Everybody feels underappreciated from time to time.
We happen to believe that there are also a few ingredients that are overlooked and underrated yet deserve a big Thank You for bringing pop to the mundane, brightness to the ordinary, and a little foreground to the background of our gourmet meals.
Flat leaf parsley may often sit morosely aside your filet, but it might also be bringing your sauce that extra dimension that makes it so wonderful. Slightly salty in tone, flat leaf parsley is a great flavor enhancer and adds a hint of bright, green flavor to your dish. It can bring out the best in vegetables and adds a subtle freshness to even long cooked dishes.
Lemon can easily become one of your best friends, as far as culinary ingredients go. You can use it in poultry, fish, grains and veggies; you can bake with it and put it in sauces; you can squeeze it on the top of your meal just prior to picking up your fork and diving in. Lemon brings a sunny, tangy flavor and bright aroma while actually making the flavors around it more pronounced. And the bonus is, you can use lemon peel to pack a punch in baked goods, too.
Dijon mustard needs to be taken out of your pantry and considered a go-to ingredient. Its unique depth of flavor can be combined with just about anything. Add it to your sandwiches. Combine it with melted butter, a little lemon and flour for a delicious yet simple sauce for fish or roasted veggies. Create an extraordinary salad vinaigrette by mixing Dijon with vinegar, oil and salt/pepper. Or make a statement with it by adding it to hot dishes just before serving.
Toss these ingredients into your home creations and you'll likely breathe new life into them!
Come see us at Matteo's Gourmet Food Services and we'll cook you an exquisite meal! We look forward to seeing you!
Want to check out one of our other great articles? Check out this one on cooking with Saffron.