The Essentials: Limes

There are very few things that add a burst of flavor and intensity like a good lime. Sweet, sour and flavourful, they're the perfect compliment to a wide array of flavours, but I like it the best with spicy food. Nothing improves a good taco, or curry, than a squeeze of lime.

But don't think that this is the only way to use the delightful lime. Adding some lime juice to something as unlikely as a pot roast can have wonderful effects. The acid in the juice will help to break down and tenderize the meat, while just adding a hint of the taste. You'll be shocked at the difference.

Don't be afraid to branch out and try different kinds of limes. Everyone knows (and should love) the standard Persian lime that is available everywhere around the United States. Most people even have a passing acquaintance with its smaller, tarter cousin the key lime. But have you had a Kaffir lime (Try the leaves! They're a great addition to Thai recipes!)? Or a blood lime? They're pretty fabulous. One of my personal favorites is the Palestine lime. It's a sweeter hybrid between the standard Persian lime and a sweet lemon or citron. Very, very tasty.

If you can't tell already, I love limes. They're just something that you should have around to add to any recipe, or to serve as a garnish. They're important, tasty and fun. You might as well just say that they're essential.

The Essentials: Mustard

I love mustard. It comes in a wide variety of types. Enough so that you can eat it with just about anything. It's pretty much the perfect condiment. You should always have at least one kind of mustard (probably plain yellow), but expanding out into some different kinds is a great idea. Here are some of the basic types that I like to keep in the fridge:

Plain Yellow American Mustard- It's mild and bright yellow in color. Perfect for hot dogs and hamburgers. You can put a lot on things and not be overwhelmed. My personal favorite kind is Plochman's, but the most popular is French's.

Dijon Mustard- This is more of a yellow/brown color and has a tangier taste than the plain yellow. It's the classic French way of preparing mustard, with a little wine mixed in there. It's great with roast beef and on sandwiches. My personal preference (at least as far as those commonly available) is a French brand Maille, which is still sold in most grocery stores. The same company also makes the american line, Grey Poupon, so that's pretty good too.

Honey/Honey Dijon Mustard- This is pretty much dijon mustard with the addition of some honey to make it sweeter. Perfect on sandwiches or with chicken. I particularly like it on a turkey sandwich. My favorite here is the Grey Poupon brand.

English Mustard- It's bright yellow, but it's pretty hot so you only use it sparingly. This is the perfect roast beef mustard. Perfect in small amounts. The standard is Colman's.

Whole Ground Mustard- This has the whole mustard seeds in it. More of a grainy texture with a stronger vinegar taste. I like to just put in on crackers with cheese. But it's good with most anything. Right now I'm going through a bottle of French stuff from Sur La Table, but most makers have this type.

Chinese Mustard- It's pretty mild in taste with a very light brown color. It's really easy to prepare (being just the ground mustard and water) so you can actually make this at home using just the powder. It's usually a dipping sauce for various fried or stir fried items. I haven't found a particular brand that I prefer yet. They seem to be fairly similar. There are also pre-prepared kinds.

Those are just some of the basics. There are hundreds of other varietys and variations. With different igredients added, or ground to different textures. Experiment and try them out. You'll probably find something you like.

The Essentials: Cilantro

It's always important to have the right things set up before you start cooking. To get your mis en place (or meez) ready. Having all the ingredients cut, measured, or prepared can make things much quicker and easier. There are a few items that are important for every meal. Things like salt, pepper, oil, herbs and other spices. It's just plain important to have them. One of these things that's a vital piece, at least of my meez when I'm cooking is fresh cilantro. I think that it can make almost anything tastier, either when used as a garnish, or incorporated into a recipe. Either as whole leaves, or minced. And NOT THE DRY STUFF. There's no point to buying dried cilantro. The fresh kind is cheap, and much, much, much better. So try it out. Next time you're making something, throw a little cilantro on there. Even if it's just something as simple as Ramen noodles. It'll be mighty tasty.

The Essentials: Tapatío

I know that Aubrie keeps calling this a recipe blog, but I like to see it as more of a general food blog. That's probably partly because I'm not so big on writing recipes down. I just wing it. But here's a feature that I'm going to introduce, I'm calling it The Essentials. It's basically the things having to do with food and cooking that I think are absolutely essential.

Tapatío:

I'm very big into hot sauce. I put it on everything. And really I mean everything (try it on pancakes sometime). Generally I keep somewhere between 3-6 kinds in the fridge (4 at the moment). These range from from mango flavor to one that includes lime juice. Mexican style, Chinese, Indian, all different kinds. But by far my favorite is Tapatío. It's a Mexican style hot sauce that has one important difference from many others. It's not vinegar based. That's why it's my favorite. The lack of vinegar taste makes it possible to put large quantities on or in food without overwhelming the flavor with vinegar. I highly recommend it. If you only have one kind of hot sauce, it should be Tapatío.