Oh, you’ll love this one—so I was making a simple tomato sauce and I had this little jar of smoked paprika in the cupboard, but I thought, “Let’s spice it up!” I didn’t even read the label, so I dumped a whole big spoonful into the pot. The sauce turned a smoky, almost burnt orange, and the aroma was like a smoky campfire meets a fireworks display. I almost threw the whole thing out, but then I remembered that I had a dash of lemon zest and a splash of white wine on hand. I threw that in, whisked vigorously, and added a handful of fresh basil leaves. The acidity cut the smoky heaviness, the wine lifted the flavor, and the basil added that green pop. The sauce ended up richer than I’d planned, almost like a smoky basil cream sauce. I learned to always read the label and keep a “panic kit” of citrus, wine, and herbs for rescue missions.