When Shelley Leroux first visited her fiancé’s parents, they were eating hare. After her future father-in-law took one bite, he said to his wife (while still holding his knife and fork), “I wanted a Saskatchewan hare. This is an Alberta hare.” While Leroux wondered if she should marry this picky man’s son out of fear he would be the same, she had no idea she would soon learn how one man distinguished the difference between two hares—simply through taste. And so began Leroux’s foray into the international world of cooking and tasting fabulous foods. In her collection of recipes and stories spanning more than eighty-five years, Leroux shares not only entertaining anecdotes about her life, but also simple recipes that tantalize the palate and celebrate flavors from around the world, including Belgium, Asia, and the United States. From Waterzoie de Volaille to Oriental Meatballs to Cape Cod Turkey, Leroux provides a delicious recipe for every palate—all while amusing with stories about unsuccessful dinner parties, yacht club sailboat races, the Pygmies, and vintage airplanes. The anecdotes and recipes included in The Secret Ingredient will encourage both novice and experienced cooks to explore international flavors right in their very own kitchens!