Don't be a Cheapskate!

Hey everybody!  So, since I'm (trying) to do an eating-healthy thing at the moment... well, I don't have pictures of anything delicious or inspiring to post.  I haven't made anything exciting recently.  Instead, I thought I would talk a little bit about buying "brand name."

Here's the thing.  Sometimes with food, it's just better to buy brand name, or at least a brand you know and trust.  Other times off-brand is ok, as long as it's good quality.  a brand name or pricetag doesn't always indicate quality, but sometimes it does.  Either way, these are some of the ingredients that I don't cut corners with, because quality matters a lot.

1.  CHOCOLATE!

It doesn't matter what it is for me: cocoa powder, melting chocolate, or chips for baking cookies with.  (Or just for eating because I like it, for that matter...).  I like to buy brand name, for a few reasons.  One: I like my chocolate strong and dark, and I just feel like you get better flavor with brand name.  Two: when it comes to melting chocolate for more advanced cooking and baking applications, chocolate can be finicky.  A nightmare, really.  On the bright side, however, most brands behave the same across the board, because they are formulated the same.  That means that if you get used to using one brand, you can save yourself time and frustration because you're used to how it handles.  I typically buy Ghiradelli, at least for melting, because it's what I'm comfortable with and it tastes good.  I also enjoy Hershey's when it comes to cocoa powder.

2.  Baking Powder

Baking powder is one of the most frequently called-for leavening ingredients in baked goods, especially in American fare.  (European cooking tends to favor Bicarbonate of Soda, aka baking soda, and beaten eggs).  If your baking powder doesn't come through for you, POOF!  Flat baked goods.  Nobody likes that.  I know Clabber Girl isn't exactly "the expensive stuff" by any means, but it's reliable so I like it.




3.  Cinnamon (Spices)

I got this cinnamon at Market Spice in Pike Place Market, in Seattle, WA.  It's a WONDERFUL spice shop- I was in heaven!  A friend told me about the place a year or so ago, but I didn't believe him until I got there.  They take online orders here.

Anyway, my basic rule, for ALL spices, is this: buy good quality, so you can use less for the same flavor.  Also, when you buy the best quality you can afford, you'll enjoy a greater depth of flavor that will really make the food pop.  Another big plus: the aromatics will bring your whole house to life, and people will be asking, "What's that delicious smell!?"  And you can be like, "Oh nothing, it's just a homemade ___________ in the oven, no big deal," and really impress people.  I'm just sayin.

4.  Kosher Salt

Not only has this stuff been given the go-ahead by a Jewish Rabbi, but it is also coarser than typical table salt.  The coarse texture (big grains) take longer to dissolve, so if you put it in food, when the grains touch your tongue you enjoy a saltier flavor than with normal salt.  If you want, you can use less actual salt to keep your sodium intake in check... Or if you're me and like things on the salty side, go ahead.  Salt on.

PS- you get the same basic effect with coarse sea salt, but I wouldn't use sea salt for baking because of the irregular grain size.  With Kosher, however, go right ahead.
5.  Booze

As I believe I've already mentioned, I don't actually drink.  However, you should use good quality alcohol when you cook, because the flavor will affect your food.  For example, I always use a good craft beer when it's called for in a recipe.  It doesn't have to be a national brand or anything (I tend to prefer local, actually) but don't buy the cheapest stuff you can get.  Crappy alcohol generally won't have the desired effect on a recipe's flavor that good booze would have.



6.  Oils and Vinegars

Oils.  Here's one of the times where it's quality, not brand or price, that matters.  Kirkland signature (from Costco) is an "off-brand" that I have a love/hate relationship with.  MANY Kirkland signature products are fabulous- for example, this olive oil is very inexpensive (2, 2-liter bottles for around $25), and it tastes really good.  I wouldn't, however, ever recommend buying Kirkland signature maple syrup.  You'll regret it.  Trust me.

Flavored oils are great for cooking, but I especially like them for homemade salad dressings.  Next time you would typically use olive oil, try something else, for example, truffle oil.  Yum.

Vinegar.  Oil and vinegar are the base for most homemade salad dressings, and recently I've been trying to go homemade whenever I need to dress something.  This has definitely been a learning experience for me- As a kid, we really NEVER had vinegar with ANYTHING, so it's a taste I'm acquiring over time.

You get a much richer flavor, generally with much less fat than store-bought, by making dressing yourself.  Because of this, I like to buy the oil, and vinegar, that i can get.  Better vinegar brings a nice sophisticated "twang" to your dressings (and come on, who doesn't like to be sophisticated?!)

It's also surprising how many different types of vinegar there are.  Do yourself a favor and buy "the expensive stuff" next time.  I've found (through my highly sophisticated and non-mathematical trial and error, no less) that with vinegar, price is generally a reasonable indicator of quality when you don't really know what you're doing (like me!).

7.  HOT SAUCE!!

I thought I would also mention a couple of condiments that I'm picky about.  Hot sauce is definitely one of them.  In my book, Cholula is the best there is, but I begrudgingly understand that there are some Tobasco fans as well.  Either way, don't buy "off brand."  It's not like even the most expensive hot sauce is a bank-breaker, and the actual FLAVOR is better with the brand names.

That's right.  Flavor.  Some hot sauces just bring heat to the party, lighting your mouth on fire and making it so you can't in point of fact, taste anything else you're eating.  I'm not a fan of that sensation, personally.  Instead, Cholula has a delightful peppery flavor and also brings some heat to the party.  Cheers!

8.  Barbeque Sauce

Last, but SO TOTALLY not least, is Barbeque sauce.  If you're using store-bought BBQ sauce, Famous Dave's is by far my favorite.  Famous Dave's is a restaurant that started in my neck of the woods; the very first restaurant in what is now a thriving chain is located in Hayward, WI.  And baby, their Barbeque is to DIE for.

Their bottled, sold-in-the-supermarket sauce manages to taste deliciously homemade.  (Dirty little secret: I haven't been able to find homemade that beats it- I ALWAYS use this stuff.  So much for being a food snob!).  For inexperienced BBQ-ers, forget Kraft (Shudder).  Pick this up the next time you want to cook out.

Well, I hope this helps.  Basically, the moral of my story is this: try different versions of the same product, and decide which ones you like best.  Sometimes you won't notice a difference.  Other times you'll taste two products side-by-side and notice that you really favor one over the other.  When you find those certain foods, or ingredients, or condiments, or whatever that just taste better in a certain brand name, I think it's worth splurging.  It'll make eating that much more enjoyable, and I'm all about JOY when food is involved.

Till next time, Happy Eating!