I've changed a lot of my cooking patterns and have tried some new ingredients, but I'm not sure I can name them. The most interesting things were new things in my farm box, like limequats. Vegetables and fruit come and go, and I think I'd call them "foods" rather than "ingredients". For an ingredient, I've finally figured out how to use TJ's Mushroom & Company, which is basically mushrooms, onion, mustard, pepper, thyme and mostly salt. I call it "mushroom salt". Where I used to put a little salt on things like roasted veg, I'll use a little more mushroom salt.

It's hardly a new ingredient, but I've been using a lot more cream. Some is straightforward like quiche or ice cream. Some is just a dribble because I have it, for a little extra fat/richness. Some becomes mascarpone and is used as such.

I have tried a bunch of new product brands because of availability. Joseph Farms cheddar is very good for cooking. Nancy's probiotic cream cheese is a wonder, but it's hard to find. Diestel pastrami. And I've found better chickens and meat purveyors.

My biggest discovery has been sausage making and finding them to be very good! Fun.

The pandemic and the Texas disaster have taught me the importance of producing your own food.

I have order a huge supply of seeds and plants of all kinds. Many new ones I have never tasted before.

I have added solar panels to power my DIY high power LED grow lights for my indoor garden for year round supply.

dcarch

Solar and LED are a perfect pairing. Both have come way down in cost. More efficient and better quality.

My list is way long. 99% positive considering the circumstances. Eye opening.

Most of our struggle was pre-pandemic...the Fall of 2019. I've been growing year round and fermenting for years. Making cheese, yogurt, etc. And summer gardening. Those skills proved indispensable.

We lost our best market due to bankruptcy 2019. Spent that holiday season trying to solve it by seeking other choices. So many fails. That one grocery we lost had everything, supplemented by quarterly Costco and once every other month Italian market/butcher. Twice a year health food store...local farms for chicken/eggs/beef/corn....turned into a massive dance and too much shopping time/distance travel time. (both of us working full time+)

Local grass-fed farm share and Misfits we set up pre-covid due to frustrations. So thankful for that. (NYC had our first covid recorded case one year ago yesterday).

Bingo, high stress for a few weeks. Substitutions were par for the course in shopping on-line. We have loved it. Carts are left open on-line for weeks, add to it as I see a need. Invoices from past orders opened with a quick click. Tracking food expenses are easily followed. We have spent way less than before and better quality. Less handling, going from warehouse to grocery dock, then stocked to open shelving that sits for a few days.

Three of our local deliveries do not use fed-x etc. They have their own trucks and do not have grocery stores. They use warehouse locations nearby and pack from farm fresh/or shipped crates...better that groceries. Crates and insulated bags that are set out to be recycled. (they pick them up when the next delivery happens). Cleaned/sterilized back at the facility. No plastics but some clam shells. I've not had a foam tray packaged protein in a couple years. All are cryovaced ready for the freezer. No re-packing with a food saver.

New ingredients? Great cheeses I've had. A gorgonzola I'm smitten. Produce meant for NYC restaurants I've not heard of...like finger limes....

Artichokes and avocados and watermelon way over the quality from a grocery.

I did have one bad expensive cheese. Wrongly packaged as what I can tell. A cheddar, like a gummy bear had sex with a marshmallow. The copy said it would flake and crumble....not. 🙄...fine as a melty. A bit like velvetta. With a teen sneaker scent.

Oh, duh. My recent 2020 Dashi broths. Pandemic influenced. Having dehydrated/freeze-dried is more present in my larder than ever.

Also new to me....cook your soaked overnight beans, after the 15 minutes up to rapid boil, then onto the back slow simmer hob, add Dashi/Kombu ingredients.

....heaven.

Yes, beans, beans, beans, whenever there is a food shortage, protein supply is always a concern. So I have a stock pile of beans of all kinds, including home grown ones.

But beans, they all taste like beans. All except one, peanuts. Peanuts taste nothing like beans. So that is a new taste for me during this pandemic. Cooked raw peanuts. Delicious.

dcarch

Garbanzo beans and adzuki beans don't taste like "all taste like beans", though I agree a lot do. :)

S, love finger limes!

Oh sleevendog, you in the bean club? I seriously need to sign up for that. It may have been you that introduced me to them, yum. A plate with the biggest, loveliest beans- Royal Coronas. I should remember to sign up for the waiting list.

And I did a lot of new over 2020. I had hit a serious cooking slump in 2019 that I started trying to kick butt on.. The Rancho Gordo beans was excellent to start, but wanted more to go with it. I wasn't proficient in South American cooking yet, so I hit up Amigo Foods for a bunch of seasonings and some dry ready meal/soup stuff to try out. Started doing micro greens again by the time New Years dinner hit the table.

So, new beans :) Cau-Cau stew is new- Peruvian tripe and potato soup. I use chicken since tripe is one of my few nope foods. Aji Amarillo paste/peppers are now a new favorite seasoning pepper for me. And Pao de Queijo- Brazilian cheese balls. I have done these from a mix so far, dang addictive things.

As a couple illnesses hit during the spring, and the stay at homes kicked up, I broke the blas some more- meal service boxes. Something to kind of force me out of regular old menus. Started with Every Plate- quick outgrew it. Nice, but way too much packaging. Bumped up to Dinnerly. Nicer, but still after a while I was just using stuff to make other.. and that was cost prohibitive for the point of the boxes. Cancelled it all.

