# Your Secret Ingredient **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541 "2005-05-26T01:58:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/1 "2005-05-26T01:58:18Z")
Every self modeled chef / chief cook / grand vizeer of the grill has one when they cook something particular. What’s yours? No recipes, just secret ingredients. What good is the secret if you tell us what you make and your secret ingredient? Mine’s vanilla extract. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/2 "2005-05-26T02:04:30Z")
Rosemary. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/3 "2005-05-26T02:05:08Z")
Sesame oil. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/4 "2005-05-26T02:06:17Z")
Vegemite. It adds a bit of extra taste to soups and sauces. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/5 "2005-05-26T02:06:49Z")
Actually an important item in a family recipe: crystallized dates. Also, pumpkin pie seasoning and coriander. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/6 "2005-05-26T02:07:09Z")
What’s good about secrets? What’s good is knowing them! Vanilla extract is not a secret. Tell us what your secret ingredient is an ingredient in. We don’t keep knowledge secret here; we share it. I demand that you tell us what you put vanilla extract in! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/7 "2005-05-26T02:12:57Z")
lemon juice - in any cream of something soup, or casserole containing a cream base. It just perks it up and gives it a lively flavor - but not enough so that it tastes lemoney. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/8 "2005-05-26T02:16:42Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Vegemite. Good gad. Mine is garlic in the mashed potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/9 "2005-05-26T02:26:06Z")
One word: Plastics. Seriously, it’s McCormick’s 1 Step Lemon Herb spice. Put in on almost anything, it’s better. Chicken, fish, veggies, preferably cooked on the grill, rubbed on with a little olive oil. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/10 "2005-05-26T02:36:59Z")
Sushi vinegar, goes with almost _everything_ ---
**Author:** ![Dragoness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@Dragoness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragoness)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/11 "2005-05-26T03:12:29Z")
My grandmother recently suggested putting orange juice in the eggs when making French toast. It was good. Raspberry syrup in hot chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/12 "2005-05-26T03:14:37Z")
substituting cadbury cream eggs for chicken eggs. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/13 "2005-05-26T03:34:06Z")
> [@bdgr](#): > > substituting cadbury cream eggs for chicken eggs. 'scuse me, I’m sick, 'scuse me. I’m sick… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/14 "2005-05-26T03:35:48Z")
Mustard Yes, the yellow stuff French’s ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/15 "2005-05-26T03:43:16Z")
Liquid Smoke. Especially the Hickory flavor. Gives dips and gravies a real hearty flavor, and is great as a marinade on any kind of grilled meats or vegetables. For soups and stews, a dash of sage and thyme give a “savory” bouquet. (Parsley and rosemary optional). ---
**Author:** ![Bangiadore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@Bangiadore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bangiadore)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/16 "2005-05-26T04:00:48Z")
Mmmmm… Jalapeno relish in the potato salad. Crushed Wheaties in the meatloaf. _White_ balsamic vinegar in the collard greens. Goya adobo all over the chicken before it goes into the oven to bake – lots and lots of it, much more than you’d think would be okay, but it always works, and damn, that skin is crrrrrispy! Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/17 "2005-05-26T04:20:34Z")
Almond extract, in the buttercream icing I make for cake decorating. Used in just the right amount if gives a more distinctive flavor than vanilla, and it’s colorless. Even a small amount of regular vanilla takes a smidge from the whiteness of the frosting. Hard to see, unless you make a lot of it, or have both side by side, but there IS a differenc. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/18 "2005-05-26T05:17:06Z")
A small amount of molasses in pumpkin pie. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/19 "2005-05-26T05:32:45Z")
Sriracha chilli sauce. My wife is Vietnamese, and as every Vietnamese household I’ve ever set foot in has a big bottle of this stuff, I’m very familiar with it. It was only later that I found it goes great in western cooking too. It’s generally meant to be used as a condiment at the table, but using it as an ingredient adds a little lift to things such as Bolognese sauce and the like (you don’t get any chilli heat doing this, just a nice flavour). ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541/20 "2005-05-26T06:38:06Z")
Pepsi in the pot roast. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/305541.md?page=2)