What was the last new ingredient you've used (that you had never used before)?

[Anonymous]

Sichuan peppercorns. I made stir-fried Sriracha tofu (from TJ's) with green beans and added the peppercorns and a bit of MSG. Tasted great.

[Anonymous]

Corn starch because an orange tofu recipe called for it both for getting the tofu crispy and for the sauce. I didn’t like the texture (too gummy) and won’t be using it again. But I do welcome recommendations for getting tofu crispy!

[Anonymous]

Traders Joes ground black garlic. I have been using it on tons of things since I bought it. I made a caprese salad the other night and it was fantastic sprinkled on top.

[Anonymous]

celery salt! It was called for in a potato salad recipe and it came out very good--though I don't know how much the celery salt in particular was responsible for that!

[Anonymous]

Sumac

[Anonymous]

Gochujang sauce

I have a recipe that calls for Ras el Hanout so will be using that soon. I may make my own.

[Anonymous]

Paprika in baked fish

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Corn starch because an orange tofu recipe called for it both for getting the tofu crispy and for the sauce. I didn’t like the texture (too gummy) and won’t be using it again. But I do welcome recommendations for getting tofu crispy!

Shaking more of the cornstarch off and frying over higher heat should solve the gumminess problem. (Maybe drying the tofu before tossing with cornstarch would be helpful as well).

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:polenta

What do you do with this? I see it in stores but never know what to do with it. Is it like grits?

Yes.

I used polenta in lieu of a potato (baked ir mashed) as a side. Beef stew served with a side of polenta.

I do this but make a well in the polenta and put the stew in the middle. DH is obsessed with this meal, but our (not usually picky at all) kids just don’t like polenta. I love it alone with a mix of cheeses.

Is it a texture thing? I'll eat polenta or grits if I have to (to not be rude when served) but I am not a fan of the texture at all and I don't think almost anyone would call me a picky eater generally.

FWIW, initially, my husband had the same reaction as you did, but now he likes polenta grilled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:polenta

What do you do with this? I see it in stores but never know what to do with it. Is it like grits?

Yes.

I used polenta in lieu of a potato (baked ir mashed) as a side. Beef stew served with a side of polenta.

I do this but make a well in the polenta and put the stew in the middle. DH is obsessed with this meal, but our (not usually picky at all) kids just don’t like polenta. I love it alone with a mix of cheeses.

Is it a texture thing? I'll eat polenta or grits if I have to (to not be rude when served) but I am not a fan of the texture at all and I don't think almost anyone would call me a picky eater generally.

DP. It could be a texture thing, but I’ve found most people like grits if you melt enough cheese in it (them?).

[Anonymous]

2 thoughts:

First, my grits are damn near a religious experience. I’ve evolved the recipe over 10+ years, and family members request it annually for their birthday when they could request anything else. That said, if you truly can’t handle soft texture (mashed potatoes, etc)

Second, newest ingredient was kimchi. Mixer with mayo, it was alright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 thoughts:

First, my grits are damn near a religious experience. I’ve evolved the recipe over 10+ years, and family members request it annually for their birthday when they could request anything else. That said, if you truly can’t handle soft texture (mashed potatoes, etc)

Second, newest ingredient was kimchi. Mixer with mayo, it was alright.

Aside from traditional Korean food preparations, kimchi is a revelation on a hotdog. I usually mix some gochujang with Mayo and a little kimchi juice to spread on the bun first. Then I chop up the kimchi into almost a relish and spoon on top. It’s insane how good it is!

[Anonymous]

Chia seeds.

My neighbors and I have a rare spice sharing program. You ask if anyone else has a “rare” spice so you can try it first before you buy it. One of the first rules of the program is that we believe spices have no expiration date.

[Anonymous]

I posted already, but thought of more. Newest used was sorghum syrup. Newest purchased (not yet used) was Calabrian Chile paste.

[Anonymous]

Dried lavender. I saved it from my garden last summer and have been waiting for a use — finally made lavender peach jelly. It’s absolutely lovely although maybe a little sweeter than I personally prefer. Next time, I think I’ll toss in a lemon as well.