Opposites Attract

In cooking, the idea of opposites makes for successful recipes. Mango salsa is a great example of using differing ingredients to play off of each other. The mango is sweet and is balanced by hot chili powder, with cilantro for a fresh, pungent flavor and red and yellow peppers for a bit of tartness.

If you experiment with a recipe like the salsa and are going to serve it on top of something less salty, add just a touch of salt – 1/8 teaspoon at most. Likewise, if the dish that you are going to serve it on top of has lower acidity, add a bit of lime juice. A teaspoon is usually adequate to balance the other flavors.

A great example of opposites is strawberries with balsamic vinegar and fresh ground black pepper. While these three don’t seem to go together, they complement each other perfectly by stimulating the taste buds in perfect harmony.