It's A Secret

        

A few weeks ago Jenny wrote about secret ingredients in cooking.  As I read through her post, I immediately thought about the little things I use in my cooking that might surprise those who are eating my meal.  Don’t be confused, though. I'm not talking about hiding foods here.  Secret ingredients aren't the ones we don't want our kids to know about. This isn't about the puréed soup that might have onions in it, or the muffins made with mashed squash.  This is about the wonder ingredient you use to make your particular dish taste just that much better.

Here’s mine: when I make a Bolognese for pasta, I always, always simmer a cinnamon stick or two in the pot for a least an hour or so.  No one ever guesses what I've used, but they almost always ask.  It's the most requested meal by kid's friends, and whenever they come over to eat I'm usually told that the house smells like apple pie.

Now it's your turn.  What's the one thing you do to your meals that you keep under wraps?

 

Comments

[Mama B]

I add dried mint to my pasta sauce, and cocoa powder to my chili. Neither are obvious, but both really elevate the flavours.

[Susan]

My sister uses maple syrup as a sweetener in vinaigrettes (delicious!) and lemon extract in hot chocolate. No one can place what it is; they just know it tastes great. I sometimes add pumpkin puree to chili.

[Paula]

Angustura Bitters...I add it to almost everything I cook.