I’ve just started adding MSG directly to my home cooking, which is an absolute game-changer. I’m using Ajinomoto, which I ordered from Amazon based on Helen Rosner’s recommendation. My food tastes quite a bit better, but earlier this week I flew too close to the sun. Halfway through cooking, I realized that I had been adding powdered MSG and finely grated romano cheese (which is basically powdered MSG) to my sauteed greens. We only just got the word to describe the taste umami, so I think we have a few years before we successfully describe “over-umamied.” It was kind of like being too salty, but more so. A bite would taste great, and then my cheeks would pucker. Some frantic tweeting and googling taught me the the only way to fix this is to add volume to the dish. Not having an extra bunch of kale handy, I kept everything else I added as bland as possible and it turned out OK (If I hadn’t just moved, I probably would have vinegar on hand, and would have tried that). It’s a good reminder that when they tell you to add seasonings a little at a time, tasting as you go, they aren’t just telling you a bunch of nonsense that sounds impressively chef-y. While I drank extra wine to counteract the umami (I’m choosing to believe that works), I actually cleaned out my email. Hence, a lot of cool stories from the mailbag that I missed from mid-August, when I was too busy to do much of anything.
We need a term that means "too much umami"
We need a term that means "too much umami"
We need a term that means "too much umami"
I’ve just started adding MSG directly to my home cooking, which is an absolute game-changer. I’m using Ajinomoto, which I ordered from Amazon based on Helen Rosner’s recommendation. My food tastes quite a bit better, but earlier this week I flew too close to the sun. Halfway through cooking, I realized that I had been adding powdered MSG and finely grated romano cheese (which is basically powdered MSG) to my sauteed greens. We only just got the word to describe the taste umami, so I think we have a few years before we successfully describe “over-umamied.” It was kind of like being too salty, but more so. A bite would taste great, and then my cheeks would pucker. Some frantic tweeting and googling taught me the the only way to fix this is to add volume to the dish. Not having an extra bunch of kale handy, I kept everything else I added as bland as possible and it turned out OK (If I hadn’t just moved, I probably would have vinegar on hand, and would have tried that). It’s a good reminder that when they tell you to add seasonings a little at a time, tasting as you go, they aren’t just telling you a bunch of nonsense that sounds impressively chef-y. While I drank extra wine to counteract the umami (I’m choosing to believe that works), I actually cleaned out my email. Hence, a lot of cool stories from the mailbag that I missed from mid-August, when I was too busy to do much of anything.