edit (19/03/2021): It has come to my attention that there is a famous book, Salt Fat Acid Heat, which says much the same thing as this post, but with much more acutal information. This post is therefore either an extremely concise summary, or an unresearched, pointless rehashing of a much better piece of work, depending on how charitable you’re feeling.

Two posts in quick session. Wonders will never cease, but hey - I’m feeling typative. On the miniscule chance you’re reading this and wondering why your cooking seems to be missing a little something, it’s probably one of these four things.

• Salt: Every recipe you’ll ever see has this in it for a reason. For chemistry reasons I don’t understand, salt amplifies the flavour of pretty much everything, so if your dish is a little bland, or missing something you can’t quite put your finger on, it’s probably this. Add some salt, or a salty ingredient like soy sauce, fish sauce, a salted meat like bacon, etc - whatever fits the cuisine you’re cooking. On a similar note, fresh ground pepper is good in just about everything.
• Fat: If it’s not salt, it’s probably fat. Oils, butter, fatty meats; our palates just can’t get enough. Whilst excessive consumption has well known health risks, it’s an unavoidable necessity of good cooking, so make sure you’re using enough. And that’s probably more than you think.
• Acidity: The final subtle thing that may be missing is acidity. A little sharpness cuts through other flavours and makes everything else stand out, again for chemistry reasons I don’t really understand. Citrus fruits, vinegars, and alcohol cover 99% of cases - if you’ve found a dish none of these fit with, you probably don’t need this article. Don’t be scared of the strong flavours here, just add a little at a time and be amazed at the explosion of flavours.
• Fresh. Goddamn. Ingredients: For the third time in a post my lack of chemistry is showing, but fresh ingredients are just better than dated or frozen ingredients. Some ingredients are fine to have long term, but when it comes to veg, meats, and fruit in particular, the fresher the better. The best way to work out which is which is to try things, and watch videos/read recipes from accomplished cooks, and see what they’re happy to get out of packets, and what they’re not.

Happy cooking, and don’t be afraid to fuck up; it’s not the easiest to get started, but there’s so much out there that’s simpler to make than it seems, and leagues ahead of ready meals and fast food, and cooking compounds on itself.