# Your (secret) Ingredient? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523 "2008-02-28T16:51:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/1 "2008-02-28T16:51:53Z")
I’m no chef. I can barely make ice. But yesterday I made some Mac + Cheese and added a hit of Chili Powder. It was Mac + Cheese times awesome! What weird or secret ingredient do you add to ordinary dishes to make them taste like magical rainbows? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/2 "2008-02-28T17:10:29Z")
Glace, primarily Veal. I sometimes make my own, but mostly buy it frozen from [here](http://www.bonewerksculinarte.com/). A little glace goes a long way. Want a nice sauce for that steak? Deglaze your pan with a little red wine, throw in a block o’ glace and a bit of mustard. Yum Yum. Want to brighten up soups and stews? Glace. Fish? Poach it in a little fish glace. Oh, and butter, too. Butter is the other secret ingredient. Everything is better with butter. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/3 "2008-02-28T17:17:08Z")
Toasted sesame seeds and dark sesame oil makes all sorts of things taste better. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/4 "2008-02-28T17:19:18Z")
“You might say the secret ingredient is salt.” - Marge Simpson Oddly, the second time in two days I’ve been able to use that line. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/5 "2008-02-28T17:23:27Z")
I used to put a dash of nutmeg in my breading for fried stuff (chicken, venison, pork chop, etc.). I haven’t made anything like that in ages, tho. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/6 "2008-02-28T17:27:48Z")
Cilantro. Fresh (not dried), chopped cilantro. Especially in anything with chicken or beef. Take some ground beef (or black beans if you’re doing a vegetarian dish), fry it in some oil with onions and cilantro, stir in a squirt of ketchup and then drop that bomb on top of your Mac and Cheese with chili powder. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/7 "2008-02-28T17:28:01Z")
Summer savory. It’s best with beef, but I’ve found that a touch of savory improves nearly any meat dish. It probably improves most vegetable dishes, too, but since I prefer my veggies raw, I couldn’t really say. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/8 "2008-02-28T17:29:16Z")
Maple syrup (_real_ syrup, not Log Cabin) works in a vast array of foodstuffs. I don’t overuse it, but replacing a bit of the sugar in a concoction or adding a hint to savory or other wonders adds a charm that, if done with a light enough hand, is generally magnificent yet remains unplaceble. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/9 "2008-02-28T17:31:30Z")
Subtle tweaking of sugar and acid can often drastically improve a dish. I make a simple caramel sauce by cooking sugar until light brown and then adding just enough water for it to flow nicely. I also use Citric acid to add just a bit of brightness as well. At the levels you add it, I can’t tell much of a difference between citric acid and lemon juice and getting just a tablespoon of lemon juice can often be inconvenient so the powdered form works great for me. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/10 "2008-02-28T17:38:31Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] “You might say the secret ingredient is salt.” - Marge Simpson Oddly, the second time in two days I’ve been able to use that line. [/QUOTE] I’ll second that. Salt is without a doubt my secret ingredient. A lot of people would be very surprised at just how much salt goes into the food at their favorite restaurants. Actually, I keep a ramekin of a salt & pepper mix (about a 2 to 1 ratio) handy for seasoning most everything. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/11 "2008-02-28T17:40:12Z")
Mine is my meatloaf topping. Mostly molasses. Really really good. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/12 "2008-02-28T17:41:46Z")
Sour cream (or plain yogurt) in brownies. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/13 "2008-02-28T17:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] Cilantro. Fresh (not dried), chopped cilantro. Especially in anything with chicken or beef. Take some ground beef (or black beans if you’re doing a vegetarian dish), fry it in some oil with onions and cilantro, stir in a squirt of ketchup and then drop that bomb on top of your Mac and Cheese with chili powder. [/QUOTE] Holy shit, I’m so going to do this!!! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/14 "2008-02-28T17:54:50Z")
I’m getting very hungry here. I am no stranger to salt. It’s what makes a potato taste like a potato. And makes pasta editable. It turns corn into love, and french fries into art. But I wouldn’t call that a (secret) ingredient. Most people know when salt has been used, and it’s so essential to cooking, I just assume it’s in everything. Also, is Summer Savory the same thing as MSG? 'Cuz, I lurve MSG. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/15 "2008-02-28T17:58:11Z")
Never tried the chili powder in Mac n Cheese, but always add a few shakes of Tapatio. Mmm mmm good. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/16 "2008-02-28T18:01:19Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Never tried the chili powder in Mac n Cheese, but always add a few shakes of Tapatio. Mmm mmm good. [/QUOTE] Mmmm. Chili powder in one hand, hot sauce in the other… now put yer hands together. Mac + Cheese has just been nuked from orbit. . ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/17 "2008-02-28T18:06:26Z")
Garlic powder, or, if it’s a fancy dinner, roasted garlic, mushed up nicely. I mixed in about two heads worth of roasted garlic in with my mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, along with white pepper (no unsightly black specks for me!) and voila! No leftovers. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/18 "2008-02-28T18:08:57Z")
Pork… My mother used to make this fish dish that everyone loved… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/19 "2008-02-28T18:14:41Z")
Penzey’s spice blends - the Parisian Bonnes Herbes and the Tuscan Sunset in particular - can perk up nearly any bland dish. I often add them to frozen vegetables and it makes a huge difference without adding extra fat and calories like butter. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523/20 "2008-02-28T18:21:40Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] Also, is Summer Savory the same thing as MSG? 'Cuz, I lurve MSG. [/QUOTE] Nope (thank Og). [Summer savory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_savory) is an herb, _Satureja hortensis_. Winter savory (_Satureja montana_) is similar in flavor, but less sweet and more pungent. I prefer the subtlety of summer savory, but I will use winter savory in a pinch. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-secret-ingredient/439523.md?page=2)