Underappreciated Ingredients

For years I've ignored the instruction of any recipe that included parsley.

I now admit it, I was wrong.

What ingredient do you think is underappreciated?

Mods: Please move/merge If this has been discussed already.

When I was young, it seemed as though every plate at a "good" restaurant required a sprig of curly parsley (never flat leaf) on the plate, as a signal it was a classy place. I never knew what to do with that little spring. I imagine fields of curly parsley got tossed when plates were cleared.

My mom was a big parsley fan and whenever she ate out, she would take home what parsley was on her plate. I don't remember what she did with it but when she passed away in 1980 we found a lot of it in her purse.

I'll offer one - ground mace. It provides an interesting flavor note on the back of the tongue - sort of minty, sort of spicy, sort of citrusy - that makes my BBQ dry rub, chili, spaghetti sauce and lasagna really pop, IMO. I never knew until recently that it is the covering of the nutmeg, Myristica fragrans, seed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg

Davooda

I usually never buy parsley either, unless a recipe calls for a lot of it, because they band it up in 2lb bunches and what do you do with all that?

I underappreciate lemon and lime. Whenever a recipe calls for a squeeze of lemon, a tablespoon, etc., I think, ehhhh...I don't want to cut open a whole lemon...

Pie Lady wrote:I usually never buy parsley either, unless a recipe calls for a lot of it, because they band it up in 2lb bunches and what do you do with all that?

I underappreciate lemon and lime. Whenever a recipe calls for a squeeze of lemon, a tablespoon, etc., I think, ehhhh...I don't want to cut open a whole lemon...

2 lb bunches of parsley? The ones I get are normally closer to 2 ounces and it's an ingredient I have problem using up before it goes bad.

Pie Lady wrote:I usually never buy parsley either, unless a recipe calls for a lot of it, because they band it up in 2lb bunches and what do you do with all that?

I underappreciate lemon and lime. Whenever a recipe calls for a squeeze of lemon, a tablespoon, etc., I think, ehhhh...I don't want to cut open a whole lemon...

One of our go to workhouses since late last fall was Pasta Aglio e Olio. CI's version is killer, but I swap half of the EVOO for butter.

I almost left out both the t. of lemon & the parsley, but OMG I can no longer imagine making this dish without either.

For 20 years I made it without either and thought it was a good dish, but those 2 underappreciated ingredients makes me wonder what else I've been missing by simple omission.

Anchovy.
Minced up and dissolved (in judicious quantity) into all sorts of sauces, dressings, stews, etc. it adds a whole new dimension. While I like them for their own sake in plenty of things, I most appreciate them in this way, as a secret flavor weapon.

Currently vinegar is on my list of ingredients I would like to become more familiar using in the kitchen.
Olives too.

mrbarolo wrote:Anchovy.
Minced up and dissolved (in judicious quantity) into all sorts of sauces, dressings, stews, etc. it adds a whole new dimension. While I like them for their own sake in plenty of things, I most appreciate them in this way, as a secret flavor weapon.

I don't often have anchovies on hand but you can get similar results with a splash of fish sauce.

AlekH wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I usually never buy parsley either, unless a recipe calls for a lot of it, because they band it up in 2lb bunches and what do you do with all that?

I underappreciate lemon and lime. Whenever a recipe calls for a squeeze of lemon, a tablespoon, etc., I think, ehhhh...I don't want to cut open a whole lemon...

2 lb bunches of parsley? The ones I get are normally closer to 2 ounces and it's an ingredient I have problem using up before it goes bad.

I joke. It seems like that much.

mhill95149 wrote:Currently vinegar is on my list of ingredients I would like to become more familiar using in the kitchen.
Olives too.

Vinegar has been revelatory for me in making jam. In Christine Ferber's Mes Confitures there's a recipe for wild blueberry preserves. As a note she says you can cut the sugar, add a bit of vinegar, and use it with game.

I took her instructions to task and think it was one of the best things I made. Who knew? Blueberry preserves with champagne wine vinegar are divine. The vinegar made the preserves taste like raw fruit at the peak of summer. I've taken to calling those preserves Summer in a Jar.

I think most root vegetables, such as turnip, rutabega and parsnip are underused. They are particulary good in all stews and slow cooked dishes. I'd never use regular potato.
Even beets seem relegated to salad and perhaps soup. This weekend I made a beef stew and cooked beets with the meat. They come not as sweet as when you roast them, but make a very tasty "starch" for the dish. Sweet potato, too. I put them in most of my chilis now, as the sweetness plays nicely off the spiciness.
Jonah

I often use turnip in place of potato. In soups, you can't tell the difference anyway.

Vinegar and root vegetables were the two things I thought of when I saw the thread title.

A splash of vinegar is often my secret ingredient to perk up dishes that need a little pizzazz.

I love parsnips, and wish they were more popular. They're surprisingly versatile.

An ingredient I use a lot but rarely see in recipes is vermouth. I often use dry vermouth whenever a recipe calls for white wine. I hate to open a bottle of wine if I only need a cupful for cooking; as a fortified wine, vermouth keeps well once it's opened. It also adds a bit of an herbal component that I like. I also use sweet vermouth when I want a little sweet/sour element -- it went well in the tomato bisque I made for the soup supper.

