Somewhat Cheap, Somewhat Healthy: Volume 1 - Food Basics

In years of keeping price in mind when buying and cooking with food, I have never been able to find a mind blowing way of using frozen spinach. I love fresh spinach and can tolerate canned spinach, but frozen spinach makes me want to cry. No matter what I do, I cannot make frozen spinach the star of the dish. Frozen spinach is, at best, a background actor. Cover it in tomato sauce, add garlic, croutons and/or ground beef, sprinkle with parmesan and then we can talk.

No matter what I'm making, there's a couple handfuls of ingredients I always look to.
1. Salt - "Salt makes food taste more like itself" adding a little bit of salt to a dish can dramatically improve its flavor, but make sure that if you're eating a lot of salty food, that you're also drinking enough water to help flush it out.
1a. - Monosodium glutamate or MSG - Somewhat controversial, this is (usually) my last ditch effort when I don't want to throw out a dish because it isn't working. I never buy the actual substance on its own. Instead I look for it in seasoning mixes or bouillon. The seasoning sauce known as "Maggi" , look for it in polish delis and ethnic grocery stores, is a good one to use because it can give food a wonderful umami flavor that can be hard to achieve.

MMMMMMM...SG

2. Oils and Fats - This ranges from peanut butter, olive oil, and vegetable oil to animal fats. Fats and oils help give food flavor. I also particularly like using olive oil when I roast vegetables in the oven because it helps it brown nicely and maintain moisture. Oils and fats also help lubricate pots and pans to prevent food from sticking or burning. Whenever I make a meat dish on the stove, I add a little water or vegetable stock to the pan after I'm done. Bringing that water to a low boil, I scrape off brown bits (don't ever scrape nonstick pans as this often ruins them) and add it to a jar that I keep in the refrigerator. I sometimes use this when cooking vegetables. It can make a vegetable dish much more hearty and satisfying.
3. Garlic - "Everyone uses garlic except the Pennsylvania Dutch, who just use a lot of butter" - Mo Rocca. Garlic in powdered or fresh form makes a great addition to most savory food. I keep a big container of powdered garlic (not garlic salt) within reaching distance in my cupboard. I also keep a couple beautiful cloves of garlic in the fridge for a couple of reasons, including as a natural remedy and for roasting.

I love garlic. I really do.

4. Onion (white or yellow) - I love onions because they pair well with a lot of foods. They can give a bite in their raw state or can impart sweetness when fried or sautéed. If you like the bite of onions but find it to be a bit too much, you can soak the onions in cold water for up to 15 minutes. It will take out most or all of the bite. Experiment with it to find out exactly how long is enough for you to tolerate their pungency.
5. Herbs and Spices - Black pepper, parsley, basil, rosemary, chili powder, and "all purpose seasoning" are probably some of the more common ones I'd suggest but everyone has different tastes and just because your friend likes rosemary, it doesn't mean you will. Think of a dish you like and then search a recipe site like allrecipes.com for that recipe. Find what herbs are common in that dish and you'll have an idea for what kind of herbs you should look into buying.
6. Acid - Lemons, limes, and vinegars are my most frequently used acidic ingredients. Acids can stimulate and sharpen flavors in a dish, increase sourness and/or suppress bitterness. Try balancing acid with salt. White vinegar and Apple Cider vinegar can also be used for a number of other purposes, including cleaning.
7. Sugar - I rarely use sugar when cooking so I debated including it, but I do use it when a dish has gone a bit sideways. I usually turn to sugar when my dish is too acidic or bitter. In certain cases I enjoy playing with sugar in salty dishes.

What works for me may not always work for you, but when it comes down to it, cooking is an art and it's open to interpretation. Remember though that just because you like your piece of art, that doesn't mean anyone else will. Strive for balance between sweet and bitter with sour and salty. Experiment in the kitchen and gain knowledge from places like Food Network and Saveur. I suggest watching any show where food is judged because you can learn a variety of cooking techniques, new ingredients, dos and don'ts, and tips.

I will be posting a Tool Basics edition either later this week or next week, so stay tuned.