.JPG)
Especially for spaghetti sauce. My approach is based on what Grandma taught me of course, and her's is based on that of an Italian her father had met while living and singing in Italy. Neither the opera nor the diplomatic career lasted but the food preferences did.
The original recipe involved among other things a filet mignon used to flavor the pan and then tossed. Clearly that part didn't survive the Depression (the Great one). Instead Grandma used fat back. I don't disdain that but I'll go with any meat. And I keep the concept...
Spaghetti Sauce:
Start it as early in the day as possible, but if you must be last minute use a wide deep skillet and cook it down as far as possible. Given time let it simmer for hours uncovered and losing liquid slowly.
Saute (in the pan you'll use for the sauce) in olive oil chopped garlic cloves, onions, celery and sweet peppers (unless you use the pre-roasted ones).
Add a large can of tomatoes -stewed, diced, pureed -anything not pre-seasoned. You can mix and match types. Whatever is on the shelf -less precooked if you have all day, more for last minute.
Now add a small can of tomato paste -very important for a richer tomato taste.
Now the wine. Red is best and not gone bad but not necessarily the good stuff. It will be cooking a long time and I defy anyone to be able to tell the difference between boxed wine and a fine Bordeaux after 3 hours with tomatoes and garlic! At least a cup -again it depends. Keep sniffing.
Dried mushrooms. Canned are 2nd best and for once fresh come in 3rd due to how well the flavors hold up. If you aren't fond of mushrooms crumble these up as much as possible and don't add too much but you lose alot of the body without them.
Next a fistful of herbs -mostly rosemary, a little oregano. Fresh if this is a quick sauce. Dried is fine if it's cooking all day -in fact possibly it's better. Again smell them to get the balance. Or maybe it just convinces your mouth this is what you personally want for dinner and I made the balance thing up.
Lastly (and don't tell Grandma) a tablespoon of sugar -or 2 if the pot's bigger. Maybe the tomatoes aren't as sweet as they used to be but I just can't get the flavor I recall without this.
Walk around the kitchen alot with a large wooden spoon to stir occasionally (alot if you are going for fast and as the mood strikes for a simmer) and wave as you tell interesting stories (again the wine helps).
Meat is optional: If it's chicken put it in anytime. If it's steak, especially the tougher cuts I tend to have, add it at the start. Seafood at the very end (no fish). If it's fatback cut it into small pieces and fry it up at the beginning, drain it on papertowels before adding it and no need to add olives for saltiness. (So without it you do need black-not-canned-olives for the salt)
You want the sauce nice and thick. Be sparing with the sugar but it's impossible to say how much without knowing the exact state of the tomato products used. Keep sniffing and keep adding stuff.
-sauteing the fresh vegetables is important and celery should be finely chopped. It cooks away but what it adds in flavor is important. Still, other than the tomatoes there's no other one ingredient you can't do without. Mushrooms and garlic add a meatiness. So does cooking time.
Last but not least NEVER cut you spaghetti or use pre-grated cheese (yes my darlings, although your father and I tried to shelter you from it some people do think parmesan comes in a bottle). In honor of your grandmother the first bite should be without the sauce, and "au bur". Then the sauce is kind of more exciting. Well, I'm not sure if that's why she does it but it's true.
Today's take home message: Revel in it.
- or pretty much any leftover can be hidden in the sauce.
