How do movie theaters make their popcorn taste so much better than the popcorn we make at home in the microwave when the kernels themselves are exactly the same? It’s time you learn about Flavacol – the “secret sauce” of the theater business. Flavacol is a butter-flavored seasoning salt made of extra fine salt flakes instead of crystals. Most theaters pop their corn in coconut oil or a coconut and canola blend and then pump on butter-flavored oil, but Flavacol will get you 80% of the way there.

Forget the microwave and the air poppers. If you’re going to chow down on popcorn, go all the way and make it the old-fashioned way on the stovetop. I prefer to use corn oil with a little bit of coconut oil added in. It’s worth learning how to make homemade popcorn that rivals the snack bar’s but only costs pennies per serving.

A little bit of Flavacol goes a long way, so this 35 oz. carton is going to last you a long time.

While Flavacol does use artificial flavors, it doesn’t contain a chemical compound called diacetyl that is found in microwave popcorn. I try to avoid diacetyl, as the CDC has linked its production to a respiratory disease called obliterative bronchiolitis in microwave popcorn plant workers. I would rather steer clear of that in the first place, especially when the alternative tastes better.

It’s funny how we associate certain little things with grander experiences – for example, eating popcorn while we watch movies. I recently finished installing a 7.2 surround sound system and 85″ QLED TV on the entertainment side of our newly-remodeled cabin-themed basement. Needless to say, we watch a lot of movies down there these days and really enjoy our new space. Taking the time to make the good stuff makes it even better.

I like hot things, but I want to still be able to taste my food through the heat. Tapatío is my favorite hot sauce because of how it balances flavor with heat. When my wife and I go out for Mexican, I usually ask for a side of the house hot sauce as well as a bottle of Tapatío. About half of the time, I actually prefer the Tapatío.

Apart from putting it on Mexican food, burgers, and pizza, I like to add a little to my clam chowder.

I discovered Tapatío when a fellow Marine received a bottle in a care package while we were deployed to Iraq. Lunch was usually an MRE. Some were better than others, however there weren’t any entrees that couldn’t be saved with the addition of some good hot sauce. Some MREs contained miniature plastic bottles (about an inch high) of Tabasco sauce in the plastic-wrapped cutlerty kit, but oddly enough they had usually already evaporated.

Everyone perceives spicy flavors differently, but I would describe the taste as moderately spicy with very little vinegar taste. Most “boutique” hot sauces I’ve tried use far almost always go overboard on the heat and also add too much vinegar, which in my opinion, results in a bitter finished product with flavor that you can’t actually taste.

If you live in a medium-size town to a large city, you shouldn’t have any problem finding it somewhere, but you can save quite a bit buying the multi-packs on Amazon. If you really go through it, you can order a 12-pack of the larger 10-oz. bottles (these are double the normal size that are included in the 3-pack or when you buy individual bottles) and pay about $2 a bottle. Hot sauce keeps far longer than its printed expiration date.

I discovered this blend of hot pepper flakes a couple of years ago. Like many people, I kept a canister of red pepper flakes in my spice cabinet to put on pizza. My red pepper flakes still have a place in a lot of recipes, but I can pretty much guarantee that you will never go back to these after you try the Four Pepper Blend by Flat Iron Pepper Co. I certainly didn’t.

This blend derives its name from the four varieties of peppers it contains: habanero, jalapeno, arbol, and ghost. Don’t be alarmed by the presence of habanero and ghost if you just prefer a modicum of heat. This is a balanced heat that gradually builds up instead of hitting you right in the face – there is a marked difference between shaking a little bit over your food versus adding just a tiny bit more.

The arbol peppers add a smoky depth that you won’t find in many hot pepper products. It’s a big change from the one-dimensional cayenne red pepper flakes that you’ve been using. Consequently, it adds new dimensions to foods that you have always enjoyed. Four Pepper Blend is my go-to for pizza, but I also put it on sandwiches, pasta, and in my chicken or shrimp quesadillas.

These are pricey compared to generic red pepper flakes, but keep in mind you are getting a premium product. There is not salt or additives – just pepper flakes. Regular red pepper flakes often contain a large number of seeds in relation to the flakes. There are still seeds (which contain most of the capsicum that gives hot peppers their punch) in Four Pepper Blend, but there are far more flakes.

It’s not an easy feat for a new seasoning to claim recurring real estate in the Fencil spice cabinet, but this one has done it. Flat Iron Pepper Co has several other blends in its lineup that I look forward to trying as well.

I grew up 30 minutes from the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. My fondest culinary memory is going to all-you-can-eat blue crab feasts. Old Bay seasoning is the secret weapon for bold seafood. I’ve tried generic versions such as GFS’s Chesapeake Bay Seasoning, but it tastes like at least one of the spices is out of balance with the others. Amazon has always offered Old Bay significantly cheaper than our local supermarkets. This one-pound container will last you awhile.

Old Bay is an ideal seasoning for those who like seafood but don’t want a lot of spice. Its flavor profile scales very well whether you’re piling it on or just dusting your food with it.

While it’s mostly for seafood, it’s also great on burgers and chicken.

I don’t grill burgers without this stuff. This is one of the few seasonings that I use regularly that I don’t make myself because I feel that it would be hard to improve on. I keep two shakers of this seasoning on hand at all times: one on my grilling shelf in the pole barn with my charcoal grills and one in the cabinet below my gas grill.

The three main players in this seasoning are garlic, onion, and peppers; more or less the standard fare for burger seasonings. However, a lot of cheaper seasonings use far too much salt as a cheap filler, resulting in an overly salty hamburger.

When I’m in a hurry and just need to pull some frozen Costco patties (which I highly recommend, by the way) out of the freezer for a quick dinner, I hit them with this seasoning while they’re on the grill. If I’m making my own patties, I will knead it right into the meat and refrigerate them for several hours before grilling. Incorporating the seasoning into the meat in this way adds a surprising amount of depth to the flavor.