I cook a lot. But never have I cooked this much. I’m used to going out for dinner at least once or twice a week. Now, my tastebuds are solely reliant on my cooking skills, and that means stepping up my flavor game. I’ve found myself becoming more experimental with my cooking, trying new things out, doing what I can with the gourmet flavorings that I have. Here are some of my favorite gourmet ingredients to keep around my kitchen, so I can always make sure whatever I’m cooking is delicious, interesting, never boring, and always packed with unique, global flavors.
A really good, high-quality olive oil might be the most important thing on this list. You might be tempted to go cheap here, but I say, go for broke instead. Good olive oil makes any dish you’re making taste exponentially better. This oil from Brightland is fantastic as a topper to any dish. I have been, admittedly, using too much of it.
One Daily Beast staffer admits to, “eating canned fish out of the tin like a cat.” You could do that. I also do that. But anchovies give any dish or sauce you’re working on an extra zing. I always keep a few tins of them around.
I love Pate and I love Olympia Provisions. This is a great way to make any cheese board more special, or even if you’re looking for a quick hit of savory deliciousness.
If you’ve been missing umami flavors from your favorite restaurant, pick up some miso paste. Miso is an essential to have in your fridge, and it will take a long time for it to go bad. Instead, it’ll be that little thing you can pull out of the back of the fridge to make any meal, absolutely delicious.
I am always stocked up on Dark Chocolate. Just a square makes for the perfect dessert, but what about shaved on top of ice cream, incorporated into chocolate chip cookie dough? The possibilities are endless.
I was going to say you can never have too much fish sauce, but you can definitely have too much fish sauce. It’s made from fermenting krill for up to two years, and plays a pivotal role in Southeast asian cuisine, providing a unique, sharp, fish-ey taste. If you like fish, this is for you. Or, you could create your own frozen dumpling dipping sauce with it and some soy sauce. You get to choose how fancy you want to be, people.
This is more of a snack, but we all need snacks right now. Made with Nooch (Nutritional Yeast), BjornQorn is a Scouted Favorite for sure. I can, admittedly, eat a whole bag of this in one sitting. However much you buy, I guarantee, you’ll be back for more soon.
If you think smoky flavors can only be acquired through difficult, prolonged cooking techniques, think again. Salt is the most important thing for good cooking, and Smoked Salt is the most important thing for great cooking. Give any of your meats or veggies a smokey upgrade. Or, line the rim of your margarita glass with it. Wait, that’s a good idea. I’ll be right back.
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