July hit- and ordered a cajun box. Forgot how unpleasant cleaning whole from the gulf shrimp can be. Remembered why they are worth it. Finally got to try real tasso ham and boudin sausage in my home cooking. It was already great, and those additions bring it to a whole nother level. And I kind of like Tony Chachere's Creole Brown Gravy Mix to add in a pinch or two of for a bit of flavorful thickening. We don't like rice dressing. Worth the try, but pass.

Along the way, getting paella for two correct happened. Harder than it sounds, lol. And Misfits produce boxes became available, I gladly signed up. A couple of Monterey Bay Spice Co orders, some fortunate timing on getting a Penzy's sale.

Later summer into fall and through the winter saw a brushing up on various Asian flavors and skills. Perfecting sauna and jammy eggs. Enjoying the menu shake ups from the Misfits Mystery box. Discovered a love for Kewpie Mayo.

Espresso powder

This reminds me to check my Mexican dried pepper stash. (in the freezer flat packed together). I made another batch of molé last summer. Just a few left in the freezer.

DH tried to order a Cajun box early lock-down after reading a NYTimes article. They only take orders by phone. Took their phone off the hook, lol. I found other places online then forgot about it. I do miss boudin. I've made it but not as good as what I had down south.

I started making condiments after picking up David Chang's Momofuku book 5-6 years ago. I added Chili Crisp this year. About that same time I added hot pots, noodle bowls and miso soups to the menu every year following the NewYears. Jan thru march. I've loved miso since university. Lasts forever in the fridge being a fermentation. Kenji has a few 'cooking at home' recipes on Ytube that are easy...miso soup, ipot chicken, miso glazed salmon in his Ooni pizza oven...same miso I've been using and new to me due to availability. Because of online invoices, I've gone through 4 pounds 2020. Two in my cart for my next delivery. Mini smoker in DH's stocking this past holiday...miso glazed smoked salmon this weekend. (bigger than a bread box)...we don't do stockings.

Rao's basic marinara. I've never purchased but it is excellent. I would give them 5* stars if they used quart and pint wide mouth Ball jars. Great for a fast puttanesca, etc. A bit large but easily frozen in 1/2 pints for pizza night, etc. Being in glass, no tin taste. Costco stocks it. My Italian market has it on their end of isle prime real estate near checkout always on sale.

I've been buying the tiny tomatoes juices by the case. So good, like a hug.

I haven't been to the Japanese markets since the pandemic started because there are always long lines to get in. The stores tend to be crowded and have narrow aisles, which is not ideal, but next month I should be okay about going, since my vaccinations will be complete and in effect.

I do have kewpie mayonnaise, but only use it when I make okonomiyaki. I think I need some more okonomiyaki sauce. I could make it myself, but one of the ingredients is ketchup (I think), and I never stock ketchup. I suppose I could use tomato paste instead.

I never buy mustard anymore, now that I have found a recipe for it that I like, and I have a good supply of mustard seeds and powder.

"Rao's basic marinara. I've never purchased but it is excellent."

I got some in a gift basket for Christmas along with their Arrabbiata sauce. I agree it's very good. Haven't tried the Arrabbiata yet. I bought a jar of the Marinara at Sprouts for about $7 as I recall. Then I noticed Sam's Club sells a two-pack (24-oz. jars) for $9. Nice to have on hand in a pinch.

Hard Core Carnivore Beef Seasoning. The DH bought it. The DH got a smoker for Christmas. He saw a lot of YouTubers using it when cooking things on the smoker. However, I was the first one to use it , on steak, tonight! I do recommend shaking up the seasoning before using it. Every bite of steak had a different part of the seasoning for me. One bite was pepper, the next salt, the next hot pepper! It was the first thing I've ever used that had activated charcoal in it.

I guess it’s pandemic related since I rediscovered that I like miso soup after ordering a delivery dinner from a nearby sushi restaurant. The meal came with a small cup of miso soup with the little cubes of tofu. I’d totally forgotten how much I liked that soup.

About a week later I ventured out to Trader Joe’s and came upon a miso/ginger broth with their soups. I got a package of it and made some noodle/tofu soup with it. It was so good, that I made it again the next night.

That sent me on a search for actual miso, so I could make miso broth/soup. I managed to find a tub at a local grocery store, and I guess you could call miso my new ingredient.

Duck eggs!

My Misfits box has presented me with some challenges, like the Romanesco, which I very much liked, despite my apathy toward cauliflower.

I agree that many of the beans taste extremely similar, which doesn't stop me from eating any of them!

Annie

Just tried locally made walnut butter. Really good! Not wet and sticky like peanut, almond, sunflower, sesame, etc. I don't PBJ. Can't stand the sutff, but the concept is okay. Almond butter and blackcurrent jam on whole grain is good. Walnut butter on sourdough (it has to be mashed on a bit to stick to the bread) with quince butter (which has some sugar added, but is still really tangy) is delicious!

I don't like peanut butter and especially not PBJ, but walnut butter sounds like something I would like. I do stock almond butter and cashew butter, and I sometimes add chocolate to the almond butter.

I do not stock jam, but I do like black currents, and so I would probably like black current jam. Thanks for the suggestions.

I made plantains two weeks ago. They were good but I think I let them ripen too much as they tasted like cooked bananas.

I bought some Nuttzo nut and seed butter and it is delicious! Expensive though