Food Ingredients
Different recipes call for different flavorings, and often, you may even find different recipes for the same general food item. Many recipes that you find can be adjusted to the needs or desires of a particular person, especially in the area of flavoring. With so many different herbs and spices from which to choose, two people can make the same entrée, and it will taste very different. It often only takes one change in the spices to change the taste of a food completely. That, of course, allows someone to serve the same meat or vegetable frequently without family members complaining about "the same old thing." Spice it up the next time around, and add some different spices to give it a renewed flavor.
Onions and garlic seem to be two of the more common ingredients that people use to change the flavor of meat dishes. For beef, one can opt to change between oregano and bay leaves for a different flavor. For sweet dishes, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are the most popular because of their slightly sweet to vibrant flavors. Substituting one for the other can change the flavor of your dessert and give me a milder or more robust flavor depending upon which you choose. Cloves are very potent, so you don't want to add too much there, but you can certainly add more or less cinnamon or nutmeg. In fact, for a little variation, add a couple of whole cloves to your meat dish – this is especially good with a pot roast, whether beef or pork.
Learn to be creative with your recipes and don't be afraid to try something new. Don't be afraid to experiment with spices you have never used, but do be sure you know how to use them and the types of foods that may make a good blend and combine well with other spices in the food you are preparing.
