The Ingredient Antonia Lofaso And Aaron Sanchez Both Think Is Overused

In cooking, there are some ingredients that are staples in every chef's pantry. Country Living's list includes cayenne pepper, canned coconut milk, dijon mustard, flour, pasta, and even honey. Professionals also recommended to Tasty that home chefs should consider adding some other pantry staples to their selections, including fish sauce (particularly "Red Boat because it's gluten-free"), canned garbanzo beans (which can be eaten even by themselves, as a healthier alternative to popcorn), hot sauce ('nough said), canned tomatoes (which Chef Michael Fiorelli says you can use in or on anything), and more. But while some of these are lauded by the chefs interviewed as well as others chefs in communities around the world, Chefs Antonia Lofaso (above) and Aarón Sánchez both have some thoughts about certain chef-recommended-and-utilized ingredients that are maybe getting a little too much attention.

Lofaso in known for her appearances on "Top Chef: Chicago" and "Top Chef: All Stars." She's written several cookbooks and guest starred on many other shows, according to Star TV, and according to his website, Aarón Sánchez is an "award-winning chef, TV personality, cookbook author, and philanthropist." It's stands to reason that the two of them may have some valuable advice to share.

For a long time, chefs have weighed in with their opinions as to what ingredients shouldn't be used so often. Thrillist spoke to several chefs and received responses as to what they thought was overused on menus. That list included Sriracha, out-of-season tomatoes, Brussels sprout, and especially truffle. Chefs Antonia Lofaso and Aarón Sánchez weighed in to a separate conversation that Insider conducted with chef judges, sharing the ingredients they think contestants on cooking shows tend to use too much.

They both agree that chefs tend to use way too much truffle. Wide Open Eats explains that a truffle is a "subterranean fungus that grows in the shadow of oak trees on truffle farms" that holds an umami taste that is nearly irresistible. But according to the two chefs, it is not a magic cure-all ingredient. Chef Lofaso told Insider, "Truffle oil or butter are always go-to ingredients contestants throw in there thinking, 'Oh, it's going to be perfect now because it has truffle in it,'" while Chef Aarón told the site, "A lot of contestants will just throw truffle oil and truffle salt on dishes to try to save the dish, but it's a delicate yet powerful ingredient and needs to be used carefully."

So the next time you find yourself reaching for the truffle to add to your dish, make sure to think about whether you're adding it because you think it will actually elevate your results, not because you just want to use something fancy.