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Step 1
Add a touch of umami with a small amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Many people can't handle MSG, so this isn't always an option. Still, MSG is what makes that noticeable difference in much restaurant food.
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Step 2
The chemical involved in producing the umami effect is an amino acid, glutamic acid. It is contained in MSG and many protein-rich foods. It was originally isolated from seaweed, but it is present in most meats, cheeses and mushrooms. Using those ingredients will add umami to your cooking. The classic French demi-glace is one example.
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Step 3
One way to increase umami is to concentrate the umami-containing ingredient in a recipe. This is why French cooking uses so many reductions in sauces, simmering protein-based broths until they are greatly reduced in volume, and boosted in flavor. If you've made gravy, or braised a pot roast, you've made use of umami.
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Step 4
Even vegetarian food can have its umami boosted. Make a mushroom stock, then reduce it and season it for use as a sauce. If you do this and then serve it on a broiled portobello mushroom cap, you will have a remarkably "meaty" tasting dish.
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Step 5
Make your own reductions and keep them in the refrigerator to add a bit of umami. Not everyone is going to make a classic French demi-glace, but you can simmer chicken or beef stock until it is reduced, then use a few spoonfuls to boost the flavor of sauces for other dishes.
