While some people know about these little tricks, the majority do not. These are small tips to help you improve the foods we commonly eat – most are recommended by top chefs and others by very experienced home cooks.
10. Carrots and Sugar
While it may seem strange to add sugar to vegetables, it is a very common method of preparing carrots in France. The technical term for this dish is Vichy Carrots, in which you combine Carrots, Salt, Pepper, sugar, and Vichy water (a sparkling water from the Vichy region) and cook them down until the carrots are glazed. The sugar heightens the flavor of the carrots and the end result is a stunning dish of brilliantly orange vegetables.
9. Coffee and Salt
Add a touch of salt to coffee to heighten the flavor – this is a very common use of salt as it is used in virtually all dishes (including sweet dishes served for pudding). Just a pinch is enough to make a brilliant espresso. [Photo by Tom Moertel]
8. Tomatoes and Sugar
Use sugar, not salt. Tomatoes are already acidic and the addition of salt just increases that acidic flavor. Sugar sweetens and increases the tomato flavor. Tomatoes are fruits after all.
7. Chocolate and Coffee
When baking with chocolate, add a little coffee – it strengthens the chocolate flavor without adding a strong coffee flavor.
6. Meat and Aniseed
When stewing meat, throw in a star anise – you can’t taste the aniseed but the flavor adds a deep richness to the meat. This is a trick used in all meat dishes by Heston Blumenthal the owner of the Fat Duck (3 Michelin stars) – voted the world’s best restaurant for three years in a row.
5. Cooking tomatoes and Foliage
Throw in a tomato branch – the branch contains all of the flavor that we love in tomatoes – pick a leaf and smell it and you will see what I mean. Simply throw in a small stick of the tomato plant and it will give your cooked tomatoes a much stronger tomato flavor.
4. Potatoes and Nutmeg
Add nutmeg – just a little – it adds a depth to the potatoes that people won’t recognize, but will definitely like. This is true of virtually every potato dish.
3. Chili and Chocolate
Add chocolate to chili. It deepens the meaty flavor of the chili while giving a strong base note to the peppers. This is a trick well known in the South where Chili bake-offs are common.
2. Apples and Vanilla
Apples are very acidic and normally require some sugar in their cooking. Most people add nutmeg or cinnamon to their apple dishes, but vanilla extract adds a deep layer of flavor that most people won’t recognize but will certainly appreciate.
1. Strawberries and Pepper
Strawberries (fresh) are usually served with a sprinkling of confectioners sugar, but the addition of very finely ground pepper (from fresh corns) heightens the flavor.
I love my mom but she makes some of the weirdest food combos ever. Namely, mayo, apples and raisins and also carrots, mayo and raisins. Awful.
I love putting bananas with mayonnaise. The mayo brings out the sweetness of the bananas and adds a little sour tang to them.
Ph1r$t
No just kidding.
Here a few more interesting mixes that I have tried:
Bacon and Dark (50-80% Cocoa) Chocolate
Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar
Eggs and Jelly
Paprika and Eggs
Try to be creative with food. What's the worst that can happen?
uhm, making something inedible? trust me, my mom is a creative cook, but not all of her confections *(ahem, inventions) are edible.
I love her lots though
I have tried several of these combos and I have a few of my own too.
Chicken McNuggets with Honey
Nation's French Fries and Cheesecake.
Potato Chips and Mustard
Good lord how fat are you?
I love strawberries but I never thought of adding pepper. I'll have to try that when strawberries go in season.
that, I beg your pardon, but I can not sbbcsriue to your entire theory, all be it exhilarating none the less. It seems to me that your remarks are not entirely justified and in actuality you are your self not even totally certain of the point. In any event I did appreciate examining it.
after all tomatoes aren't fruits. they are berries.
Berries are fruit.
I remember watching a show on the food channel many years ago. The restaurant put salt on all of its food. I can't remember if it was the special sea salt used at the restaurants in this articlehttp://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2005-11-29/jame… They even put salt on their dessert. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. It sounded very interesting.
