Anna Jones, author of ‘Easy Wins’ (4th Estate, $60):
Brine brings the umami
Brine from jars is usually thrown away, but this stuff is gold. It’s good in salad dressings, and adds punch to a pasta sauce. Instead of adding vinegar and salt to tomato sauce, use brine to bring the umami. I also shake mine into a caper brine margarita — about one tablespoon for two cocktails. Think about what olive brine does to a dirty martini — this is even better. Just be sure to always taste your brine before using it, as different brands have different levels of salinity.
Everything’s better with yoghurt
My cooking at times could be described as "things on top of yoghurt". I’ll pile roast vegetables on top of it, use it as a base for dips, as a substitute for buttermilk in baking, and I often combine it with cream for a less rich whipped cream. I like to use it in soups, not just a dollop on top, but stirred through to give acidity. It’s brilliant for adding creaminess and brightening your food at the same time. A good example is the Syrian preserved lemon and herb pasta dish in my book One: Pot, Pan, Planet, which is baked in yoghurt.
Don’t sweat your yeast varieties
If a recipe calls for one type of yeast, but that’s not what you have on hand, don’t worry. Types of yeast are generally interchangeable. If fast action/instant dried yeast is called for, but you only have fresh, triple the amount. If fast action/instant is called for, but you have active dry yeast, increase the amount by a quarter.
How to substitute oil for butter
If you’re making a cake but you’ve run out of butter or want to make it dairy-free, you can easily switch it out for oil. To make the cake as similar as possible, add 82g of oil for every 100g of butter, and up the liquid ingredients by 18g for every 100g of butter. This keeps the ratio of fat and liquid the same. Oil-based cakes often taste more moist as the fat is liquid at room temperature.
Try playing around with oil types based on what you think will pair well. Mild olive oil gives a subtle note, and if you’re making something citrussy, such as an almond and orange cake, extra virgin gives a lovely, floral fragrance. But if it’s going in a recipe with different ingredients that’ll overpower it, there’s no point spending the money, especially with its current price tag. Rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable oil will do a great job.
Toast milk powder for flavour
Toasted milk powder is one of my favourite ingredients; I call it "double brown butter".
It’s made by very gently toasting powdered milk in a frying pan or low oven. It has the same flavour note as brown butter, so I add it instead of, or alongside, brown butter to emphasise that deep nuttiness.
Cookies are a great way of using it, as they are often neglected when it comes to adding layers of flavour, so a little toasted milk powder makes them taste a bit more sophisticated and special.
Noor Murad, chef and author of forthcoming cookbook ‘Lugma’ (Quadrille, $65):
The secret to dhal is ...
Where I come from in Bahrain, every family has their own version of dhal. I always say it’s the one recipe that’s so hard to write down as there are just so many ways of making it; there is no "correct" way. I’m not going to divulge all my secrets, but I can tell you that I always add a chicken stock cube. It adds a well-rounded, salty, umami flavour. You can use vegetable stock cubes, but I prefer chicken. — The Guardian
