Which food things make a difference, which don't?

[Beachman42]

Fresh peppers vs. powder - about 50% on the scortch factor. That is all.

[vulturesrow]

el d,

I might comment on the others later but I have to weigh in on the free range poultry thing. IMHO, free range is way way better. The problem is there are a lot of people that think they have eaten free range chicken but actually havent. To meet the USDA requirement for free range, only a very small amount of outdoor space has to be provided for the poultry to roam in. This doesnt really counterbalance the crowded conditions that poultry is typically housed in. I grew up on a farm and Ive had "real" free range poultry, chickens that pretty much roamed where ever they desired. We didnt have turkeys, but I have eaten wild turkey, again, not comparable to farm raised turkey.

[ElaineMonster]

My things:

vine-ripened tomatoes and organic > ripened post harvest

roma tomatoes > any other kind

homemade flavored vinegar > other

peanut butter made when you grind it > organic or no sugar added peanut butter > jiff or whatever

sliced fruit > whole fruit, except apples
(sorta like when a sandwich is cut to make triangles instead of rectangles - just makes it more appetizing)

al dente pasta > over-cooked mush

ridges > smooth

slightly less than normal sugar > sugary

any food or drink item purchased at a winery > organic food store > regular grocery store

[ElaineMonster]

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whole spices vs. preground spices in general (cloves, cardamom, cumin, mustard seeds, etc). for instance garam masala freshly ground from whole lightly toasted spices is way different from preground garam masala.

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We will have to try this. Ed grinds a few things here and there. We also just started the herb garden. But we haven't don't the garam masala. Mmmm.

[Dids]

Fresh herbs v. dried herbs - big difference too me. It's like one is better than the other, but it's a different taste.

Ground pepper from peppercorns/grinder v. ground pepper from shaker - huge for me. I have a pepper grinder/cracker than leaves bigger pieces of corn, and it's fantastic. I think you just get a fresher, stronger flavor.

Sea salt v. regular salt- if I can say "kosher salt" for sea salt, yes. It melts different, it's got a stronger flavor, it's easier to season with.

Specialty balsamic vinger v. generic balsamic vineger- I mos def notice a taste difference here.

Organic fruit/veg v. regular- I haven't notice much in taste, but I've just started going with more organic stuff. It tends to be smaller, obv, and I feel likes it's gotta stronger flavor, but I don't feel totally confident in that.

Free range poultry v. regular- Again, I think here I just get smaller piece of meat with free range which is better for portion control (for me specificially)

[edfurlong]

Fresh herbs v. dried herbs : Big difference but dried can be better that fresh for some applications.

Ground pepper from peppercorns/grinder v. ground pepper from shaker : Ground pepper from a shaker doesn't taste like anything, it's useless.

Sea salt v. regular salt : Very subtle difference, I can't bring myself to be that snobby. Edit: I consider Kosher salt to be "regular".

Fresh chili peppers v. powder : Same as dried herbs, big difference but used in different ways.

Specialty (virgin/extra virgin) olive oil v. grocery store (virgin/extra virgin) olive oil : Big difference when used for salad dressing, bread dipping etc.

Specialty balsamic vinger v. generic balsamic vineger : Huge difference.
Organic fruit/veg v. regular

Farm/Farmer's market fruit/veg v. grocery store : Depends on the grocery store. Farmer's markets are so cool that they win by a longshot though.

Premium fresh pasta v. premium dried pasta : Again, different uses.

Organic meat v. regular : Depends.

Butcher meat v. grocery store : Depends on the grocery store. Butchers tend to carry higher end choice and prime cuts while safeway has lower end choice and select. Getting your meat trimmed and tied or whatever at a butcher is a pretty big plus.

Free range poultry v. regular : I'm not big on hippy organics and stuff like that, but a good naturally raised chicken actualy tastes like something. Tried side by side with fosters or whatever it will be very clear which is which.

Grass fed beef v. grain fed beef : I'm not sure.

Farmed salmon v. wild salmon : Huge difference. Again, tasted side by side wild salmon will be a huge winner here, both in flavor and texture.

[LittleOldLady]

Huge difference:

Home-grown vegetables and fruits over produce derived from any other source. The home-grown plants should be specialty varieties which exhibit superior taste (at the expense of good keeping and shipping qualities), not the plants/seeds available at the Home Depot garden center. Such varieties should be obtained from specialized mail order firms or possibly specialized local nurseries. For some vegetables (especially peas and corn), it is important to pick right before cooking--go directly from garden to stove.

WIld Pacific salmon over farmed Atlantic salmon. A few years ago my neighbor gave me some salmon that he had caught in Alaskan waters the day before. It was amazing! No other salmon that I have eaten has ever come close. Wild salmon also has desirable fish oils not present in the same degree in farmed salmon.

Wild Louisiana crawfish over any other kind....

[edtost]

I'll give my opinions on some of these after a few responses. Feel free to add your own things:

Fresh herbs v. dried herbs huge difference

Ground pepper from peppercorns/grinder v. ground pepper from shaker big difference post cooking, little before/during


Fresh chili peppers v. powder depends on the dish and the purpose of the peppers


Specialty (virgin/extra virgin) olive oil v. grocery store (virgin/extra virgin) olive oil big difference post cooking, little before/during


Organic fruit/veg v. regular very little difference. quality is much more important than organicness.


Farm/Farmer's market fruit/veg v. grocery store assuming a good farm, huge difference. can be almost nonexistant with mediocre farm/good grocery store though.


Premium fresh pasta v. premium dried pasta little difference


Organic meat v. regular no difference


Butcher meat v. grocery store can be signficant difference if you know the butcher. walk in as a stranger no difference


Farmed salmon v. wild salmon some difference, but not critical

[edtost]

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also, depending on the recipe, homemade stocks can make a very big difference.

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this is very true.

[JaBlue]

I think the butcher vs. store-bought matters a lot depending on the cut. I can't tell the difference for something like top sirloin or london broil but something like skirt steak is just incredibly different.