I now (and maybe forever more) declare Tuesday tip day. For my inaugural tip day I offer three simple tips on how to improve the flavor of your cooking:
Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference in the world. I know it’s tempting when a recipe calls for lemon juice to reach for the bottle of Real Lemon or the little squeezy plastic lemon that sits in your refrigerator by the mayonnaise jar. Don’t do it. Every time you grocery shop buy one or two fresh lemons. They look pretty in a bowl on your counter, or they keep well in the refrigerator. (You might need a group of an odd number of lemons, say three or five for a countertop bowl.) Now when a recipe calls for lemon juice, you have fresh lemons on hand. The flavor is brighter and well – fresher – than the bottled stuff. BTW, a small citrus reamer works wonders for getting all the juice out and a small strainer works wonders for catching all the seeds. May seem like a bit of work, but it’s oh so worth it. Give fresh lemons a try. Don’t be a sour puss.
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
This is kind of like the lemon juice tip – same theory, different flavor. Peppercorns are sold at every grocery store and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on designer peppercorns for the flavor difference. When pepper is ground at Spice Company Far Away, the volatile oils in the peppercorns are released into the air at the factory. Your ground pepper is put in a can or jar, and shipped far, far away. By the time you use the pepper in your recipe, the flavor is dull- all the tasty pepper oils are in the factory’s ventilation system. Where you really want these oils (flavor) is in your food. So, invest in a small pepper grinder. Again, this grinder doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. I will recommend a grinder with a metal blade, though. It will grind the peppercorns better and if you look for a grinder with an adjustment to grind coarse or fine pepper you’re well on your way to seasoning everything from an ear of corn to a Filet Mignon. Next, buy a small container of whole black peppercorns. Fill your pepper grinder with the peppercorns and with nothing more then the twist of a wrist you have freshly ground black pepper every time. The flavor is brighter and well – fresher – than the canned stuff. Have I said this before? This tip is a bit more of an investment (because you have to buy the grinder) than fresh lemons. If you need to, ask for a pepper grinder for your birthday. Your family might think you’ve lost it, but I think it’s worth the risk.
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herb season is in full swing. If you want to take your cooking to the next level, use fresh herbs especially in the summertime. Basil is the queen of fresh herbs. A few sliced garden-ripe tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of salt, a grind of FRESH black pepper, and some chopped FRESH basil and you’ve fixed deliciousness on a platter. The fresh basil can’t be beat and again trust me on this one, dried basil doesn’t hold a candle to fresh. Fresh thyme, rosemary, dill, and oregano are also in full swing this time of year in my gardening zone – zone 5. Cilantro and parsley are trying to hang on, but if we get a blast of real hot weather they bolt (or go to seed) and can be harder to use in cooking when that has occurred.
Improve the flavor of your cooking: use fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh herbs. Fresh, fresh, and fresh. Flavor doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.