35
My grandma told me her 'secret' to perfect pie crust was just lard and cold water, nothing else. I've been overcomplicating it for years.
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
jade8852mo ago
A little salt and vinegar make a world of difference, in my experience.
6
henry_webb682mo ago
My grandma used to add a pinch of salt to her vinegar for pickling, and it really did brighten up the flavor. I find that trick works on simple salads too, like @jade885 mentioned. It's one of those small touches that just makes food taste more complete.
7
henryreed1mo ago
Read somewhere that salt actually makes your tongue more receptive to sour flavors. Something about the sodium ions opening up channels on your taste buds. So that sharp bite from the vinegar hits harder and lasts longer. Works great on green salads where the lettuce can be kind of boring on its own. Also does something interesting with tomatoes. A little salt and a splash of red wine vinegar really wakes up a sliced tomato that would otherwise taste like nothing.
4
lilychen1mo ago
Salt does something to food, sure, but are we really acting like it's this whole science experiment every time we eat a salad? You sprinkle a little sodium on your lettuce and suddenly you're a chemist unlocking taste receptors in your tongue. I just put salt on stuff because it makes it taste less bland, not because I'm thinking about sodium ions opening up channels. And the tomato thing works, but it's not exactly mind-blowing. A tomato with nothing on it is just a watery red thing. Add salt and a splash of anything acidic, and you've got a basic vegetable. It's food, not a magic trick.
5