Give a flavor boost to sweet and savory dishes this Thanksgiving

The tastes and scents of Thanksgiving food are a source of cherished memories over generations. The feasting table will always have room for time-honored traditions, as well as new interpretations of classic recipes. Chefs at restaurants and home cooks alike often have a secret weapon in their kitchen to give dishes that extra "something." Many times this weapon comes in the form of pure flavor extracts.

Adding pure flavor extracts to dishes can offer convenience and flavor without compromising your dishes. When Pure Coffee Extract is added to cocoa it makes a delicious mocha drink and you can punch up the flavor of tea by adding a touch of Pure Lemon Extract. Manufacturers like Nielsen-Massey Vanillas offer top quality pure flavor extracts that are ideal for both sweet and savory fare.

The most exciting part of working with pure flavor extracts, for many cooks, is finding out how to make new and creative flavor pairings that are unexpected, and delicious. Vanilla and sweetness will always go hand in hand, but the flavor and scent profile of different types of vanillas can vary widely. Nielsen-Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract has a creamy, sweet, velvety flavor that is perfect for a range of products from baked goods to ice creams, salad dressings to barbeque sauces, while Nielsen-Massey's Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract is known by its creamy, spicy flavor that has a special affinity for dishes that contain chocolate, cinnamon and other warm spices, and Nielsen-Massey's Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract is especially symbiotic with fruit-based products such as fruited yogurt and sorbet.

It's the variety and complexity that make vanilla perfect to experiment with in new and treasured Thanksgiving recipes. Home cooks can also intensify tastes with other pure flavor extracts such as Pure Chocolate Extract that can add a rich character, without sweetness, or Pure Peppermint Extract that can bring the standard pairing of lamb chops and mint jelly up to date.