaf in lots of soup and sauces. It’s not an in-your-face difference, but if it’s not there something will feel like it’s missing.

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Vonny
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving, there are some folks who don't know what bay leaves are. They're a flavorful addition, but are a choking hazard.

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#41

If your soup/stew is too salty, a splash of vinegar usually balances it out.

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Vonny
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or add a cut up potato. That's always worked for us. Just a piece of potato will soak up or draw up the salt from the soup/stew.

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#42

Balsamic vinegar. A little bit in or on literally anything will improve it. It's most reliable for soups and sauces, though

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Tessana Nemenski
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

will 1000% agree with this. Esp w/tomatoes (mmmm. tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella and onion and some balsamic is *chefs kiss*

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#43

Nutmeg in mac and cheese. Molasses in chile. Dash of acid in anything rich (not a secret but it feels like one!)

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#44

Thai fish sauce whenever I am making anything and need to add umami.. I also use it in rubs for roasts or brisket because it adds a flavour similar to dry aging.

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Illifred
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Smells like an eutophicated duck pond, but oooohhhh the taste!!!

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#45

Toll House recipe, use Kerrygold salted butter, and add toffee bits (heath brand "bits o brickle" in US stores) as the final secret ingredient. The nutty toffee adds the most amazing flavor, and no one can ever guess where it comes from, even if they spot the Toll House recipe.

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Trisec Tebeakesse
Trisec Tebeakesse
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, then it's automatically not a Toll House cookie. That's a toffee cookie. Says the Panda from Massachusetts - where said cookies were invented.

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#46

Place an ice cube on the dish you are microwaving to add moisture while reheating. The ice won’t melt but it will steam your food (especially useful for rice)

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#47

Adding a touch of baking soda to grits or polenta cuts the cooking time in half.

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#48

My mashed potato gravy is butter, flour, water and a Ramen packet. Usually beef, chicken, or creamy chicken depending on the protein.

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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Be careful with ramen packets, at least in the U.S. There's tons of sodium in most of them.

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#49

Never use chicken breasts and always substitute chicken thighs. Seriously, they’re a little fattier sure but make chicken dishes taste amazing vs average.

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Angela C
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mostly use chicken thighs but was cooking breast fillets recently and I forgot how much work it is to make chicken breasts taste good. Thighs... It takes like no effort at all

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#50

Duck fat. Crazy delicious to cook potatoes, peas, mushroom with it. I even use it to cook fried eggs etc. You can use it in combination with other high smoke point oils as well to give it another dimensions while deep frying.

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#51

Egyptian falafel are made with fava beans, which makes tastier, crispier and lighter falafel than chickpeas

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#52

If I cook anything that requires breadcrumbs, I use chicken flavored StoveTop stuffing. I also use them as mini croutons in my salad.

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#53

When making banana bread, I use overripe bananas. Nothing unusual, right? Nope. But what takes it to the next level is I first freeze the bananas—for days, for weeks— and then thaw when it's time to bake. I read somewhere that freezing bananas make them sweeter.

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Panda Boi
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And make sure to use the liquid that comes of the bananas.

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#54

Shallots shallots shallots. They elevate any dish and take olive oil based pasta sauces to a whole new level.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Naah, different onions have different flavours. Shallots are great in some dishes, not so good in others.

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#55

Grate a piece of toast if you're out of breadcrumbs.

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So you're telling me breadcrumbs are crumbs made of bread? Did not see that coming...

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#56

I learned to use Sodium Citrate to make a cheese sauce. It lets the milk and cheese mix together smoothly, basically producing homemade Velveeta. It’s revolutionized my mac n cheese game

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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sodium citrates are used as acidity regulators in food and drinks, and also as emulsifiers for oils. They enable cheeses to melt without becoming greasy. It reduces the acidity of food as well. It is generally considered safe and is considered GRAS by the FDA.

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#57

Funny enough, but I love to add some kind of dark syrup, whether that be malt syrup or maple. I think sweetness is really underrated in a lot of cooking. I often add just a touch, but it can be a real level-upper to a lot of dishes.

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#58

Toss noodles in toasted sesame oil after they’ve drained. Takes them to another level.

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#59

Whenever I need to caramelize onions I always add water to the pan and cover with a lid to steam the onions first. Eventually the water cooks off and you're left with very soft onions which saves you like 20 minutes for a big batch.

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7 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should look up "caramelisation". It is totally different from what you're doing.

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#60

I put extra egg yolks in my scrambled eggs. So if I am making eggs for two people I may use four whole eggs and add two egg yolks.

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#61

Replace your ricotta with béchamel in your lasagna.

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Ace
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You mean... make it like it's supposed to be made?

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#62

Miso in everything.

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