I use a lot of vermouth actually. Obviously it's a fortified wine and so therefore it has a lot of flavor. When I'm doing pastas, for example, I'm using white vermouth sometimes. If I'm doing a seafood pasta with clams, it's amazing. People are like, 'What's that flavor in there?'
The word 'allium' is the name of a group of vegetables including garlic, onions, chives, leeks and others that are botanically related. Because of the myriad ways they influence flavor, in states ranging from raw to cooked (even burnt), they're culinarily related too.
Italian cuisine is among the most famous in the world, and for good reason. Iconic dishes like pizza and pasta are fan favorites no matter where you are in the world. And these two categories of Italian food in particular showcase the most classic Italian sauce, red sauce. Red sauce can be a stewed tomato sauce or a simple marinara sauce. While traditional recipes uphold strict standards that ban certain ingredients, an unconventional yet gourmet upgrade to Italian tomato sauces is balsamic vinegar.
Few low-prep dishes satisfy and delight on busy weeknights like one-pot pastas, and one of the best ingredients to take your pasta dishes to the next level is vegetable broth. Boiling dry pasta directly in vegetable broth instead of water imparts bolder flavor as the pasta soaks it up. Plus, you'll end up with a pot full of starchy cooking liquid from the boiled pasta, which can provide a solid base for building a pan sauce.
Pasta and peas was one of the staple meals my mom made for us growing up. We probably had it at least once a week. She learned the recipe from my grandma Tina, and it was a simple, inexpensive dish to throw together-just pasta and frozen peas cooked with a bit of chicken broth and aromatics topped with grated parm.
You have endless options when it comes to salad dressing. If you're not a fan of store-bought dressings, it's easy enough to make your own. With just oil and an acid as a base, the sky's the limit for what else can be done. But you can also go back a step if you want to really expand your salad dressing repertoire.
Don't be intimidated by fresh mushrooms. They are prized for their flavor and versatility. Look for firm mushrooms that are free of soft spots or mold. Wash them just before using them but be sure to store them unwashed. Never submerge in water to wash them because mushrooms absorb like a sponge and become mushy. Wipe with moist paper towels. Some prefer to clean them with a soft-bristled mushroom brush. If extremely dirty, they can be very briefly dunked into cold water and wiped dry.
Red wine and beef have gone together for ages. The tannins in red wine bind with the fat in beef in a way that enhances the flavor of each. It's subtle, but it brings a smoothness and complexity that neither has on its own. Your beef will not feel as fatty on your palate, but it still has a rich taste thanks to the wine's astringency.
Ramen, as well as instant ramen, holds a universal appeal, which is thanks to its ability to be both familiar and versatile. Some of the best ramen noodle recipes are the ones you know by heart, while others you come up with on the spur of the moment with whatever's in the kitchen. Unconventional as it may sound, even marinara sauce can be used to put together a bowl of ramen, and a good one at that.
