Classic Marinara Sauce Recipe

A bit of history: In the 19th century, French chef Marie-Antonin Careme developed what is commonly referred to as the four mother sauces; a fifth one was added in the 20th century. These sauces were created as basic building blocks for secondary sauces that are known as finishing sauces.
 
If you really think about it, the most important element for success in life is a solid foundation and makes little difference if we're talking about social skills, architecture or rocket science. I opine that otherwise, it's akin to reading a 10 chapter book beginning with chapter 5.  

So in that vein, I present a classic Marinara sauce recipe with some recommendations. 

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Large onion diced
4 Cloves garlic sliced
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground preferred
2 - 28 oz cans San Marzano whole peeled  tomatoes
2 Tbsp dried thyme 

Procedure:
In a 4 quart pot heat the oil and saute the onions, garlic celery, carrot, salt, and pepper until tender about 10-15 minutes. 

Pour the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and crush by hand removing any tough pieces. 

Add tomatoes and the bay leaves into the pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add more water as needed in the process.

Season again if necessary 

Serve immediately or better yet, once cool, cover the pot and refrigerate overnight. 

Enjoy!

My Recommendations:

Pasta is bland so add a couple tablespoons  of table salt into the boiling water 
Don't put oil in the pasta water
Cook the pasta al dente
Drain the water from the pasta but don't rinse

  

Beurre Manié - The Roux in Your Freezer

Click on Image to Enlarge

Often when making a soup or stew you may find that you really need to thicken it up a bit so you make a flour slurry or add in a cornstarch mixture.

Clearly, this will thicken the soup or stew but there is a tasty and simple alternative and that is Beurre Manie which is nothing more than equal parts butter and flour by weight and kneaded together. Think of it as an uncooked roux that you use in the final stages of cooking instead of before as with a traditional roux.

Note: In my original posting, I did not mention that you needed to knead the two together simply because there are only 2 ingredients and the pic would suggest that they were combined. Since then I added the word [kneaded] because my favorite x-wife Rita wasn't sure what she should do with the 2 ingredients. Thanks Rita for pointing this out and I'm sure that it will make a meaningful difference in the finished product. LOL

How I prepare it is by spreading 1/4 stick of semi-softened butter on a cutting board so it look similar to a pancake and then sprinkle 4.5 ounces of flour on the top. 

Then with a heavy-duty dough scraper or the back of a broad-bladed knife combine by scraping the butter from the bottom onto the top of the flour and keeping working it. Then simply knead it by hand as if you were kneading dough. This is so much faster and less messy than trying to do it in a bowl with a spoon or knife.

Or, you certainly could put the butter and flour in a small food processor and pulse until blended. 

After it is combined flatten it to about 1/2" thick then cut 1/2" squares and place them in a plastic freezer bag. And yes Rita, this would be the time to put them in the freezer.    

The Warming Drawer Under Your Oven

If you did not already know it, that drawer under your oven was not designed to store your broiler pan or the like. It's actually a cooked food warming area.

Click on the link below for more information.



That Drawer Under Your Oven

1001 Uses For Vinegar

Uses for Vinegar

Salt is Salt...right?

I asked Cooks Illustrated what the differences are between table salt, sea salt and kosher salt.  This is what they said...

What distinguishes one salt from another is texture, shape, and mineral content. Table salt usually includes anti-caking agents that help it pour smoothly. Kosher salt has larger grains and does not contain any additives, and sea salt is rich in minerals. 

We use kosher for seasoning meat and table for most other applications. Sea salt, much more expensive, is not worth using unless you want to add it as a "finishing salt" to add a delicate crunch. 

That said, use Kosher salt for salting meats and just about everything unless your recipe calls for a particular measurement of salt.  In that case, use table salt.  

Mircrowave Corn on the Cob - No Shucking Required

Most everyone likes corn on the cob but few enjoy having to shuck the ears.  

Here is a video that demonstrates the process if all you want is 1-4 ears.  

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBF6bv4Oe4

Canned Tomatoes For Sauce

This is a special and very important tip for ALL tomato-based sauce recipes that I have previously posted. 

As you know, quality cooking ingredients are what separate excellence from mediocrity and can make meal preparation that much easier.  By this I mean to say that by starting with quality ingredients it is  easier to produce the wonderful fruits of your labor.  

That said, I have found that whole peeled tomatoes of the San Marzano variety are more to my liking. Quality tomato products may not be available in the aisles of your favorite wholesale food club or in your local grocery store where a variety of domestic brands can be found.  Absolutely,  some are better than others and that is why I suggest buying Carmilina brand from Amazon.  These tomatoes are simply outstanding! 

Storing Bacon For Future use

Okay, you just went to the grocery store or to one of the wholesale houses and purchased a pound or even a few pounds of bacon.

That's nice, but when you need just a strip or two you end up having to cut open the bag and peeling off just what you need; but what about the rest?

Well, I wish that I thought of this but I did not, someone else did.  So, after you bring home the bacon, open the packages and take a little bit of time to separate each slice and roll it from end to end. Place each rolled slice into a freezer bag and of course, place in the freezer.

So, with that said, whenever you need a slice of bacon or even four or six, just snatch them from the freezer bag and let them defrost.

Pretty simple process I must admit.

Hard Boiled Eggs - Perfectly Cooked and Easy to Peel - Every Time

Click on photo to enlarge

I'll make this short and sweet.  If you want perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel each and every time stop boiling and start steaming. 

It doesn't matter is they are barnyard fresh or older, steamed eggs will peel with ease.  I use a rice cooker that also has a vegetable steaming setting (and basket) so all I have to do is hit the button and when the beeper sounds remove them, let cool and then crack the shell and gently peel.  

I suspect that if you are using a saucepan on the stove top you'll have to make a couple of trial runs.  Personally I'd wait until the water is boiling and steam with a lid on the pan for 10 - 12 minutes and cover with cold water for 5 minutes when finished.

That's it in an egg shell. :)

P.S. Remember, steam is very hot and can burn you if you're not careful.

Blending Oil Topped Peanut Butter

Like most Americans, I like peanut butter. Although I like Skippy, I really prefer the brands that have the oil floating on the top. The problem with these is that it is difficult to reincorporate the oil and make a smooth mixture.

The fix to this is quite simple and easy, using a hand mixer with only one of the two standard beaters you can mix this jar of oil separated peanut butter mixture into a nice blend.

Just start at the lowest possible setting and crank it up a bit until it is well blended.