Survival Cooking 101: Making it taste better

We all know the problem with cheap food...it tastes like crap. And today, many high-end companies use the cheapest (and most dangerous) of flavor enhancers to cover up the generally foul taste of the cheap ingredients they use. Yes, I am speaking of the use of MSG by companies such as Campbells, Doritos, and others.

When we first start cooking from scratch, many of us note that our own food tastes bland, or odd. The solution is simple. Culinary herbs.

Several weeks ago, I had made a huge batch of ham and bean soup. Hubby had turned his nose up at it as tasting okay, but not his cup of tea. Two nights ago, I had opened up two canning jars I had previously made up of the same batch....remembering his face, I promptly added my favorite blend of Itallian spices. Hubby ate two bowls of it, and teenager ate four bowls, and both remarked how good it was.

The seasoning mix is easy...one or two tablespoons of garlic powder, a tablespoon of onion powder, a teaspoon of basil, a teaspoon of oregano, and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Trust me, if you have ever tried to make garlic bread with just plain garlic, you will note that there is "something wrong" with it. This mix tastes 100 times better.

Here's a hint...take this same Italian mix, and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes. Put in in a small dish (like the saucer your coffee cup sits on top), and add a nice flavored olive oil. This is the exact same bread dip from "The Olive Garden". You can use this Itallian mix (with or without the salt and hot pepper flakes) to make garlic bread, or to make a garlic butter sauce (half butter, half garlic) to toss with pasta, veggies, and bits of meat.

Herbs are easier to grow than one thinks. On our own property, herbs such as basil, cilantro, rosemary, and parsley have come back on their own. Onion bulbs can be planted in the ground and left on their own until you need the green tops. Garlic is another one of those that can planted in the ground, and simply forgotten until you need to dig it up. However, if your ground freezes in winter, you may wish to pull some of us before the cold sets in...its the one thing I can have sitting on my counter top that the fruit flies don't bother, and two months after I have dug them up, they haven't gone bad. Like the green onion tops, garlic greens can also be used in cooking (they taste a bit like garlic and chives).

In terms of cost per how long a bottle lasts, spices and culinary herbs are surprisingly inexpensive....which is why I can't figure out why companies don't simply just use herbs and spices rather than MSG. A small amount can go a long way. Still, there are some herbs that are just far superior when used fresh (such as cilantro).

Experiment with spices, and discover for yourself what herb and spice mixes you like. You may find your own cooking to be far superior to purchasing a can of crud at the store.