My neighbor told me my bean soup was bland and now I always add a parmesan rind while it cooks.

She said, "You're missing the salty, funky backbone," and after trying her tip with a rind I saved from a $4 wedge, the flavor is so much deeper for basically no extra cost, so what other cheap scraps do you guys use to boost flavor?

3 comments

3 Comments

troyknight18d ago

I save bacon grease and add a spoonful to my greens.

marybutler18d ago

Honestly, I think that's kind of wasteful. Saving every little scrap turns your freezer into a landfill of old food. That parmesan rind sat in my fridge for weeks and got freezer burn before I remembered it. Fresh ingredients are the way to go, a good pinch of salt does the same job without the clutter. Why build a flavor around something you were going to throw away?

craig.viola18d ago

Maybe it's just me, but @marybutler, that freezer clutter feels like future flavor on a lazy day. A parmesan rind in a jar of olive oil makes a killer dressing base when you finally use it. It's less about building a dish around trash and more about having a cheap secret ingredient ready to go.