Awesome weblog you might have here but I was cuuoirs about in the event you knew of any discussion boards that cover exactly the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get comments from other experienced folks that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Cheers!
chocolate and peppers are not that unusual thats how the myans used to prepare it. and nothing beats chocolate habeneros mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I am going to try adding chocolate the next time I make chili.
Daniel: I totally agree with you on the strawberries and balsamic – a killer combination – I chose the pepper variation because I thought more people would have pepper than balsamic in their cupboards. Given the choice, I would go for balsamic.
EAL: you won’t regret it. Make sure it is very dark – at LEAST 75% – preferably more.
To add some:
Balsamic Vinegar with Watermelon (or any other melon)
Balsamic Vinegar with French Fries
Sugar and French Fries
Grapefruit and Prosciutto
Beets and Blue Cheese
I’ll try to think of more
Cincinnati chili i.e. skyline chili, has a chocolate flavor that makes it unique. it is a greek recipe and is out of this world! my mom made candy carrots for years, with brown sugar instead of honey, and the navy has long added a pinch of sugar to all coffee
Dan123.g: I used to frequent a restaurant in South Kensington in London where we would order a dozen bottles of wine and LOTS of french fries and balsamic! What wonderful memories! As for French Fries and sugar – I haven’t done that – but nothing is nicer than dipping McDonald’s french fries in a chocolate milkshake!
petey mcgee: did you meant salt?
oh – and number 10 should be carrots and sugar – not honey! I have corrected it.
One of the best ways to try the chili chocolate comibination is when making hot chocolate/ cocoa put a dash of cayenne pepper in it. I opens up the flavors
Brandon5am: I am definitely going to give that a try!
jfrater: I am having it right now lol
Brandon: I would – but it would spoil my wine
I like grapes and feta cheese
cheese and grapes together is not unusual though it is delicious
I LOVE cheese and grapes
When I lived in Ireland I came across a place that served french fries, baked beans, and cheese all in a big pile. It never would have occurred to me to do that… but it was pretty much my favorite things all in one place.
I must say, I don’t find chocolate and coffee all that odd. I guess the first person to think of it was pretty original, but I’ve had too many mochas to be as surprised as I was about the other ones. Now coffee and salt… that is odd. And I want to try this strawberry and balsamic thing. Sounds tasty.
I went to a tasting by my wedding caterer recently, and she tried to sell me on two of their salads. One was spinach with strawberries and strawberry dressing, and the other was vanilla peppercorn dressing with goat cheese and pineapple. I was pretty grossed out by both of them, I have to say. The strawberry one tasted like someone had mixed spinach leaved into strawberry yogurt. I ended up asking for a regular tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad.
Remember though, if you use that bit of tomato plant in tomato cooking, to just use a very small amount and not to eat it. The tomato plant is actually poisonous and inedible. Only the berry (the tomato itself) is considered totally safe.
My italian mother always used salt on her cantelope and I thought it was gross until I tried it.
The salt brings out great flavor with the subtle sweetness of the cantelope!!
It’s more a list of “things that actually make a great combination”, whether expected or not. Vanilla and apple, that’s quite common. When I saw the title of the list, i was thinking of peanut butter and jelly, and would’ve expected it to be on the list.
yeah, i meant salt in the coffee… and if i may:
i am a foodie. i can admit that. i love food. but i am not a food snob. i like fine meats and cheeses, and i like spam and velveeta. what drives me crazy are people who are super picky and afraid to try food. it’s not like food has stingers in it, if you don’t like it simply spit it out! why limit yourself to the same things, because you are afraid to try. i challenge everyone who reads this list to try one new thing in the next week. it can be a new cuisine or simple a new vegetable. i bet you’ll surprise yourself with what you find. and if you don’t like it, that’s ok. at least you know and had an adventure.
thanks. end rant.
