i made my weekly batch of beans and this time i went with pinto beans, which i havent made before, and green chilis. I opted to skip any meat as I’m short on cash (and also havent found things like TVP at my local grocers yet). They turned out ok, like they dont taste bad, but theyre missing something and I dont know what. The word I keep thinking of is bass but i dont really know what i mean by that foodwise. Umami?? How do I add more bass to my beans? mushrooms?
ingredients i used:
pinto beans
green chilis + onion + garlic
oregano, cumin, some chili powder, garlic powder, s&p
cooked in faux-chicken stock
Two things
Yes, mushroom powder is a wonderful ingredient. I use a sprinkle of it and a pinch of MSG in everything I cook if I can make it work
Are you blooming your spices in a little oil before you add anything else to the pot? It might not sound like it does much, but it really makes your spices that much more potent and flavorful
Hmmm I’ll need to try mushroom powder. Is the extra MSG necessary? I thought mushroom powder was basically MSG already
I did not do it this time, but yeah usually i saute aromatics then scooch them over and cook the spices in the pot for a while before adding the stock. very important for tomato paste and red pepper flakes i find
Mushrooms have glutamate like MSG, but they present differently
I find the dried mushrooms provide a nice little earthiness and funk, while the MSG is less about adding direct flavor and more about boosting the preexisting flavors that are present
You don’t necessarily want to go too heavy with either, but I find that a little bit of both really makes anything savory that just more so
:shroomjak: ty i’ll try those!
If you don’t feel like using msg you can buy kombu (it lasts forever and you only need a little piece each time) and lightly simmer it to make a dashi you then add to the beans when they’re nearly done cooking. Kombu is like msg central.