‘How To Properly Season Your Food’

I remember when I first graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and I was cooking at home for my parents. This was an exciting meal for me, as it was the first opportunity I had to showcase some of the skills and knowledge I had learned at school. 2.5 years of intense training and I still didn’t feel comfortable with one of the most important skills in the kitchen….seasoning! Now, let me first start out by saying that not all foods need to have additional seasonings added, but the intricacies of cooking rely on a well "seasoned" palate and an ability to know how much or how little.

Seasonings can be broken down into a few different categories including herbs, spices and condiments. The most popular seasoning known to the world of cooking is salt. Many professional and home cooks misuse salt in everyday applications, not knowing how much to really use. There are so many varieties of salt that I enjoy cooking with, each one having many unique characteristics and flavor profiles. ( March 2009 Feature on Salts ) I can remember in school we did an exercise that has remained with me until now. We lined up in front of a pot of butternut squash soup, everyone taking turns tasting a spoonful of the soup. After each of us tasted, the chef added a teaspoon of salt…we all tasted again. It was amazing to see the subtle changes in flavor and viscosity (mouth feel) of the soup. We lined up and did it again and again about 6 or 7 times, and compared the finished product to the original unseasoned soup. The addition of salt had changed the soup so immensely, that it almost tasted like a completely different batch. Although most recipes call for a dash of salt and pepper, it is not always necessary. Learning about the ingredients you choose to cook with will make a big impact on how much seasoning you must add during the cooking process.

But how do we find the proper balance of seasoning? As I wrote last month, the tongue has 5 known tastes, sweet, salty, sour, bitter & umami. True balance is all about the marriage of those tastes on the palate and ultimately on the plate. When cooking with unfamiliar flavors, taste them! Try using classic flavor combinations that our culinary forefathers successfully paired. It’s not going to happen overnight, but once we learn the basics of taste and flavor, our ability to season will be much more successful.

There are many basic guidelines you may follow with regard to using herbs and spices, but remember, there are NO RULES to cooking. Some seasonings are much stronger than others, so begin using small amounts, and then add more as you feel fit. Heartier dishes such as stews and braises can be seasoned well with woody herbs like rosemary and thyme. Lighter dishes like sliced heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella cheese may only need a little parsley or basil to bring the palate to absolute harmony.

Other popular seasonings include vinegars, finishing oils (more refined and delicate but full of flavor), soy sauce, wines, spices (such as pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, saffron and turmeric), and even anchovies, chilies, and garlic. Using herbs can really make a difference, so try and find a reputable supermarket for your herb selection, or even better, grow your own. Some of my favorites include basil, tarragon, parsley, chives, dill, mint, oregano, lavender, thyme, and rosemary.

A great way to incorporate flavors into foods like chicken, steak and seafood, is to combine some spices and or herbs, then add them to an olive oil, creating a marinade. Submerge the protein in the flavorful marinade and let all those seasonings permeate through the food. Be sure to brush most of the marinade off before cooking, as it may burn. Other ways to use spices include making dry rubs, which can enhance flavor, color, and texture. This is an important step when preparing BBQ ribs, and without the rub, most ribs may seem lackluster.

Still to this day, I can remember how afraid of cooking I was, but with some knowledge, support, and practice, you’ll be making some pretty tasty food! Try some of these ideas out at home, and don’t be disheartened if your first attempts, or two, are unsuccessful. "If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again….don’t give up too easily; persistence pays off in the end."