On the other hand, there are some ingredients which seemed to be...very strange at first. After having given them a chance, my mind was changed. Here are a few which I highly recommend. Some you might have tried already...others probably not.
1) Chocolate, tomato and chili---primarily in the form of mole. There's a lot more to the sauce than that (HUGE understatement there), and the whole is equally more than the sum of its parts. It's a regional Mexican sauce/dish that is well worth seeking out.
2) Pumpkin seeds. This is sort of a part 2 to the first one, since in Mexico they are referred to as pepitas. They're often included in mole and other dishes. Not a sunflower seed, not a nut...Just interesting. Very tasty on their own when lightly seasoned and baked in the oven!
3) French feta. I thought...Feta is Greek, right? Yes, but this is something else which is salty, briny, complex, crumbly and creamy all at the same time. It's great on a tomato sandwich, with just a little coarse ground pepper.
4) Course ground pepper and sea salt. This was another "I think it's the same" as that stuff we all have in the cupboard.
NO, it's not. I must be adamant about this. It's one of the cheapest, quickest, most effective ways to bring out the flavors in almost everything you cook. For the more experienced, you're sitting there telling yourself you've read this in every cookbook since Mastering the Art of French Cooking....The rest of us are in for something profound.
Sea salt has mineral flavors which are vastly underrated. Most of what you taste is stripped out in your average table salt...Especially that stuff with the spout at the top of the cardboard container. I found that as soon as a experimented with sea salt (I use a French grey) I needed less to do the same amount of flavoring. Bonus: interesting crunching texture, or easily ground into smaller grains for whatever.
Freshly ground pepper was a new world to me. It's not nearly as bitter, and it has an interesting bite and fragrance. Plus, it doesn't have that odd dusty consistency, and it's fun to grind it into whatever you're working on. And for as much as you'll use it---it's pretty inexpensive, even if you go for organic.
5) Speaking of which, organic herbs/seasonings. From my experience: Fresher, better color, better flavor and cheaper. It's really surprising given the reputation of organic products being "expensive" and indistinguishable.
I'm not going back on that one.
6) Here's a really old one! We're going medieval on your... Dill in your eggs (preferably fresh dill). Chop the dill up a bit, and it works for scrambled, omelettes, whatever.
7) Tomato and chevre. I know that we all like tomato and cheese...and it comprises a hefty portion of my own diet. I'm not going to pretend I don't do that at on a weekly basis, in some form or another. But this sauce really hit the spot, and it was kinda out of left field.
I sauteed up a little onion and tarragon, and then mixed that with my tomato base. Added a little (about a teaspoon to 1/2 a cup) basic white sugar, some salt, some pepper, and let it simmer for a few minutes. (This dish also included small brown mushrooms, peas, and tortellini. Adjust at your whim).
When I was ready to put the sauce in, I combined about 2 ounces of chevre into my tomato sauce. This was enough for two, with a little bit left over. It came out creamy, tart, and clung to the tortellini in a pleasing way. Snarfed.
Also really old, and unknown: the French Press. All you need is coarse ground coffee and boiling water. Then four minutes later, you have an excellent pot of coffee. Keep in mind the most wondrous part: You can do this anywhere, no electricity required.
I'm sure there will be more things soon. These have been on my mind, and I always like to share tasty. Who doesn't, after all?