Coconuts and carrots are amazing together
Sneeuwpop: I think to most peanut butter and jelly is not unusual to anyone. While some of things might be usual to some (I’ve tried most of things on the list ), I’d think that some have not tried everything and this list will guide them.
Petey Mcgee: I agree with you completely. I’d try anything and if I don’t like it I won’t do it again. With one exception: fugu. I’d like to stay alive.
Vinegar on baked potatoes, with scads of butter and salt and pepper. Eat out the stuffing and then vinegar and butter and salt and pepper the skins. roll them up and eat them too. So good.
Salting almost any sweet fruit is good. When I was a kid sometimes my mom would let us salt out apples. It was a treat.
Peanut butter and cheddar cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and my favourite, peanut butter and cheez whiz.
That’s funny I’ve never met anybody else (aside from me and my dad) who eat peanut butter and cheddar cheese sandwiches. No one else will try it, even though I keep telling them it’s really good.
french fries dipped in frostys from wendys…
What about Chicken and Waffles? Its unusual but its awesome.
jade: chicken nuggets and honey was my favorite food growing up. i sometimes substituted the honey for tarter sauce, which is equally as good.
Nutmeg goes with many things. Coca Cola is reputed to be the worlds largest buyer of nutmeg.
mc zippo here in cleveland we have a resturant where they make the sandwiches with everything on it your choice of meat(turkey salami my personal fav corned beef ect.) cole slaw egg and fries. such a great hangover sandwich though lol
here, and for how brilliantly you read that book. If you’re ever in Durham, North Carolina, let’s meet for cfofee; I have a beautiful pool stick you’re welcome to. Haven Kimmel
Carrots and sugar aren’t so unusual in the South either, although we usually use brown sugar. And we often put a pinch of sugar in with tomato sauce; it cuts down the acidy taste. Come to think of it, nearly everything we eat down here has sugar and/or is fried.
Also, something I never thought of but I’ve seen people eat is pineapple and soy sauce!
Heaven:
1 Apple Slice
2 Olives
Slice of Brie Cheese
I have also heard as some have mentioned that balsamic vinegar is good on fruit and cheesecake. A local store where I live sells balsamic vinegar glaze made specifically for fruit and desserts.
Also one of my favorite weird food combos is Wendy’s fries dipped in a frosty. Oh my goodness it is good!
My boyfriend swears that this is good (it sounds gross): pickle and cream cheese rolled up in a slice of salami. SO GROSS! He said he thought it sounded bad too but someone made him try it, he finally gave in and he said it was surprisingly tasty. I won’t try it
Your boyfriend is right. We have those at a lot of my mom’s family gatherings. You can also use ham or turkey or use green onions instead of pickles.
I usually hate these strange mixes, but pineapple with salt is delicious.
(So is Oreo with peanut butter, but that’s not exactly unusual.)
uhh… berries are fruit.
Wow. I’ve learned more from this site than I have in a whole year in high school. Thank you, jfrater.
I am not from the south and I sometimes make carrots with brown sugar in them too. And I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Something else I like that people probably don’t really eat is I love Ricotta cheese on toast with salt and pepper on it YUM!! Just had some last night as we are having lasagna very soon.
Try some bacon with the peanut butter and cheese.
Jelly and Scrapple sandwiches.
Had the salt on the fruit and sugar on the tomatoes, good stuff. Have always sweetened the carrots.
Jelly Omelettes are good too.
i love dark (semi-sweet) chocolate. i’ll have to try some of these.
I haven’t tried anything on this list yet, although I might try the salting an apple thing.
Something strange I have had though, would have to be the Heart Attack Delight!
