[Lost Dog]

You know, ketchup's been around a long time now. If you only need a little bit of tomato taste, who's to say a little shortcut now and then is less than authentic?

You'd be surprised at the less than traditional ingredients found in many "authentic" and regional recipes. I have a southern cookbook filled with great recipes (cajun, etc.). They were gathered as some of the best tastes from the South. They are filled with things like ketchup, garlic salt, garlic powder, seasoning salt, dried onions, chili powder, etc. The book even makes a point that it's the end result that matters the most and when some of the recipes were taste tested with shortcuts vs. more traditional techniques and ingredients, the shortcut versions won out!

What starts out as a convenience might lead to better taste...