Cooking's Holy Trinity

[Ralphie ★]

The Wikipedia article says it was originated by Paul Prudhomme, and applies to Cajun cooking, but that one uses bell peppers as the third ingredient.  It seems like onions and celery have a lock on the first two positions, but I was thinking more of garlic.  What do you think?  I think the Wikipedia article needs work (since it doesn't agree with me ).

[Airehead ★]

Definitely the third in the trinity is bell pepper. Garlic gets its own ranking. 

[late]

The Cajun holy trinity and mirepoix are simply different.

I prefer the unholy quadratic (everything but the sink)

[Dirtyhip]

Acid and fat should get a mention.  

[Ralphie ★]

I can’t seem to post links anymore, but one site calls garlic “wit da pope”.

 

[Dirtyhip]

Salt.  Many things just don't work without it.  Bread will not rise.  You can make yeast with enough time.  Without salt, nothing magical happens.

[Wilbur ★]

It may be the holy trinity of cajun cooking but mirepoix is the holy trinity.  Onion, carrot, celery.  

[Wilbur ★]

17 minutes ago, Airehead said:

Definitely the third in the trinity is bell pepper. Garlic gets its own ranking. 

We overdo garlic in North America.  The few cooking classes I took in Italy had us remove the garlic once it is sautéed.  A hint of garlic rather than an over powering taste. 

[Ralphie ★]

11 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

We overdo garlic in North America.  The few cooking classes I took in Italy had us remove the garlic once it is sautéed.  A hint of garlic rather than an over powering taste. 

Only Gilroy overdoes garlic!  OK, not really, garlic can be pretty darn heavy handed.

[Page Turner]

[maddmaxx ★]

23 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

Salt.  Many things just don't work without it.  Bread will not rise.  You can make yeast with enough time.  Without salt, nothing magical happens.

It is very sad this cooking without salt.  Very.

[Dirtyhip]

4 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

Only Gilroy overdoes garlic!  OK, not really, garlic can be pretty darn heavy handed.

Some people talk about how much they put in, and I am shocked.  Their food must be just a taste of garlic.  Good food is a flavor of many things, IMO.  Garlic is so bossy.  Some is good.  Too much is off putting.  

One recipe that I have used just takes a clove and you rub the halved clove around a bowl and then make the dipping sauce in that bowl.  Use the squashed clove in something else, later  

[Dirtyhip]

Just now, maddmaxx said:

It is very sad this cooking without salt.  Very.

Agreed.  Someone I know brags about how she never uses salt.  I am hoping she never asks me to dine at her house.  Her food must be super bland. 

[MoseySusan ★]

40 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

It may be the holy trinity of cajun cooking but mirepoix is the holy trinity.  Onion, carrot, celery.  

This. It’s the start of everything savory. Unless you’re cooking Spanish recipes, then you need sofrito: onion, tomato, peppers. 

[shootingstar]

1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said:

Agreed.  Someone I know brags about how she never uses salt.  I am hoping she never asks me to dine at her house.  Her food must be super bland. 

We haven't had hardly any salt at home for past 25 years. It's just abit of soy sauce. I use salt for making dough.

My holy trinity has been: onion, garlic and ginger.  I'm just stressing a whole part of the LARGE world in cuisine. Yes too much garlic is not great, but not damaging. Sorry to offer often a different perspective...because it's so real for others.

[MoseySusan ★]

1 minute ago, shootingstar said:

We haven't had hardly any salt at home for past 25 years. It's just abit of soy sauce. I use salt for making dough.

My holy trinity has been: onion, garlic and ginger.  I'm just stressing a whole part of the LARGE world in cuisine. Yes too much garlic is not great, but not damaging. Sorry to offer often a different perspective...because it's so real for others.

I start meat for stir fry in rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. 

[late]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

We overdo garlic in North America.  The few cooking classes I took in Italy had us remove the garlic once it is sautéed.  A hint of garlic rather than an over powering taste. 

The garlic we use is pretty mild.

It also varies from place to place. One recipe in Southern France calls for stuffing a chicken with garlic. I've never done that, but I'd like to.

[MickinMD ★]

My food holy trinity is onions, garlic, and bell pepper (usually red).  Ground beef or chicken is what it usually goes with.

Frying that trinity with ground beef is my starter for spaghetti sauce, Stroganoff sauce, chili, etc.