If you’re not up for spending $100 on a cooking class, but are interested in preparing better food, here are five ingredients you can purchase that will immediately upgrade your cooking. It’s amazing how simple, excellent ingredients have the power to change the quality of food in an instant. Just having these five ingredients on hand will make you feel inspired!
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Pure maple syrup – Set aside the Golden Griddle in favor of the pure goodness of real maple syrup. It’s delicious, it’s real and it’s unprocessed. And how awesome that it comes from a tree! The best price is typically at Costco, but Target’s Archer Farms label is a close second.
2. Gray Sea Salt from Guerande – This is the best salt in the world and makes everything taste better. Once you try it you’ll never enjoy the chemical aftertaste of conventional salt. Even though it’s from France, it’s reasonably priced. Typically it comes in coarse form, but you can easily make it “fine” with a mortar and pestle.
3. Meyer Lemons – Forgo a conventional lemon in favor of a fragrant and flavorful Meyer Lemon–a cross between a conventional lemon and a Satsuma. So delicious you can eat the rind! I’d substitute a Meyer in any recipe calling for lemons.
4. Whole Nutmeg – Put that workhorse-of-a-kitchen gadget microplane zester to use and make your own ground nutmeg in a matter of minutes. The flavor of fresh ground nutmeg is out-of-this-world and will make the store-bought version taste so dull. You can find whole nutmeg at the grocery store, but it’s priced best at Cost Plus World Market.
5. Interesting Vinegars – While it’s useful to have a basic distilled white vinegar on hand, it’s more interesting relatives are far more flavorful in vinaigrettes and other dishes. We like Balsamic, Red Wine, White Wine and Champagne Vinegars a lot. They make those easy-to-make homemade vinaigrettes taste extra delicious and refined.
images by Stephanie Brubaker
I buy my whole nutmegs in the bulk section of my grocery store. Cheaper even then buying pre-ground.
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie! I agree with all as they are definitely staples in my kitchen.
Great post Stephanie. I agree with them all, especially the salt of course.
Where can you find meter lemons?
Meyer lemons