key ingredients
- essentialFundamentally necessary
- componentsConstituent parts
- recipeCooking preparation instructions
- secretConcealed information
- formulaFixed method or notation
staple · pantry · flour · sugar · butter · spices · mix · blend · core · fundamental · crucial · vital · base · foundation · elements · building blocks · necessities · basics
importance/essentiality
key ingredientsafterthoughts
Late-arriving ideas
nice-to-haves · window dressing · embellishments · filler · garnishes