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Back in Feb. I posted about my sugar cookies not having flavor (have found a recipe I like since then) Suggestions were to use quality ingredients. I've been pondering since, what makes an item "quality"? Is it because it's namebrand? expense? marketing? subjective because of individual taste? Maybe I need other things to "ponder" about? LOL

Well, you can't always equate "quality" with cost, but sometimes it is an indication that more natural and healthy ingredients or techniques were a part of the product. It's important to read ingredients on labels to gleen valuable info vs appealing to fancy packaging, enticing wordage or ads or the common use of trendy buzz words like "all natural", "organic", "pure", "low fat", etc. which tend to be loosely used or misleading to boost sales. Generally, when some unhealthy additive was lessened or removed, something just as harmful or worse was used to compensate that which was reduced or omitted. You must do your homework.

Most chefs will admit to using cream and butter in their cooking. Fresh herbs and spices are trademark ingredients preferred by chefs too as are fresh seafoods, veggies and fruits. Top chefs are fussy about their meats also knowing which sources and cuts result in tender, juicy and flavorful dishes. Pure extracts are also used. They tend to shun anything artifical or artificially enhanced (colored), processed, or have additives like chemicals or hormones. They tend to use products that excell from regions from this country and abroad. The result is cuisine that is alive in favors, texture, colors, Etc.

Whenever I bake sugar cookies, I add a bit of dried nutmeg to the batter for added flavor. Of course grating fresh nutmeg would produce a more flavorful cookie. Use real butter for enhanced flavor and texture. Also, scraping the seeds from a vanilla bean is best, but it can be expensive. I use pure vanilla extract.

I have found that some ingredients have a wide variance in taste--at least to me. I use a better brand of vanilla extract and nothing beats Maldon salt when it is called for in a recipe. I always use butter for baking never margine. I did find however that some premium butters have to be adjusted for in a recipe. Nuts need to be fresh otherwise you risk a rancid taste. I always make my own apricot fillings and never use prepared ones from a can or bag.

Some butters have a higher butterfat content which gives a different texture and taste that's worth paying extra for, I think. Some vanilla extracts have a richer and more full-bodied taste. Certainly, different salts will impart different flavors especially if used as finishing salts. I think you have to experiment to see where the cost/benefit is for your particular palate.

I always make my own vanilla and my own vinegar -- both are so much better than any store bought. I always use butter (unless the recipe calls for oil) and never margarine. A good (read expensive) olive oil for salads (go to a place where you can taste) as well as a good balsamic vinegar (again, go to a place where you can taste before you buy).

We use mostly fresh ingredients (although we do use some frozen vegetables) and I prefer to buy my meat as I need it for freezing does affect meat and fresh meat (especially chicken) is so much better than something that has been frozen and thawed.

I cook 80% from scratch with raw ingredients. The "convenience" foods I use are canned tomatoes and Heinz beans or VandeCamps pork and beans for baked beans.

In the summer, my vegetables are always farmer's market which is about as good and fresh as you can get a vegetable and I eat by the seasons in the summer.

Also, a February strawberry doesn't taste anything like a May strawberry that's been harvested 10 miles from you!

Martha

To me, it means real butter rather than margarine, real vanilla instead of imitation.

It is also regional and what your pocket will allow.

I have heard wonderful things about Irish butter - but at $5 or more per half pound, I will stick with Land O Lakes. If you live in the heartland I am sure there are wonderful local producers but here on the coast and many parts of the country that is just not an option. Same for meats and other products.

If you live in smaller towns and cities some products are not easily available. Thanks to the internet you can order almsot anything from anywhere.

Unless you are feeding a true foodie, most will not know the difference between Madagascar Vanilla and Sauer's best.

OK, this is interesting, and may help someone here?
My neighbor who bakes and gives away baggies of great cookies a couple of times a week...was having an issue with variance in the browning some weeks, using identical recipes.
We finally put our heads together, and found she was sometimes using storebrand/cheap/generic sugar.
She went back to always using C&H pure cane sugar and problem solved. If it does not say cane sugar it is beet sugar. The two have different baking/browning qualities..."plus I won't buy beet sugar because of GMO issues."

And as mentioned above, the butter can vary in fat as well as processing, per brand. I have had some that remained hard at room temp, and others that were soft at the same room temp.

mountain - Are you able to watch America's Test Kitchen? It's shown on PBS and Create TV in my area. The show has a regular segment for Taste Testing. They cover a wide variety of foods - I seem to always learn something about quality.

quote:

Originally posted by Ricearoni:
mountain - Are you able to watch America's Test Kitchen? It's shown on PBS and Create TV in my area. The show has a regular segment for Taste Testing. They cover a wide variety of foods - I seem to always learn something about quality.

I'll have to look for it, thanks

I only use real butter, jumbo eggs, pure cane sugar & unbleached flour (or whole wheat if possible).
I try to stay away from "cooking/vegetable oil" if possible since those are also GMO'd products. Canola oil is almost 100% GMO'd no matter where it came from.
I use Watkins double strength vanilla...best on the market IMHO! It is bake proof & freeze proof...the flavor won't disappear as many others do. Read the alcohol content on your vanilla bottle....Watkins only has 8.25%.

Taste is subjective. Many times on America's Test Kitchen the taste panel chooses different that Chris. However, I really like ATK and respect their opinion. I believe it is 100% non-biased for or against any product.

IMHO "quality" depends on what YOU like.

I have friends who use vanilla from Mexico - I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. (But I did bring them vanilla from a trip to Mexico several years back. I was thoroughly afraid of being stopped at the border for transporting booze.)

Sure is subjective Sherry -- my son-in-law is from Mexico and left some Mexican vanilla here when they moved to CA. I loved it, and the smell was wonderful!