Tausi Insider

Photo : Claire Lower I love ham and roasts and all of the potatoes and pies, but December is, to me, Snack Season. It’s the time for texturally pleasing, salty bites, and the more you have, the merrier you’ll be. In addition to salt, there are two flavors that turn a good snack into a great one: Umami and tang. Worcestershire sauce has both. “Umami & Tang” may sound like an insufferable natural wine bar, but they are important flavors that can do important things to your party spread. I’m sure I could think of a party snack that isn’t improved by Worcestershire sauce, but it would take a long time, and it’s not a particularly fun thought experiment. All of my favorites are made better by its presence, provided you get the real deal stuff with fermented anchovies and tamarind. Anchovies bring the deep savoriness and a little bit of funk, while tangy, fruity tamarind brightens and balances. Start by adding it to a bottle of Heinz cocktail sauce ( along with prepared horseradi...

I love the whole spectrum of pickles—sweet, sour, half-sour, etc.—but my favorite kind of pickle is one that’s so aggressively flavored, it’s almost uncomfortable to eat. I like a challenging pickle, a pickle that would vanquish lesser women. Adding MSG to my pickles helps me achieve this. When talking about monosodium glutamate, it’s important to not equate savoriness with saltiness. Salt tastes of sodium, and MSG tastes of sodium and glutamamic acid, an amino acid that gives tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and meat the flavors they’re known for. It’s that “umami” you hear so much about, and has a rounder, meatier flavor that fills your whole palate all the way to the back. Even though I utilize MSG to make pickles with an almost hostile flavor profile, you needn’t get as aggressive. Sprinkle a pinch in, and you’ll barely notice the addition, except for the fact that your pickles will taste slightly better. If you want a pickle with a deeper, more umami-forward flavor, try adding 1/4 t...

Photo : Claire Lower I love ham and roasts and all of the potatoes and pies, but December is, to me, Snack Season. It’s the time for texturally pleasing, salty bites, and the more you have, the merrier you’ll be. In addition to salt, there are two flavors that turn a good snack into a great one: Umami and tang. Worcestershire sauce has both. “Umami & Tang” may sound like an insufferable natural wine bar, but they are important flavors that can do important things to your party spread. I’m sure I could think of a party snack that isn’t improved by Worcestershire sauce, but it would take a long time, and it’s not a particularly fun thought experiment. All of my favorites are made better by its presence, provided you get the real deal stuff with fermented anchovies and tamarind. Anchovies bring the deep savoriness and a little bit of funk, while tangy, fruity tamarind brightens and balances. Start by adding it to a bottle of Heinz cocktail sauce ( along with prepared horseradi...