Onions, celery, and bell peppers are a famous combination in the culinary world. Known as the “holy trinity,” this trio of aromatic and flavorful ingredients will start pretty much any dish off on the right foot. Sure, you wouldn’t want to build a sweet ice cream from these three aromatic ingredients, but you can’t go wrong by using celery, onion, and bell peppers as a base in soups, stir-fries, and almost any other savory dish. And if you don’t use the holy trinity, you’ll likely use a twist on the trio — maybe an onion, celery, and carrot mirepoix.
Celebrity chef Anne Burrell has her own version of the popular culinary trio, which is a completely different collection of ingredients that she uses in almost everything she cooks: salt, olive oil, and bacon. Salt and oil are in an overwhelming majority of dishes that come out of any kitchen, and it makes sense to always keep them well-stocked and on hand. Bacon is the third of the trio, bringing all its strong sweet and savory flavors to the rustic Italian cooking Burrell is known for — and to all sorts of other savory, meaty dishes.
Bacon, salt, and oil should always be in your kitchen
Salt enhances flavor, creating a more intense and enjoyable dish. It also preserves the food and enhances texture. It’s the fix for bland food, and the first thing you should add when you need a little something to make your dish better. There are many different types of salt out there with different uses, including those that are deemed the best salts to stock your pantry and make your food taste amazing. No matter what kind you use, you’ll be sorry if you skip salt while you’re cooking.
Oil is another basic ingredient that’s used in almost everything and there are a wide range of cooking oils to choose from. You might want to keep a few different types of oil in your pantry because they all have different smoke points. You’ll want something with a high smoke point, like avocado oil on hand for all kinds of cooking, while a high-quality olive oil is a great choice for dressing salads and adding to sauces or marinades.
Anne Burrell’s famous motto is “bacon always makes it better,” and she’s not wrong. From super bacony mashed potatoes to maple donuts that balance the sweetness with a saltiness, bacon takes everything to the next level. It brings a wide array of flavors to your cooking, infusing dishes with sweet, salty, umami, and savory flavors that add interest and depth. Bacon bits add crunch, visual interest, and a salty blast of flavor as a garnish or as a mix-in for recipes, while you could also use bacon products, such as bacon grease, to get the smoky flavor without the texture. And combined with oil and salt, it’s just something that no kitchen should be without.
