Asklemmy

Citric acid. It's like adding lemon juice, except without any added moisture, so it works where too much moisture could pose a problem, like when you are making a pizza, nachos, or frying something in oil. It also never goes bad and is incredibly cheap, I use it all the time and am not even halfway through the $15 bag I bought like 8 years ago.

I do a chicken pizza using tzatziki as the base sauce instead of tomato. Initially I was going to have it on top, but decided to go nuts. With the other Mediterranean ingredients on it, goes deliciously.

Sriracha on my cereal.

I spread pesto inside my grilled cheese sandwiches

I try to remember that book "salt fat acid heat" when i am making up a dish from the food in the fridge/pantry when trying to decide what might work.

If it’s tomato heavy, add sugar, neutralizes the acids a bit and makes it easier if you suffer heartburn.

When I grill burgers I mix in an egg and breadcrumbs. The egg seals in the juices and the breadcrumbs stabilize it. Garlic salt and Lowry’s seasoned salt mixed in as well.

In fact garlic salt and Lowry’s finds their way into most meals in the house. Great combo for almost any meat and most veggies.

Nandos medium hot sauce in chicken stews.

MSG

Recently discovered the wonders of yeasty flakes, never thought to put it in sauces (only sprinkles) so I will give this a go, thanks!

My ultimate sprinkly pasta topping is a mixture of grated cheese, crushed Salted crisps, yeast flakes, fresh basil, hot sauce, and Japanese shichimi.

Heat, salt, fat, acid. Technique matters more than secret ingredients.

Using low and slow or high and fast where appropriate depending on the goal. Plenty of fat and salt on everything, and a little acid to brighten up the dish.

For chicken or beef pot-roasted with vegetables, apple juice. I started doing it when recipes called for wine but I had little kids and no money.

I don't know about "better", but I've been experimenting with adding bitter chocolate to my indian curries. The thinking being, some masalas are a bit like mole if you squint (yes, I know most moles don't actually contain chocolate). Balancing out the bittersweetness has been challenging, especially given that the tomatoes I can get around here are already quite sweet. It also affects how much lemon juice or amchoor is needed. I'm not quite convinced yet that it's a good idea lol.

Salt, butter and garlic. But I have a feeling my secret ingredients aren't all that secret.

It's not that wild, but I absolutely LOVE blue cheese in a burger.

I find a lot of dishes are just better with oregano.