“A recipe has no soul. You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe.” ~ Thomas Keller
Enhancing Flavors
The good news is that enhancing flavors often coincides with an increase in nutrient load. Making a nutrient more bioavailable is a good goal.
Sometimes heat might cause a reduction in a nutrient though so its a balance.
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Consider adding salt, acid or fat.
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As above, pepper too!
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Whenever it makes sense, toast or wake up the spices. You would do this prepare congee or kitchari for sure.
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Add a pinch of umami flavor. You could use nutritious yeast (nooch), kelp flakes, or even the Trader Joe's Umami blend for a quick flavor hit.
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Cook in a well seasoned cast iron pan. This not only adds flavor, it adds some iron to the food as well.
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When in doubt, layer on a fresh dressing or drizzle.
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Add fat! Good fat, of course! We say this a lot here but don't be afraid to add a dollop of ghee, butter, avocado, sesame oil
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When adding acid like lemon, lime, orange, you can always zest a bit to really intensify the flavor. When you zest something stop when it gets to the white part of the peel.
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For soups & savory porridges, add a bay leaf to the cooking process, just don't eat it.
Correcting foods that have gone awry...
If the food is...
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Too salty, add acid like vinegar, lemon, lime
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Too salty, try a bit of honey, molasses, jaggery, or maple syrup.
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Too sweet, add an acid like vinegar, lime or lemon,
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Too sweet, try some fresh herbs, a tiny pinch of cayenne.
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