In article >, Doug Weller
> wrote:


> Ingredients revised by Doug Weller
> Sauce
> 2 lbs. ground or chunked meat (beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken, sausage,
> roadkill or any mixture thereof, I do not recommend chorizo unless you
> are feeling adventurous) (I, Doug Weller, used beef and some Sicilian
> sausage)
> ¼ cup olive oil
> 6 to 60 cloves garlic
> 1 onion
> 12 mushroom caps
> celery
> green pepper
> 1 tsp. paprika
> ¼ tsp. turmeric
> 1/4 tsp. saffron (optional)
> 1 pinch cayenne, or more to taste
> 4 lbs or 2 large cans tomatoes (if using uncooked lasagna, make it 6 lbs.
> 9 oz. or 3 cans)
> 1 can tomato paste
> 1 cup dry red wine, 2 to 3 cups if making the uncooked lasagna version
> (HIGHLY recommended, optional, but don't worry, the alcohol will boil off
> and only the flavor will be left)
>
> ½ tsp. marjoram
> ½ tsp. thyme
> ½ tsp. rosemary
> ½ tsp. to 1 tbs. oregano
> ½ tsp. to 1 tbs. basil
> ¼ tsp. black pepper, ground
> ¼ tsp. nutmeg
>
> ¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional - try it)
> ¼ tsp. tarragon
> 1 tsp. mustard
> ¼ tsp. salt (if you must)
> 3 bay leaves

This may make a lasagne, but not an Italian one (as specified in the
subject). A dish containing celery, green pepper, turmeric, paprika,
cayenne, marjoram, rosemary , thyme, oregano, basil, worcestershire
sauce, bay leaves, and mustard is about as good a definition there is
of what Italian cookery is *not* about.

Less is more. To make a dish taste Italian, you might use oregano OR
sage OR rosemary OR basil, and you should know which. I can't say
you'll never, but you'll very rarely use this sort of combination.

The great thing about good italian cooking is its careful, elegant
simplicity.

Lazarus

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