5 Things That Make Your Cooking Taste Better
By: Amy Jeanroy
Published: May 31, 2011

Cooking doesn't have to be fussy. Save that for those special occasions. For the day to day cooking, focus on fresh, in season foods - cooked well. No matter how small your food budget, some ingredients should be staples. Flour, sugar and baking powder, baking soda, baking yeast, you know the drill. There are some ingredients that need to be added to your pantry, which will help your food taste more satisfying. 
Here are 5 things that will improve your recipes, making everything taste better, and let's face it; impress the family. 
Tamari
If you are thinking you already have soy sauce in the cupboard, Tamari will blow  your soy sauce out of the water. It is richer, darker and less salty-more flavorful. Use it for seasoning your foods and taste the difference. It is also Gluten free, so safe for use in your gluten free recipes. 
Butter
Without going into any sort of lecture about eating real food vs. processed food, add a pat of butter to a sauce or dish, and ramp up the flavor. This doesn't mean soaking it in butter (although I won't tell you NOT to do that), you are simply adding that luxurious taste and velvety feel that only butter can provide. 
Olive oil
I know, you're saying that there is no extra money in the budget for olive oil. Not true! A small bottle costs no more than a bottle of ketchup. If you use it for the fruity flavor, a little bottle will go a long way. 
Nutritional Yeast
Either you haven't heard of this delightful ingredient, or you may think that it is just for the wacky Vegetarians. It is time for nutritional yeast to step into the limelight. Cheesy and flavorful, use it to make fantastic flavored stock, sprinkle on anything containing tomato sauce, add to any bread crumb coating mix you use, sprinkle on popcorn, and so much more. I keep a shaker jar in my seasoning cupboard and buy it in bulk. Seriously. 
Lard
Stop freaking out! If you use shortening, I will forgive you. Now throw that scary, unhealthy garbage out, and get some lard. Lard will make your homemade breads stay soft and fresh longer, will improve the flavor of anything you cook with it, and best of all, lard is digestible. It is not to be slathered onto a piece of toast for goodness sakes, you don't do that with your shortening, do you?