Want Your Food to Taste Better? You Need Three Things
Start cooking more crave-able meals
Same, bibliogato, same.
Some friends and I were catching up the other day about tradeoffs and non-negotiables. Nothing heavy (there’s always plenty of that to go around) but we were out for happy hour and I used that as one of my examples. I’m willing to cook at home more often and save the expense of eating out so I can spontaneously accept an impromptu invite to meet up for drinks (or other little treats).
Eating out is expensive. I mean, at this point, so is the grocery store. But I’m not convinced everyone is eating out for every meal (far from it). So if you’re going to have to spend money regardless, don’t you at least want it to taste good?
Which got me thinking…that kind of sounds like you have to sacrifice great-tasting, crave-able food and settle for something less appetizing at home.
And I want to be very clear: I don’t think that’s the case at all.
So if you’re like me and want to prioritize cooking at home, let’s make sure it tastes just as good as what you might find on a menu. You don’t need to be a Michelin-starred chef to cook delicious food at home, you just need these three things.
1. A Source of Inspiration
This could be a cookbook, your favorite food blog, a foodie content creator, or TV show (think Culinary Class Wars or anything Anthony Bourdain ever starred in). You can even draw inspiration from your favorite restaurants…after all, there’s an entire corner of the internet dedicated to copycat recipes and dupes.
One of my favorite resources is The Flavor Bible. For less than the cost of the typical DoorDash delivery, you’ll have an entire encyclopedia to guide you in the kitchen. Browse hundreds of ingredients in alphabetical order and see what pairs well (and what doesn’t) with each one.
I use this all the time when I have something in mind but I don’t have an exact recipe. Let’s say, for example, I have some mushrooms on their last leg. I don’t want them to go to waste, but my brain is drained and I need ideas. I flip open the Flavor Bible and scan the list, looking for something listed that’s already in my pantry, fridge, or freezer. I see rice, stocks, cream (in all caps and bold so it’s obvious this is a STRONG pairing), onions, and herbs. I realize…it’s zero degrees, I’ve only drank coffee so far today, I’ll thaw out some chicken and make a creamy chicken/mushroom/rice soup without forcing a trip to the store.
This book, maybe more than any other, has helped me feel more confident about experimenting with different flavor combos or unfamiliar ingredients. It not only tells you what’s going to work well, but also what to avoid.
In Korean cuisine, there’s a concept called “sohn mat.” It translates to “hand taste” since making kimchi by hand quite literally means the cook’s hands impart a certain flavor on the finished product. It means everyone has their own unique flavor based on their special touch. It might be hit or miss at times — it’s OK! Encouraged, even. With some practice and patience, you’re going to develop your own unique flair.
There’s also a Vegetarian Flavor Bible, which I also recommend even if you’re not entirely plant-based. You’ll get even more ideas and recommendations for flavor pairings. My only gripe: these books list only four basic tastes of salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.
Um…where is the umami??
2. Some sort of umami
So yeah, you shouldn’t be surprised I’m putting a plug for umami in a newsletter called “Extra Umami.” But seriously, whether it comes from MSG or any other source, this is one of the keys to unlocking restaurant-worthy flavor at home. It’s one of my non-negotiables because you don’t really notice it when it’s there, but you sure do miss it when it’s not.
MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is pure umami. It’s a single sodium molecule attached to the amino acid, glutamate. Although it has about 2/3 less sodium compared to table salt, you still get a rich saltiness stacked on top of the umami flavor provided by the amino acid.
It’s hard to describe exactly what umami tastes like, but in the simplest terms, it’s a flavor enhancer. Think of it like the volume knob. We want to crank it up without blowing the speakers. It’s not that adding MSG or any other source of umami is meant to overwhelm your taste buds and overpower every other flavor in your dish. But a little goes a long way towards richer, deeper, more satisfying flavor that you genuinely look forward to tasting.
Here are a few sources of savory, umami flavor that you should consider stocking up on:
MSG, which is never more than a few dollars at an Asian grocery store or online, but you can invest in a cute lil’ panda shaker if you want and refill it as needed
Tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and other tomato-based products
Mushrooms, especially dried shiitake mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
Anchovies
Soy sauce, fish sauce, or oyster sauce
Miso and doenjang (Korean-style soybean paste)
You can even get subtle hits of umami from ingredients like walnuts or broccoli.
Want to learn more about cooking with MSG? I have an entire blog post about that! Click HERE to read!
And last but not least, if you want your food to taste better, you need…
3. A willingness to go off-recipe and figure out your taste preferences
This is a big step, especially if you’ve always relied on following recipes to a T.
But here’s the thing: that food blogger or cookbook author doesn’t know you hate olives (or whatever else is a dealbreaker). They won’t know, or care, that you modified their recipe to make it work for you.
And in fact, as someone with a food blog who regularly develops recipes as part of my job, I think a sign of a “good” recipe is that you can make some swaps and substitutions and still get a good result. A recipe should walk you through the prep steps, the method, the order of operations, etc. and offer suggestions, not rules.
Note: this doesn’t apply so much to baking, which is more chemistry and precision than cooking.
I think figuring out your taste preferences can be tricky, especially if you’ve been on and off the dieting train for a while. When your meal plans, recipes, and food lists are provided by someone else, you don’t get a lot of flexibility (if any) to make changes. If you feel stuck, start with some simple comparisons to hone in on which flavors, textures, and other characteristics you enjoy most.
Do you like foods that are more crunchy, or more crispy?
Do you like dense, chewy foods or light, fluffy foods?
Would you rather have something acidic and sour or sweet and creamy?
Do you want your hot foods super hot, or chilled foods super cold?
Are you OK with steaming, braising, and slow cooking, or would you rather sear, grill, broil, or roast?
If some things are just “meh” will you skimp or skip so you can indulge in something else? (For me, I’m picky about my proteins but pretty whatever when it comes to canned or frozen foods - I don’t need top-of-the-line and store brands work just as well!)
The best part: there is no wrong answer.
The “right” answer is determined 100% by you, and hopefully it sparks some creativity about where and how you’ll go off-recipe to make a dish you truly love. This gets a little complicated when you’re cooking for others, especially young kids or family members with their own taste preferences or dietary restrictions. But it still gives you permission to break the mold set by a recipe and rework it within reason.
Recipes like my Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad highlight different swaps and substitutions, as well as serving suggestions, to give you plenty of ideas. Browse the archives on Street Smart Nutrition to see some other flexible, forgiving recipes!
So no, you don’t need expensive equipment or a culinary degree to make delicious food at home. Adding any one of these three things will instantly take things up a notch. All three? You might never want to eat out again…
JK. The little treats can’t continue indefinitely but they don’t have to stop immediately.
I’d love to hear if you have any non-negotiables when it comes to cooking! Drop a comment or share this post if you found it helpful. And if you haven’t already, consider subscribing for more posts like this from Extra Umami!