Recipes and cooking commentary with a touch of humor.

Welcome to lizzycooks!

I love to cook. I collect recipes and cookbooks, enjoy food photography, and adore trying new restaurants. All of this food love inspired me to start this blog where I share my favorite recipes, cooking tips, and other fun stuff. Enjoy your food!

Salt & Pepper "To Taste" - Huh?

Happy New Year everyone!  I've missed you and have been ignoring my blog.  I hope to post more often this year.  I thought I'd start 2017 out with a cooking tip.  

So, what exactly does salt and pepper "to taste" mean?  To me, it means tasting your recipe as you go to see if it needs salt, pepper, or some other herb or spice.  Trust yourself, and remember you can add more of something but not take it away.

There are a few different definitions of "to taste" floating around and I've listed some below.  Enjoy.

To taste the food, and decide if it could be better. If you think it can, then add some salt. And repeat until you’re happy. It’s that simple. 
-thestonesoup.com

It’s a shorthand way of saying season your food as you cook it, then taste as you go to make sure you’ve got it right. 
-cookingclarified.com

To add as much salt or pepper or as much of a spice or herb as one likes so something tastes good.
-Merriam-Webster Dictionary

In the amount needed to give a flavor pleasing to someone eating a dish. 
-English Oxford Dictionary

When a recipe tells you to add a particular spice or other flavouring to taste, it means that you can add as much of that ingredient as you like. 
-Collins Dictionary

As an ingredient in dishes, salt plays two very important roles. First, it reduces bitter flavors. Second, because it reduces bitterness, adding salt allows the aromas and tastes of the other ingredients in your dish to shine through.

If you have a dish that tastes flat or bitter, a little salt might be the only fix you need. Before adding more spices or seasonings, try just adding a teaspoon or a pinch of salt. Taste again and see if the flavors have improved. Add a little more. Taste again.

-thekitchn.com

Happy 2017!  Enjoy your food!