Tips to Improve Cooking

If you find yourself reaching for the pepper grinder on reflex, it's time to rethink your strategy. Pepper, while delicious in many applications, should be treated as a spice rather than as a go-to seasoning, as it simply adds a layer of flavor rather than enhancing the dish as a whole.

To perk up a flat-tasting dish, taste it first, then adjust in small increments with salt and a splash of an acidic ingredient like citrus juice until the flavors pop. If used properly, these ingredients won't let their presence be known; rather, they will take a dish from flat to fabulous.