I have absolutely the identical list. Vinegar is magic for meats and sauces. (Also traditional agro dolce treatment of carrots and other veggies.)
I, too, keep a bottle of Vermouth ready to splash in the saute pan if I haven't already got a bottle of white open.
Same with the root veggies. I particularly adore parsnips. Somehow in a roast or stew they seem to really pick up the juices and flavors in a great way. Even more than potatoes do.
Also love a mash of potato sweetened with turnip or other root veg. mashed into it. Less intensely sweet than sweet pot., but a nice shift from pure potato.

I also use a dash of soy sauce and/or Worcestershire in a lot of things whose recipes don't necessarily call for it.

Tarragon. Perhaps more underused than under-appreciated.

Buddy

Perhaps more a function of its rock-bottom reputation than its culinary ceiling, but I'm going with celery. Was it always regarded as flavorless crunch or a momentary break between hot wings? Is it a selling point on any menu anywhere? I just had two simple plates of stir fried celery in China -- one with eggs, the other with Chinese bacon -- that reminded me how good it can be.

White peppercorns. I used to think that they were just for fastidious chefs who didn't want black flecks in their bechamel. Then I read the Frankies Spuntino cookbook and saw the light. They are more complex than my workhorse black Telicherry peppercorns.

Dmnkly wrote:Perhaps more a function of its rock-bottom reputation than its culinary ceiling, but I'm going with celery. Was it always regarded as flavorless crunch or a momentary break between hot wings? Is it a selling point on any menu anywhere? I just had two simple plates of stir fried celery in China -- one with eggs, the other with Chinese bacon -- that reminded me how good it can be.

Once celery was the cat's pajamas. Kalamazoo, MI was the nation's celery growing region. It was shipped by train to gourmets everywhere. I have an antique celery server that looks like a large water goblet.

Alas celery is now a character actor at the table instead of the star she once was! Check out its history via the Kalamazoo Public Library.

Regards,

I'm in an intense state of celery love at the moment and really appreciated the clarity of the celery in Next's Chicken Noodle Soup ... really!

And ground mace, which I use a lot of in my Chicken a la King, adds the warmest flavor to white sauces.

Funny: I've always loved celery and have been going through a white pepper phase lately as well.
I love to just eat celery sticks with salt. Love it with dips. Love its position in mirepoix. Love a well-made, delicate celery soup, or risotto. (Also love the celery salt on a Chicago dog or around the rim of my bloody Mary.)

White pepper always seems both subtle and earthy to me, more of an ensemble player, as opposed to black pepper's more aggressive propensity to solo. So I've been using it more lately in those sorts of dishes and sauces. Sometimes just accented with a grind of black pepper as well.

I definitely agree about Vermouth, and I'd also add Saki to the list. Either one is a great thing to have stove side when making a reduction sauce or Sautéing. Cumin would be another big one for me, if used in moderation it can go well with many more things than people use it for. Same for Guajillo chiles. Oh - and Sesame seeds. They work in everything from salad dressings to BBQ rubs.

Some said vinegar before--I would add lemon juice to that list. Growing up, my dad was put on a low sodium diet and I learned at about age 11 that lemon was a good substitute and added "something" extra as well.

As for celery, anyone who lost that loving feeling (or maybe never had it), plant some yourself--it grows just fine in a container and you'll fall head over heels--in particular, celery leaves cook up deliciously and add a distinctively sweet and herbaceous flavor tossed into salads (and cocktails ). Delicious!

fleurdesel wrote:White peppercorns. I used to think that they were just for fastidious chefs who didn't want black flecks in their bechamel. Then I read the Frankies Spuntino cookbook and saw the light. They are more complex than my workhorse black Telicherry peppercorns.

Aha! I could say that too, but white pepper (ground). But I have so many recipes with white pepper that last time I was at Spice House, I figured I'd get a bottle. I'll have to see if it makes a difference to me. I have a recipe for white pepper ginger lemon cake that I want to try again.

Cathy2 wrote:Once celery was the cat's pajamas. Kalamazoo, MI was the nation's celery growing region. It was shipped by train to gourmets everywhere. I have an antique celery server that looks like a large water goblet.

Lincoln Square was also a big center for celery production in the 19th century.

Encyclopedia of Chicago wrote:Early commercial agriculture in the Lincoln Square area emphasized truck farming and the mass production of flowers, pickles, and celery. In 1836, Swiss immigrant Conrad Sulzer bought property near the present intersection of Montrose and Clark. Truck farmers, mostly of German and English descent, followed his example. They drove their produce in wagons down the old Little Fort Road (Lincoln Avenue) to market in Chicago. The celery crop gained such broad distribution that local growers proudly called the area the nation's celery capital.

fleurdesel wrote:White peppercorns. I used to think that they were just for fastidious chefs who didn't want black flecks in their bechamel. Then I read the Frankies Spuntino cookbook and saw the light. They are more complex than my workhorse black Telicherry peppercorns.

Interesting. To my taste, white pepper is sharper and stronger tasting than black pepper, but less complex.

Can't say I find any value in celery except for stocks and braises.
The ingredient that I forget to eat for a while and thresh when I buy and user go "ooh yeah I love that" is cucumber.
Humble, but adding a fresh clean flavor. essential for Thai salads, great by itself, or with a little salad dressing, it's a summer taste I can get in winter unlike tomatoes.

to add to the celery craze; its leaves are valuable in salads to me

I think the Vinegar/lemon ( lime ) posts here refer to US / European ( Western ? ) cooking. The Asians totally understand the bitter and brightness part of the cooking formula. It wasn't until I started getting serious about Asian cooking that I started to understand that part of it.