Put MSG in Everything, You Cowards
By now, we should all be completely unafraid of monosodium glutamate, the umami-boosting molecule more commonly referred to as “MSG.” It will not give you headache, it will not make…
Turn Woody Mushroom Stems Into an Umami-packed Powder
Fun guys (and gals) love fungi, mostly of the culinary persuasion (though an argument can be made for a different type of fun shroom, that’s not what we’re discussing today).…
Drizzle a Little Honey on Your Tomatoes
One of my favorite sides is exceedingly simple: sliced, fresh tomatoes with a little salt (extra credit if they’re served on Blue Willow china). Ripe summer tomatoes don’t need much…
Dashi Is the Best Base for Summery Soups
We talk a lot about broth here on Lifehacker, and we are universally fans of a certain brand of bouillon. What we don’t talk about often is the umami-rich broth…
Stop What You’re Doing and Muddle Raspberries With Soy Sauce
Raspberries are nature’s SweetTarts. For me, they’re always just slightly too sweet and too tart, but I moved into a house with so many raspberry bushes that for a long…
Five Asian Sauces That Make Everything Taste Better
I was obsessed with helping my mom cook growing up (hard to believe, I’m sure). Though she would dabble in making Italian food, and try out popular boxed ingredients of…
You Should Cure an Egg Yolk in Soy Sauce
If anything could get me to believe in a higher power (and the fact that they have a sense of humor), it’s the existence of eggs. They’re a perfect food…
Add a Little MSG to Your Next Pickle Brine
I love the whole spectrum of pickles—sweet, sour, half-sour, etc.—but my favorite kind of pickle is one that’s so aggressively flavored, it’s almost uncomfortable to eat. I like a challenging…
You Should Grate Dried Mushrooms All Over Everything
Photo: Claire Lower A shaved truffle, whether on a bowl of pasta, a fluffy pile of scrambled eggs, or medium-rare ribeye, is the height of foodie indulgence, but I do…
Four Ways to Make a Better Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Photo: Claire Lower I don’t know that I’ve ever had a bad spinach and artichoke dip—it’s hard to make something with that much dairy and salt unappetizing. But things that…