Chefs’ Secret Flavor Boosters

The following flavor boosters are so easy to make that you can add a gourmet touch to your home-cooked meals!

From This Episode:

No You Didn't! Questions that are Grosser than Gross!

Fresh Herbs

Chef Michael Gulotta's secret is to keep herb flavors vibrant by freezing them using ice cube trays. Every time you cook, take out a herb cube to start your meal. You can add this to pasta, chicken, bread or goat cheese. As an added bonus, these fresh herbs cut down on salt consumption.

Chef Mike’s Frozen Herb Purée

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of olive oil
3 garlic cloves
15 leaves of basil

Directions
Place the garlic cloves and basil in a blender. Add the olive oil to the blender until the ingredients are covered, and purée on high till smooth. Pour in ice cube tray and freeze.

Tasty Marinade

Chef Jose Garces has the perfect recipe to add some authentic flavor to your meat. Marinades are best if they sit for 24 hours; some marinades will store for up to 2 weeks.This abodo marinade is easy to make and can add flavor to any meal.

Chef Jose’s Adobo Marinade

Ingredients
Makes 3 cups

6 cloves garlic
1 cup vegetable oil
6 chilies from the can of chipotles, de-stemmed, but otherwise left whole
4 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (fresh is preferred)
1 cup cider vinegar

Directions
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and combine.

Diverse Flavors

Chef Dan Kluger shares his tip to get you thinking like a restaurant chef: Don’t be afraid to mix different flavors. When cooking, make sure each dish has the 3 S’s: Sweet, Sour and Spicy. The multiple flavors will activate your taste buds to cut any unhealthy cravings later on.

Try a recipe that embodies this principle: Chef Dan’s Whole Roasted Chicken With Escarole and Spicy Vinaigrette.