A top secret from four star restaurants is a smidgen of hot sauce ........ perks up even gourmet sauces.
Instead of hot sauce I use a recently discovered Hot Hungarian Style Paprika sold under Pride of Szeged label. Control of hotness is much easier when just some mild zip is desired up to real heat.
I sorely miss the Hungarian Spice store in Yorkville... Open barrels of different paprikas...wonderful aroma wafting out the doors.