5 Secret Ingredients from My Kitchen
Impress your friends but don’t tell them what you put in their food
Just because you like to cook doesn’t mean you have to break your neck doing it. When I’m making a dish for a potluck or neighborhood get-together, sometimes I make a complicated recipe. But there are occasions when I only have time to make something easy. I still want a dish that’s surprisingly good. Here are five “secret” ingredients I use at those times.
They’re not entirely secret, of course, but hard to find in many grocery stores. When I lived in Chicago, no problem. In rural North Carolina, uh…kind of a problem. I’ve included links with each ingredient name: you can read more about them or even order them. I order all these online now, since they all keep well while shipped, and it’s fast and easy.
1. Furikake
Yes, this mixture is sesame seeds, dried seaweed flakes, salt and sugar. But you haven’t tasted anything like this!
The first time I used it was in a bowl of grits, no kidding. Savory grits with shrimp. The addition of Furikake took it to a whole new level. It’s also great sprinkled on white rice and amplifies the flavor of any vegetables or meat you’ve added to it.
2. India Relish
We do have competitions in the south on who has the best deviled eggs. No one I know has just one recipe: you have to keep trying to things to top your friends. I’ve grown pickles and made my own relish, and this brand is even better than homemade. It has a different, more distinct flavor that works in deviled eggs, on hamburgers and hot dogs, or even to ramp up peppers and onions used in a dish.
I’m not exactly sure why it’s called “India” relish. It’s sweet relish mixed with cucumber, onion, cabbage and spices, almost like a southern chow-chow (minus super-sweetness or harsh tang).
3. Kewpie Mayo
This is an item I recently discovered after seeing it on America’s Test Kitchen. Kewpie Mayo is the closest thing to a rich, full mayonnaise than I’ve ever tasted. No kidding, you can slice a grocery store winter tomato and plain white bread, and it’s made delicious only by adding Kewpie Mayo. I wish this was the cheapest brand. But I don’t care. I’ll always get it. It’s that superior.
You can’t serve scrambled or poached eggs anymore without this ingredient. You will want to add it to tomato soup, beef stew, gravy, and even sauteed vegetables. This is the number one paprika of ALL paprikas. Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who try different brands, even the expensive ones. I’ll never go back to plain paprika.
I am still finding surprising ways to use this in the kitchen. I’ve even used a half-teaspoon in chocolate crunch cookies. And the best use? Add it to pimento cheese!
Yikes! Anchovies? Bear with me. The way I use this, you never taste anchovies. This was a golden nugget I got from another Southern cook who made the best soups and stews I’ve ever tasted. While that alone takes some crafting, she always added about a teaspoon of this. It’s such a small amount I can’t believe it works.
I almost didn’t believe in that term “umami,” or extra savory taste in foods. Once I had this, I believed. I am never without it.
Enjoy!
