I've just instant coffee in my bolognese. Life changing. Any other weird food hacks?

[catinbootsx]

I've always done the regular MN bolognese with a stock cube, Worcestershire sauce etc etc with good results.

Saw some weirdo on here the other day who puts a teaspoon of instant coffee in hers.

Was feeling a bit maverick, tried it. Cannot wait to eat tonight.

@catinbootsx

milk???

Milk is brilliant in bolognaise, quite traditional for a lot of ragu recipes. Rounds out the acidity from the tomatoes. Not convinced re coffee but glad you enjoyed it!

Chocolate in chilli is nice. Just a square or two.

I’ve heard of coffee in Chilli (think it was a Jamie Oliver recipe) and I do sometimes add it to mine, and/or cocoa, a little sugar and vinegar.
Haven’t heard of coffee in bolognese though.

Hope u enjoyed!

chocolate in chilli is horrid. might as well shit in it.

Sugar in curry definitively improves it - whenever a recipe includes either tomatoes or onions I have found that sugar adds to the taste. If onions are being fried I add the sugar in at that point to bring out that fab caramelised taste.
I also use bovril instead of stock cubes and regularly throw ginger into things. Cloves (in v small amounts) are also a magnificent addition to a curry that tastes a bit boring - used loads in North African cooking but don’t often get much of a look-in here.

@PantherPantherus you're not keen then? 😂

I've tried combining Marmite and peanut butter on toast and it was quite nice, although my life remained disappointedly unchanged...

... but I won't be trying the suggestion of @PantherPantherus of 'shit in chilli', mainly because I am worried that I might fall off the cooker.

I make a “curry” with coconut milk, curry powder, garam marsala, stock cube, peanut butter and honey (with meat or just vegetables). Serve with rice. Everyone who’s ever had it gobbles it up. I went a bit heavy last week and my 8 year old said: “it smells like my breakfast” which was peanut butter toast. Still ate it all up, though!

@intheenddoesitreallymatter

Sweet chilli sauce in bolognese is brilliant too

I do this.

A little bit of salt in hot chocolate brings out the flavour. My mum always did this when she made a big vat of hot chocolate for us all. With homemade whipped cream on top. Yum.

Not feeling the coffee in bolognaise, but I've sugared curries and bolognaise / chile for a long time. My mum would be horrified, she served up mushroom and green pepper laden bolognaise and never used salt, let alone sugar, in cooking.

Coffee in Chili too, instead of cocoa. Fewer calories!

I add sugar, maple syrup and balsamic to my chilli. I like my food RICH like my men

@squarepeggyleggy I do that too! And often with a bit of soy sauce and lemon or lime juice. Lovely combo of flavours!

Oh.. and garlic 🧄😁

When I make chocolate cupcakes, I add some cooled instant coffee. Really intensifies the chocolate flavour.

I always put a spoonful of sugar and a splash of milk in near the end, and have tried chocolate in chili but didn't taste any difference. Will give coffee a try though! Have always put balsamic vinegar on tuna, it just goes perfectly.

A pinch of finely ground black pepper lifts chocolate too. I add it to cakes and biscuits.

Lemon juice is great in a cheese sauce. It makes it tastes less greasy and more cheesy somehow.

It's only a tiny bit of chocolate required in chilli or it would be horrid 🧐

I put marmite in the rehydration water when making up dried soya mince - it quite frankly needs all the help it can get.

It makes a great veg chilli sans carne.

I add a little bit of orange juice instead of sugar to anything cooked in a tomato based sauce because unless they are picked directly from the vine in a hot country tomatoes can be quite sour and I can taste the tin in tinned ones.

Chocolate in chilli is soooooo good! DH found a great recipe which has sweet peppers in it but we lost the sheet of paper & can’t find the exact recipe online. It was one of the best things he’s ever made.

Mustard powder in cheese sauce - yum!

Star anise in savoury mince. Amazing.

I put sugar in mine

I put sugar in my bolognese after reading about it on here last week. My DC said it tasted better than ever, so thank you to that poster!