Magical Ingredients

Everyone has a signature dish and taste is important because there is nothing worse than taking up all of your time to cook a meal that has a tasteless result with a silent review.
Spice is the essence of all foods and the magic to make a good meal fantastic!
Italians use wine, herbs and garlic because that is just the way it is.  Often people do not enjoy a meal that is spicy or has too many herbs in it but it just tastes so much better and a herb can uplift or enhance the flavour of any meal to make it a wow experience.

One thing that we need to remember is that too much of something might not be a good thing and you could spoil your entire meal by adding too much, therefore you have got to be careful when selecting to use herbs and spices as well as wine because again you can alter the taste completely.
Herbs and spices are used to enhance food and a good chef always plans ahead and thinking carefully might be an option for those who are afraid to use the magical ingredients.
Here are a few ideas on herbs and spices that will enhance the flavour of your food and leave your guests wanting more.

Wine is a great ingredient and it can enhance the flavour of meat, pasta, fish and sauces if you use the correct amount.

Garlic is great to use in any meal but you need to avoid using the crushed type as it is very strong and can change the flavour of your food so much so that the garlic overpowers the dish.  By using the clove and slicing it into fine slithers, you will get more flavour then with it crushed.

Parsley is great for many dishes and it is usually best with potato, tomato and steak but it should always be chopped finely to give a hint of flavour to the food.

Black Pepper can be added to many dishes and it is always a good idea to add just a little unless you are making a pepper sauce, you don't want to have the taste of pepper altering the food.

White Pepper tastes delicious in butternut and certain vegetables and if you do use this pepper it is also a good idea to add a drop because again too much can change the desired effect on your food.

Chicken Stock is a good idea to add into meat dishes and fish dishes.  People assume that you should use a fish stock for fish and chicken for chicken but chicken stock is great to enhance the flavour of meat, poultry and fish dishes.

Italian Mixed Herbs are used often and is one of the most popular ones because it works with every meal but you do need to avoid using it on certain vegetable dishes and meat because it can often be a little challenging when a dish is too herby.

Rosemary should only be used for roast dishes because it is a powerful herb that has a strong flavour and when using it, you need to add it to a dish that is a little plain just to boost the boring vegetable like a potato.

There are so many herbs to choose from and some herbs complete a meal like for instance pasta sauce, without Basil does not taste the same.
Herbs are always best fresh and use it sparingly to enhance the flavour and not destroy the taste.