9 Cheap Ingredients Home Cooks Say Instantly Makes Food Better

Maybe you add a touch of baking powder to your tomato sauce to counterbalance the acidity, or perhaps you whack some cream in your bolognese (a la Mary Berry) for a smooth, velvety finish. You might dust roast spuds and parsnips in semolina for a satisfying crunch, too. But even though I write a lot about sneaky secret ingredients, I’m always on the lookout for more – especially if they don’t cost much. That’s why I was so excited to read the responses to an r/cookingforbeginners post shared by u/BlastarBanshee.“What’s the one cheap ingredient that instantly makes everything taste better?” they asked. Here are some of the best responses: 1) “Celery salt.” Credit:u/ShopEmpress“This is... under-appreciated,” u/Barneyboydog agreed.“It’s a game-changer on fried eggs.” 2) “MSG.” Credit:u/glumpoodle“I just ordered a thing of MSG... and holy shit. It’s actually got less sodium by volume than any salt I own, and the flavour is just mind-blowing,” u/alek_hiddel replied.3) “A couple of tablespoons of lemon juice, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar in a stew.” Credit:u/Cold-Call-8374“Yep… a splash (or two) of sherry vinegar at the end of a stew takes it to another level. I learned this trick a few years ago, and now I always have sherry vinegar on hand,” replied u/Dense_Willow4627. 4) “Smoked paprika.” ″[It offers] the simple ability to add the flavour of open fire cooking back into the food we eat.” Credit: u/STS986“Every time I taste something new and go, ‘oh that’s good!’, I look up [its] ingredients and it’s almost always [got] paprika,” u/Rogerbva090566 responded.5) “As a Balkan [person], only Vegeta is allowed as an answer.” Credit:u/niki2907“As a non-Balkan… this stuff is the shit,” said u/MuddyHandprints. 6) “A little yeast extract like Marmite is an awesome flavour boost for braised meat dishes, especially beef.” Credit: u/bullsbarry7) “Salted butter in chocolate chip cookies.” Credit: u/Cold-Call-83748) “If I’m making something that’s tomato-based, I’ll almost always add a good squirt of ketchup at the end.” Credit:u/Untouchable-Ninja9) ” An anchovy... or some dried mushrooms.” “Basically, you know, MSG in a more natural state.” Credit:u/BikeTough6760Related...5 Fast Healthy(ish) Dinners I Can Actually Be Bothered To Cook On WeeknightsPeople Are Sharing Their Go-To Dinners When They CBA To Cook17 Of The Best Free Internet Recipes Home Cooks Swear By

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