I’ll find nearly any excuse to host my friends for a meal whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or just to celebrate all of our hectic schedules finally aligning to meet up. The latest had me organizing a build-your-own baked potato bar dinner that felt both retro and modern.
I knew my handy dandy 1:1 MSG to salt blend would be making its usual appearance to season up the classic toppings, as well as bring to life the flavor of some new ones.
As a dietitian, I always check with my guests to see if anyone has food allergies or dietary needs that we need to take into account. As someone who also lives with both, I know just how serious it is to prep accordingly and to make sure everyone feels included.
DIY-themed Meals
Hosting DIY-themed meals is my jam because everyone can adjust the main item to their taste preferences and dietary needs. It’s always interesting to see how the same ingredients can be combined and turned into such different end products that everyone’s able to safely enjoy. The mix and match possibilities are truly endless.
For our baked potato bar, we did have the classic toppings like green onions, sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, butter, bacon bits, and shredded cheese. I know not everyone wants to get wild and there is a reason why they call them classics – they just work. I do, however, like to offer some additional options that let us step out on a limb and try some new ingredients or flavor combinations if we’re feeling it, too.
1:1 MSG to Salt Blend
In this case, I like to season these new-to-us ingredients simply with my 1:1 MSG to salt blend I have at the ready in my pantry. Marinades and spice blends are great, but when I’m trying out a new food, I want to enjoy it in its simplest form so I can understand its flavor profile and how it tastes on its own. Just a dash of my 1:1 mix is just the thing to do the trick to season it enough to amplify its natural inherent flavor. It also helps us decide if we want to mix it in with the toppings we’ve already committed to on our potatoes or enjoy it on the side.
A few of the best hits of the 1:1 mix – seasoned toppings for us were the crispy sautéed mushrooms, roasted radishes, and pork carnitas. Granted, mushrooms and pork are already naturally packed full of umami, so it only truly comes to life with a sprinkle of the 1:1 seasoning. The radishes were surprising because once roasted, they took on a sweetness that many of us weren’t expecting since they’re pretty bright and spicy when raw.
At this point, my friends know I’m an MSG-lover, so there’s no hiding how I season my food. Transparency is also incredibly important when cooking with guests, too. Most importantly, it’s not possible to be allergic to MSG, so I know we were in the clear to bring this flavorful staple to the table.
Shaker of MSG
Many of my friends grew up eating their cultural foods with a shaker of MSG in the kitchen, too, so they’re no strangers to it, neither. However, there’s a lot of folks eating glutamates regularly without even knowing they occur naturally in foods like meat, cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and condiments like soy sauce and fish sauce.
The MSG used in my 1:1 blend and the kind that can be purchased on its own in the store is still natural, it’s just been derived from plants and created in a singular form like these little crystals so they can easily be sprinkled and mixed into foods.
Though they may be small, the flavor from these vibrant MSG crystals is just the thing to bring all the flavor forward when you’re hosting your next dinner party!
Photo Credits:
- Loaded Baked Potato courtesy of Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
- Stuffed Baked Potato with Sour Cream courtesy of L.A. Foodie, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
- Loaded BBQ Potato courtesy of Flickr user Dave 77459
