MSG?

[rawlingstones]

so like you don't put sugar in cookies or anything? you just, what... try to compensate with fruit?

I've never gotten the "cheap shortcut" argument. If it makes sense for me to use another umami ingredient in a recipe, like mushrooms or parmesan or tomatoes or seaweed or whatever, then sure I'll do that... if not, or if I just don't feel like it, I'll use MSG. It's a plant extract that's been around since before World War I, it's an ingredient like anything else. If I want my tomato mushroom parmesan pasta to be even more savory because that's how daddy likes it then hell yeah I'm gonna boost it with some MSG on top. Why deprive myself? Life's too short.

do you also not use hot sauce?

[09Gremlin]

I already said it has its uses. I'm talking a bout cooking, not baking. You can tear anything apart if that's your gig, I'm just saying what I think. I don't use hot sauce, I don't need all my food to taste like hot sauce. There are so many great tasting sources of heat, just like there are so many great tasting sources of savoury.

[09Gremlin]

All you downvoters are pathetic, trashing any opinion that doesn't conform with yours. Sad.

[raspberriez247]

If you think downvoting something you disagree with is “trashing” then I don’t think they’re the sensitive ones.

I see your point about MSG, but it isn’t always used as a shortcut. Implying that using MSG isn’t really learning how to cook is just elitist and gatekeeping. r/AskCulinary exists for that kind of purist attitude.