Give your home cooking an umami boost

Spring has brought a bounce back to your step, but what about your palate? When our favorite dishes have lost their dazzle, we turn to dried mushrooms for a mega flavor boost. Mushrooms are a natural source of glutamate, the chemical responsible for the depth and complexity in flavor often referred to as umami. A shake of dried, granulated mushroom powder gives extra nuance to vegetable and fish stocks while allowing them to retain their lighter character. Ozark Forest Mushrooms’ porcini powder also provides an elegant pick-me-up to pasta dishes and scrambled eggs.

Mushroom Powder available at Seafood City Supermarket, 8020 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.993.2800, seafoodcitysupermarket.com

Ozark Forest Mushrooms’ porcini powder available at Maplewood Farmers Market and Tower Grove Farmers Market