How to build a flavor profile

Layering flavors.

You hear that term on all of the great cooking shows. Layering the flavors. But what does it mean? When you start to cook,  just after turning on the pan, you add oil to the pan to sear the meat, cook the vegetables, start your recipe. THIS is where the flavors can be started. At the beginning of any recipe.  Adding flavors the throughout the recipe IS also key. Don’t be afraid to season your meat as it cooks. Often times, adding the seasonings and spices to your meat while it’s cooking, seals in the flavors you add. Heat does wonders for spices and brings out the intensity of flavors. Even toasting your spices helps too.   Here’s some of my most favorite tips when building flavor profiles in your food.

1) Start at the very beginnings of the recipe.

– Caramelize the onions. This brings sweetness and richness to any dish

– Toast your spices. Add your dry spices to a dry skillet and heat over medium until fragrant. Remove      from the heat and add to your recipe.

– Flavored Oils. Use some great flavored oils to saute your vegetables, or even meats. Sogno Toscano has some amazing products. Go here to see what I love. Use Promo Code: Glenn101 at checkout.

2) Spices. They must be fresh, not sitting in your drawer or pantry for years and years. Many spices loose their flavors after a a little while. I like to keep mine in a drawer, easily reachable, and labeled. When I’m cooking, if I am organized, it goes much faster. But that’s a whole other topic. Kitchen organization. What are my go to spices?

– Smoked paprika           – Garlic powder             – Dried basil               – Dried rosemary

– Chili powder                 – Kosher salt                   – Bay leaves                – Dried oregano

– Roasted cinnamon      – Yellow curry                 – Cumin                      – Garden Gourmet herb & spices

Here’s my segment on Studio 5, where I show you how easy it is to make a flavorful recipe, Vegetable Fried Rice from leftovers. Building a great flavor profile can be easy, using fresh ingredients and my go-to spices. Yum.