Seasoning Savvy

Photo: flickr user stringbot

Preparation

More than any other reason, people say they don't like to cook for just themselves because after all the work, their meals just don't taste very exciting. The food is boring, bland and blah.

If this sounds familiar, it may not have a thing to do with cooking, but with seasoning. You may not use enough pepper and salt. Or any other condiment for that matter. Nothing will drab down a dish faster than lack of seasoning.

Think along, here. Take a simple, common chicken breast. Zap it in the microwave, broil it, or saute it in a little butter in a pan. You could improve the flavor of this plain presentation by dressing it with any of the following.

Simple salt and pepper

Peppercorns, freshly ground, work miracles of flavor. If you've always used pre-ground black pepper in a shaker, put it on hold for a week. In its place, buy a jar of whole black peppercorns. Hopefully, you have a pepper grinder. If not, invest a few bucks in a small one. Don't even think about the ridiculous bazookas you see in restaurants. Grind fresh pepper over salads, eggs, vegetables, even over sweetened strawberries.

Regular "when-it-rains-it-pours" table salt is fine in cooked foods. But a pinch of kosher salt spinkled directly onto your food at the table adds crunch and an extra zap of flavor. Keep this coarse salt in an open container such as a teacup, and leave it on the table or beside the range where you can pinch it anytime. There are all kinds of salt blends, too. And please, remember that a little bit of salt won't kill you, but you can die of boredom without it.

Pepper and Salt Shakes. There must be two dozen kinds of dry seasoning shakes in the spice racks at the supermarket. The best part of these shakes is that they are pre-blended for balance of flavor, and you don't have any guesswork.

They combine spices and seasonings with some pepper and salt. If you buy one every time you shop, it will be only a few weeks before you have a stash to really pep up your dishes.

Seasoning salts such as Grill-Mates steak seasoning can be patted onto the surface of any meat before you cook it. The spice blend gives chicken, pork, lamb and beef that right-off-the-grill flavor. Szechuan-style pepper blend elevates almost everything it touches. It's good on grilled food and super on fish or shrimp in a saute. Stir-frys come alive. And it even adds a new dimension to scrambled eggs, pizza and hamburgers.

Refrigerator Basics

Take a look at the shelves of your refrigerator door. Scary, no?

Two-year-old crystallized jams and gooky jars should be tossed out. Wipe off the shelf and start adding. Get some chutneys, those sweet and pungent jams from India that lend an exotic touch and a punch of flavor to chicken and pork.

Add salsas, bitey with chile peppers and garlic, to add a kick of flavor.

Pick up some pickles and relishes, or chowchow - a mustard pickle often used with curry - and piccalilli, a form of chutney. Round up some horseradish and chili sauce, as well as a couple mustards (especially ones you've never tried), and a couple kinds of olives.

Next, the produce drawer. A squeeze of lemon, a spritz of lime. Gingerroot and garlic to chop and crush. Herbs are a no-brainer.

Stocking the pantry

Now take a good look at what passes for your pantry shelf. Stock it with small bottles of flavored cooking oils and at least three kinds of vinegar.

Smoked salted almonds and dry roasted peanuts make good appetizers or toppings.

When you feel like making a peppy side-dish for yourself, make Chef Chris Schlesinger's Nectarine-Red Onion Relish. The flavor is definitely South American. It packs a wallop, but it's mild enough for those folks who don't really like things hot-hot. Serve it with any grill meats, and it's also good as an accompaniment to roasted or grilled vegetables.

That chicken breast will never taste better.