So, I had every intention of posting a recipe for Short Cut Chicken Pot Pie this week, BUT, even though the recipe was Shock Munch worthy, I got distracted in the kitchen and burned the dough, sooooooo the recipe wasn’t photographable, at all. Apparently, I can’t bake and watch youtube videos simultaneously. Lesson learned.
So, I’ll plan on making it for next week or the week after because the chicken pot pie is crazy delicious!
Additionally, I made a one-pot spaghetti recipe this week. Although it was good, it wasn’t Shock Munch worthy. The dish has potential, but I wouldn’t dare share it in its current state, after tasting the dish, it was clear something was missing.
Since both recipes failed, I have nothing to share this week. Que Sera folks, sometimes cooking can be a big asshole and recipes can quickly go south, so you have to roll with it. However, the failed pasta dish prompted me to share what to do when you feel like “something” is missing from a recipe. You can’t un-burn your food, but you CAN adjust for seasonings.
The old me use to taste my food and think, “Something is missing, I’ll just add this entire container of salt here”
However, the new and improved me consult snazzy food charts, like the ones from wwwcooksmarts.com, posted above and below! I’ve hung these charts in my kitchen as a reference when my food doesn’t taste quite right.
Take the pasta dish I made this week, for example, the tomatoes overpowered the dish. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always grooving on the taste of tomatoes, but after studying the illustrated chart, I understand what the issue was. The dish was a bit sour due to tomatoes, along with bitter due to the green peppers. To balance out the flavors, I’ll need to add an element of sweet, and a dash of spicy. I’m going to try subbing yellow peppers (which are sweeter in flavor) for the green peppers, and I’ll probably add a jalapeño or red chili flakes to spice things up a bit. If the main flavor component is STILL sour, I’ll add some apple cider vinegar. I’m looking forward to developing the one-pot pasta recipe and sharing it with all of you! Fingers crossed I don’t burn the shit out of that supper too!
The above chart does a nice job explaining which herbs go best with which type of recipe, and how best to store them. I don’t use this particular chart that often, because I’m pretty familiar with herbs, but it’s helpful from time to time to remind myself, which herbs pair best with a recipe.
The first chart, about flavor balance, and the chart below is most helpful to me in the kitchen. The chart below helps you build the foundation of flavor in dishes from around the world. It gives you the basics of which vegetables are most commonly found in those types of recipes, along with which fat to cook them in, and which spice/herb/ingredient to pair with them.
I think the chart provides home cooks a solid starting block when creating recipes. Once you understand the fundamental “flavor” building blocks of a certain recipe, you can have fun and experiment, adding additional flavors.
So major props to Cook Smarts for putting together comprehensive, easy to follow, and informational food guides to cooking. I use them on a regular basis, so I wanted to share them too!
I’ll be back next week with a recipe to share!
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