When to add? Seasonings should be added to prepared foods early enough in the cooking to release their flavor, but not so soon that their flavor is lost. Most seasonings (especially ground) are added near the end of the heating period, while a few (whole or lightly crushed) need more time to release their flavors and aromas to blend with the other ingredients. Foods tend to better retain the flavor of seasonings and flavorings if their surfaces are partially cooked and therefore permeable to what is added. This stage is commonly referred to by professional chefs as sweating. Delaying the addition of seasonings and flavorings is particularly true for salts, which tend to shrink meats if they are added too soon. Flavor retention is influenced by the length of the heating and the final temperature attained. Experience may well be the best teacher.

Finally, the sticky-coated food is placed in a bowl of crumbs for the final coating. Seasoned bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, cornmeal, or cereal (cornflakes) may be used to coat foods. Smaller, more delicate foods such as mushrooms require finer-grained breading. Seasonings or flavorings such as salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, sage or others can be added at any of the three steps of breading, although mixing them into the egg wash ensures they are evenly distributed. Sugar can also be added, but be aware that it results in a browner product.

Another way to coat foods is through the use of batters, which are wet flour mixtures containing water, starch, and seasonings into which foods are dipped prior to being fried. Commercial batters are available that entail simply adding water. There is no one recipe for a batter, and formulas can be extremely flexible. The addition of eggs to the batter will produce a darker coating due to the yolk content. Commercial batters often have added ingredients such as gums for viscosity and starches to increase adhesion by the swelling of their granules. Shortening or oils contribute to overall flavor and mouthfeel.

Vanilla beans from the cured pod of a tropical orchid provide the purest, most intense vanilla flavor. The small black specks in vanilla sauces and ice cream are the seeds of the pod. The Food and Drug Administration defines “pure vanilla extract” as at least 35 percent alcohol by volume, while those of lesser content are labeled “pure vanilla flavor”. Vanilla/vanillin blends or imitation versions should be avoided, because they contribute an artificial flavor to foods.

Extracts are made by steam-distilling the oils from various plant sources and blending them with ethyl alcohol, which can evaporate. For that reason they should be stored in a cool, dark place and stored for no more than a year to retain maximum flavor.

Vanilla beans from the cured pod of a tropical orchid provide the purest, most intense vanilla flavor. The small black specks in vanilla sauces and ice cream are the seeds of the pod. The Food and Drug Administration defines “pure vanilla extract” as at least 35 percent alcohol by volume, while those of lesser content are labeled “pure vanilla flavor”. Vanilla/vanillin blends or imitation versions should be avoided, because they contribute an artificial flavor to foods.

Extracts are made by steam-distilling the oils from various plant sources and blending them with ethyl alcohol, which can evaporate. For that reason they should be stored in a cool, dark place and stored for no more than a year to retain maximum flavor.

Salt in its most common form is a crystalline seasoning that may or may not be iodized and combined with an anticaking material. A variety of salts may be purchased including sea salt, rock salt, kosher salt, and a number of flavored salts, the most common being garlic, onion, and celery. There are also some expensive and rare sea salts known as fleur de sel and sel gris, used only in the finest restaurants.

Regardless of the type, salt should be added in small increments because of the potential to overwhelm the taste buds when too much is added. The preparer should also be aware that any liquid such as a sauce or soup that will be reduced should be only lightly salted, because the salt will become even more concentrated as the volume of the liquid diminishes.

Although removing excess salt is almost impossible, salty soup may be partially neutralized by adding a touch of sugar or by dropping in a raw, peeled potato to absorb some of the salt.

Peppercorns belong to an entirely different genus than the Capsicum family of chili peppers, which are classified as vegetables. Many varieties of Capsicum peppers are dried and used in chili powder, cayenne pepper and paprika.