Food - Drink
The Secret Ingredient Alton Brown Adds To Starchy Dishes
By JENNIFER WALDERA
Who doesn't love starchy side dishes?Carbohydrates often offer up a hearty way to round out a good meal of proteins and vegetables, but finding ways to spice them up is key. Often garlic, onions, and even Creole-style spices are recommended for adding a zesty zip to the side dishes that might make the meal.
But Alton Brown, the zany, food-science driven personality, has another suggestion: sumac. Brown swears by using the deep red spice as his secret ingredient to punch up flavor in anything starchy ever since he stumbled upon it while exploring the history of hummus.
The spice's citrusy flavor, which he described as being "earthy yet lemony, unique yet oddly familiar," is an optimal option to add to any food to which you might otherwise introduce citrus. Given that Alton Brown is amazing at making food, it might be fair to trust his sumac suggestion.