My 10 Cooking Obsessions

Tonight is a night where I often stare into the fridge and wonder what can I cook without a recipe or without a need for time-consuming effort and preparation.

But whenever I do need something to add a little spice or flavor to my cooking, recipe or not, here are ten of my favorite cooking obsessions.

1. Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional Yeast is something I have been hooked on since I had some pretty bad constipation after the labor and delivery of my son. It contains all your B vitamins and it is deconstructed beer yeast.

For those with GI autoimmune diseases, it is not recommended to use Nutritional Yeast in your cooking or daily lifestyle for nutrition.

When I use Nutritional Yeast, it is great for dipping sauce for fried chicken or as a topping cover for cooked rice. This is my favorite dipping or dressing option:

• 2 table spoons of Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• a pinch of smoked sea salt
• a pinch of wild mushroom seasoning/old bay

2. Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar is a table in my cooking, especially with frozen meat. This is great at breaking down the enzymes and brings out the flavor of homemade cooking with fish sauce or teriyaki. I enjoy using it with cooking Asian radish (E.g. Korean Moo, Daikon, or Chinese Green Daikon) or having a zing with some sautéed Chayote Squash.

3. Mushroom Seasoning/Old Bay Seasoning

Mushroom seasoning or Old Bay seasoning are two of the full flavor seasonings I enjoy using the most. It is great with egg fried rice, rice and eggs, or any vegetable dish. I enjoy it on beef and seafood.

Growing up with Old Bay, I used it on everything. So much so, my husband personally requested that I change it to something completely different. So Mushroom seasoning it is.

My egg and rice dish that I make with either of these seasonings are tasty when I am not too hungry:

• one cup or half a cup of leftover rice
• one egg
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• a pinch of mushroom seasoning or old bay seasoning
• Heat the rice and the egg in a microwave for approximately two minutes. Stir and microwave again if needing more cooking. Garnish with seasoning or sauce of your choice.

4. Worchester Sauce

Whether you say it as "worst assured" or "wash your sister" sauce, this sauce is great with mushrooms and steak. I love using this in sautéed mushrooms with a hint of Teriyaki. It brings out so much texture and flavor.

5. Teriyaki Sauce

I love Teriyaki because when I have terrible times eating, it just makes the dish taste so much better and easier to digest. I love using it on all my meat dishes and some vegetable dishes. I love it with eggplant when I have to pan sear it on the stovetop.

6. Ponzu Sauce

I have grown addicted to Ponzu sauce. I love the ones that are Yuzu flavored for that extra oomph and Kelp Ponzu flavor. I use it in all my vegetable dishes and mix it with a hint of pepper and onion powder. I really do enjoy the taste on cooked rice if I run out of my Nutritional yeast.9. Curry Powder

Curry Powder leaves a yellow stain on anything that I use. But it is a great spice to enjoy with Ponzu sauce or teriyaki that gives a kick and mellow taste to any vegetable, fish, or meat dish. I used it as a substitute in my homemade macaroni and cheese one time. It made the dish yellow but spicy and everyone enjoyed it. The leftovers were a conversation starter.

8. Red Wine Yeast

I stumbled upon this Chinese cuisine paste at a local international market. The flavor and aroma are heavenly on skirt steak. I love cooking this in the oven as a paste on steak and the flavor came out better once it was sitting in the fridge. This yeast comes from the red rice wine making. The paste is applied to soups and stocks, baking and roasting meats.

9. Black Chinese Vinegar

I received a free bottle of this to try at a local market. The flavor is strong and intense and is meant to be a dipping sauce for the dumpling or other item. You can mix ground ginger or any spice of your choosing. But this is a condiment that is enjoyable.

The downside to this vinegar is that it stains your teeth so bad. It is constantly fermenting when you leave it out at room temperature. So if you want to enjoy every now and then, put this in your fridge to slow down the fermentation and enjoy it when you have Dim Sums or dumplings to eat.

10. Mirin

Mirin is one of those sauces that is used to make those delicious hibachi dishes. I use it sometimes when I have nice pieces of fish to cook on the stove. I usually use it with salmon. See how to use it below:

• A spoon or two of mirin
• A spoon or two of Teriyaki
• A nice piece of fish that fits a pan
• A dab of olive oil for a skillet
• Heat the pan to high or medium heat with the oil. Place the fish on the pan, add the mirin and teriyaki mixture and cook for 5 to 10 minutes per side until the glaze is completed. Remove from the pan and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy some of my cooking obsessions and try finding a way to enjoy those in your cooking.

Remember, anyone can cook.