The Unexpected Ingredients That Make Literally Everything Better

Why it's good: I have to hand it to the New York Times Cooking staff for converting me to a parmesan rind fanatic, but wow is it better and so much more effective than just a sprinkle or shaving of parmesan on top of a dish.

Tossing a hunk or two of rind — the hard outer shell of a block of parmesan cheese — into the pot with all the other ingredients and leaving them to simmer means that you're infusing the whole dish with the umami goodness of parmesan cheese instead of introducing it at the last minute before the bite hits your tongue.

Use it in: Pasta sauces, soups and broths, risottos.