Quote:
Originally Posted by poohbear_nc
I had a friend in college who would clean out the frig once a week and cook it up with rice and a ham soup bone, thereby creating an unforgettable series of "Rice Glop #1, Rice Glop #2, etc" - surprisingly most were quite tasty!
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I've discovered that most ethnicities have some sort of 'Primary Colors' of seasonings that give a dish its character; tomato, Basil, and garlic for southern Italian; ginger, garlic, and soy sauce for Chinese; Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, and garlic for Cajun; Oregano, Cumin, and chili for Mexican; mirin, soy sauce, and ginger for Japanese; fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce for Thai dishes; etc., etc. Once you 'unlock' these basic seasoning of a country, you can take almost any group of ingredients and add the Primary Colors and turn the dish into any of the various ethnic flavors. Obviously each needs a bit more of this or that, but the general idea works, even for a couple of cans of mixed beans! Quick and easy way to liven up a pot full of dull!
(Quick note: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, or Korean... soy sauces from each country have a
VERY different flavor. Using Japanese soysauce in a Thai dish will NOT result in a Thai taste. It may taste 'good,' just different from the Thai flavor.
Stitchawl