We all have favorite complicated foods — HELLO MEGA BURRITOS 🌯 — but food doesn’t need to be complicated to be delicious. Pause and think: can you think of one food that just so true and real that it doesn’t need to be all dressed up? For me, the first thing I think of is chicken soup.

This simple Persian spiced veggie dip is another great example of flavor in action. Plain yogurt is gussied up with a few herbs and spices, but nothing extravagant. When it comes to layering flavor it pays to be smart about what you’re creating. You need to add only what works well together… without muddying the flavor.

Here you’ll find dried mint, a little cumin, red pepper flakes, and finally pistachios and oil for texture and interest. Of course, salt and pepper play a starring role. Because salting your food is the most important flavor factor of all, right? RIGHT?