Bland food is boring food. Marinade maximizes flavor, adding more complex tastes to tickle your taste buds. The bonus? Marinade makes tough food more tender.

Marinade is a liquid made for flavoring and tenderizing meat and vegetables. Most marinades are made with some acidic ingredient, like vinegar, juice or wine. Other ingredients usually include oil, like vegetable or olive oil, plus aromatics like onion,garlic or ginger, plus spices. Meat or vegetables are covered in marinade and placed in the refrigerator for several hours so the flavors can soak in.

Marinating food changes both its flavor and texture. Marinades work by coating and absorbing into meat or vegetables. The acidic ingredients in marinade help break down the structure of the tissues of meat or vegetables. This softens and tenderizes the food.

Creating your own marinades is a fun way to invent in the kitchen. Think about what flavors might mingle well together: soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic and ginger?Olive oil, sun dried tomato bits, oregano and red wine vinegar? What combinations can you think of?