Are you inherently good at making only spices, sauces, and dressings?

[Chapinator_X]

For most meats and side-veggies, I’m usually trying to refresh my knowledge of how long it takes to cook each, reading instructions on safely handling some ingredients like chicken or seafood, or finding which button to press for instant roasted broccoli. 

But I’m an absolute Sauce Boss. If I’m asked to make things Iike sauces, marinades, spice blends, dressings, and condiments, I can ballpark ingredients based on intuition and nail it from the get-go. I’d have a hard time prepping up egg for a fried rice, but the sauce I whip up for said fried rice makes it taste amazing. Spaghetti takes little to no skill to get right, but I’m incredibly proud of the tomato sauce I make whenever it’s time to make pasta. Vinaigrettes are a high point for me as well. And the spice mixes I make for chicken, fish, and veggies are something else. 

Are there any folks who have the same issue of being a jack of a few cooking trades, but a master of sauces and spices?

[SwimModSponges]

Never done sauce,  but i have a blend of spices that tastes decent. 

Its all the spices in my spice rack.

Put it on everything, everything tastes the same.

[PokeNirvash]

Typically when I make stir fry, I spice it with varying amounts of black pepper, garlic powder, basil, ground ginger, hot mustard, and occasionally chili powder, and that's usually on top of the soy sauce and mirin I pour into it as the base for flavoring, which itself is atop either canola, olive, or sesame oil I use to grease the pan before cooking the meat and veggies.

I don't really do sauces, but I did make a soy sauce + mirin marinade for a hardboiled egg one time when I was planning on making ramen. Turned out good, even if only half of the egg soaked up the mixture.

Late last year, I bought some dairy-free ranch and southwest ranch seasoning mixes from an honor code-style farmer's market in rural Delaware Co. I pass on my way to work, and I mixed it with some mayo and coconut milk (as per the instructions) to make some ranch dressing. Turned out good, though I haven't gotten the chance to make more, not since the lid to the mayo jar broke and the coconut milk separated in the fridge.

[SwimModSponges]

My mix: garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, crushed red pepper.

[avec]

Do you have any tips for stir fry sauces?

I always keep these things on hand and work from there: garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, lime, red pepper flakes, variety of peppers, yellow onion, and sesame seeds.

[GunStarHero]

I'm a professional chef so no, I have to be good with spices, sauces, dressings and everything else. 

[Chapinator_X]

2 hours ago, avec said:

Do you have any tips for stir fry sauces?

I always keep these things on hand and work from there: garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, lime, red pepper flakes, variety of peppers, yellow onion, and sesame seeds.

My main go-to for a stir-fry sauce is using sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, ground garlic, ground onion, sugar/honey, and chili oil.
Usually a good oil/soy sauce base with something to add spice & sweetness is something I steer towards. It might be a bit high end, but with enough of the Korean meal preps I do, sesame oil is a game changer with stir frys. 

[SwimModSponges]

For stir fry i add soy sauce to my spice mix. 

[avec]

6 hours ago, Chapzilla_2000 said:

My main go-to for a stir-fry sauce is using sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, ground garlic, ground onion, sugar/honey, and chili oil.
Usually a good oil/soy sauce base with something to add spice & sweetness is something I steer towards. It might be a bit high end, but with enough of the Korean meal preps I do, sesame oil is a game changer with stir frys. 

Ah idk why I forgot sesame oil - I always have some on hand too 😆

I usually dont add sugar or honey to my sauces and that is definitely what Im missing.  Ty!

[Lytbryt]

I'm a sauce baws too

[Chapinator_X]

2 hours ago, avec said:

Ah idk why I forgot sesame oil - I always have some on hand too 😆

I usually dont add sugar or honey to my sauces and that is definitely what Im missing.  Ty!

No prob, I try not to add too much sugar, but it does help to thicken up the sauce and is what’s usually called for in Maangchi’s bbq marinade recipes. 

But it’s still something I tinker around with. If anything, as long as you’ve got sesame oil, it makes it easier to freestyle based on whether you like it more savory, sweeter, spicier, or what your stir fry or fried rice preference is. I even use coconut aminos sometimes to swap out soy sauce and that helps make it so that sugar isn’t necessary since coconut aminos has its own sweetness to it. 

[avec]

8 hours ago, Chapzilla_2000 said:

No prob, I try not to add too much sugar, but it does help to thicken up the sauce and is what’s usually called for in Maangchi’s bbq marinade recipes. 

But it’s still something I tinker around with. If anything, as long as you’ve got sesame oil, it makes it easier to freestyle based on whether you like it more savory, sweeter, spicier, or what your stir fry or fried rice preference is. I even use coconut aminos sometimes to swap out soy sauce and that helps make it so that sugar isn’t necessary since coconut aminos has its own sweetness to it. 

Yes!  A friend recently introduced me to coconut aminos and I was in heaven.  I keep meaning to buy some but its too expensive for me rn, at least at the places Ive seen it.

[Gyaos]

Any time I try to make spices or sauces of my own, they taste almost exactly like the shit I can buy at Kroger for much cheaper.

Gets very discouraging after a while.

[Distinct Lunatic]

I would comment, but I legit have no clue how to cook. The only things I know how to do are the basic shit that you just flip over a couple of times, such as burgers, steaks, etc. hell, it wasn't until this past year that I finally got around to making eggs.