Left over low mein, bacon, chili, beef, and a bit of soy sauce all thrown into a nice and big sub roll. Mmmm..
great list; i am a foodie also,,,so i’ve tried most of the things on the list,,and make some of them regular practice..
jackie; that is an awesome combo….yum,,,savory from the seasoned meat, sour/acidic from the pickle, and richness and a bit of earthy taste from the cream cheese,,,
all of these are good
peanut butter and lettuce (*****ty iceberg lettuce)
eggs poached in stewed tomatoes,,,on toast
toasted peanut butter and bacon
doritos’ on sandwiches
french fry sandwich…(soft, bad for you white bread, buttered, loads of vinegar and salt,,,its a one slice sandwich, sorta roll the bread around it)
poached or fried eggs on top of weiners and beans on toast..
(this is just normal food, i’ll save the weird stuff for another list)
Hey there Mom424, french fry sandwiches aren't uncommon in England. In fact it has a name, it's called a chip butty
One thing I have always liked and everyone makes fun of me for it, potatoe chips on sandwiches(pb&j, tuna, turkey,ect.) just adds texture and a lil bit of salt which i am not a big fan of
I loooooove chocolate in my coffee! Not all that unsual considering all the mocha flavored things out there.
to add onto filipinoknight’s comment whenever i get a burger from a fast food place i always put french fries on the burger. adds flavor and texture.
and as far as the topic goes a grocery store around here sold choclate covered potatoe chips and they were the most delicous things ive ever eaten.
All of these sound yummy to me. Of course this is coming from someone who has eaten Turkey bacon wrapped around pineapple and a cricket on a toothpick.
The carrots remind me of how my mom makes yams.
Green beans and cool ranch dorito sandwiches….yum
My mom used to eat grapefruit halves with salt sprinkled on it. I like mustard on boiled potatoes. A tasty list indeed!
carrots and sugar isn’t that uncommon. there’s a common indian dessert made with carrots cooked with butter-milk and sugar. it’s called gajar ka halwa [literally, carrot sweet]
Not to mention glazed carrots from South Africa
Regarding “Coffee & Salt” — I coulda sworn that adding a dash of salt to coffee was meant more to knock down the acidity. Example: your coffee has been brewing in the pot for a couple hours and has gotten quite strong — toss in a pinch of salt to counteract the acid. Also, I’m curious: a lot of ethnic 2nd and 3rd generation Scandinavians here in my home state (middle of the U.S.) once had a common tradition of adding crushed eggshells to coffee grounds before brewing it. This is said to do the same thing as salt; mellow the taste the counteract the acid. People really don’t do it much anymore. I’m not sure if it was an ethic thing (maybe some Swedes reading this can tell me?) or something from the depression days — when coffee (when you could get it) was particularly harsh.
mc zippo, next time yer at a family bar-b-que try Aunt Mae’s potato salad on the burger, its as yummy as fries
jfrater; i blanch carrots cut on an angle into discs, then fry (or saute if you prefer) with fine diced onion, gartlic, brown sugar, butter, a bit of salt and a generous amount of black pepper,,,mmmmmm
everyone loves ‘em
I’m a bit partial to semi sweet chocolate (or very dark chocolate) melted over a bit of chicken breast.
mmmmmm…. food
mmmmmm…. strawberries
egg shells are added to coffee to soften the water. Egg shells are calcium. It’s supposed to help get rid of the coffee scum. My mom (Norwegian) used to do that sometimes. I don’t think it helped.
McDonald’s French Fries: $1.00
McDonald’s Soft Serve Ice Cream: $1.00
Together: Priceless…!
^-^
Ketchup on Macaroni and cheese. OK, I like ketchup on just about anything.
My own personal favorite weird combo: Miracle Whip and Cheez Whiz sandwiches. It MUST be the Whip, mayo just doesn’t cut it.
I have to say the chocolate in the chili might be a good idea, it’s often too spicy for me!
I love dipping my fries in my Frosty (or milkshake)! I live near Canada so I am a fan of poutine, which is French fries covered with gravy and melted cheese. Some people might find that weird but I love it!.