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What’s Your Secret Ingredient?

By October 28, 2011October 2nd, 2013107 Comments

I love the idea of a recipe having a secret ingredient. When the girls were little, I would steal away to the corner of the kitchen to add a secret ingredient (sugar) to my magic hiccup potion (water). My friend Andras puts a shot of bourbon in his scrambled eggs. My old co-worker Myles adds a spoonful of peanut butter to his chili. (Maybe, using that trick, Andy would’ve taken home a blue ribbon in the chili off?) Andy’s dad used to make burgers on the grill (a recipe that has come to be known as “The Dadoo Special”) and we’re still trying to figure out what the heck he put in those patties. But I’m curious: What’s your secret ingredient? What have I not been adding to my spaghetti sauces, stews, soups, chilis, eggs, pies, omelets, cakes, quesadillas, mashed potatoes, beans, roast chickens, that I should have been adding all along?

107 Comments

  • Christine says:

    Jack Daniels to my Diet Coke. 🙂 But really, we eat a lot of black beans , and in addition to the cumin, onion, and garlic I sautee before adding the beans, I’ve started adding a couple glugs of orange juice. Really brightens up the flavors without the astringency of lemon or lime.

    I love nutmeg with roasted cauliflower and carrots. Also love the idea of a little garam marsala in baked apple desserts!

  • Madie says:

    Adding to the list of foods that Worcestershire sauce improves: guacamole. Just two or three dashes. Really adds a certain smokey earthy umami-ness that makes everyone freak over your guac. 🙂

  • Avatar Juliana says:

    For some reason this post (and the comments) reminds me of the children’s book Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. For years after my much-younger sister got that book, our chocolate cakes had to include tomatoes.

  • Avatar Carolyn says:

    What a fascinating topic, thanks for “putting it on the table”! I add a drizzle of molasses to my finished homemade pasta sauce, and for scrambled eggs I include 2 additional ingredients: finely diced onion to the melted butter before pouring in the egg mixture – to which I’ve added dried basil.

  • Avatar klynnnn says:

    Great post… loved all the comments. My secret ingredients: a bit of cinnamon in the ricotta cheese mixture (which also includes eggs) for lasagna or stuffed shells, a TSP of grape jelly in spaghetti sauce to cut the acidity and a can of crab meat in spaghetti sauce to make plain spaghetti all that more yummy

  • angela@momsinthecity says:

    we like saying that our secret ingredient is always the same: LOVE. When I cook with my little daughters we send a kiss to the skillet or oven with our love. The recipe will taste much much better!!!

  • Avatar Annemarie Frost says:

    finely grated carrot in…well, a lot of things: meatloaf, meatballs, pasta sauce, homemade salsa, Spanish rice, etc.
    It adds a touch of sweetness and some nice health benefits!

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