il Sun, 21 Mar 2004 06:46:06 -0500, Michael Horowitz ha scritto:

> wrote:
>
> wrote in message
>. ..
> >> I ask because as an Australian who speaks reasonably fluent American
> >> English :-) I know that the same term does not mean the same thing in
> >> each country. Australian "tomato sauce" is what the Americans call
> >> "ketchup"; whereas what the Americans call "tomato sauce" would be
> >> called "pasta sauce" by Australians. Who was it who first said, "Two
> >> countries divided by a single language"? :-)
> >
> >
> I'm sure glad someone started this thread.
> Upfront admission: I usually get wrapped around the axle until
> everyone around me says "geeze, you're thinking too much about this"
> but ...
> If I go to the supermarket and look for "tomato sauce" I get a can of
> thick tomato something, which (in my limited experience) seems to form
> a base for further work.
> Now Alton Brown (TV cook) makes what he calls a tomato sauce which is
> outstanding: major steps were the use of aromatics and the saving and
> thickening of the tomato liquid. This sauce can be added as is (well,
> with a quick whirl in the blender or not) over pasta, over meatballs,
> over chicken.
> It would have made more sense to me for him to have called this
> something like a "General Purpose tomato-based topping" as opposed to
> "tomato sauce".
> Anyone else scratching their heads over "tomato sauce"? - Mike

Tomato sauce in New zealand is a different tasting thing to tomato
puree or paste, which is a more modern product (relatively speaking)
probably from italy in concept . I find commercial tomato sauce is
probably like US ketchup, with the usual variations due to cultural
tastebuds. Then we call the rest 'pasta sauces', which are more
tomatoey than a 'tomato sauce', not counting the ones that have no
tomatoes...
If I had any in the cupboard, I'd look at the ingredients label for
you, but I generally hate tomato sauce/ketchup and stick to paste,
which is just tomatoes and citric acid. It is the paste I spread on
pizzas.

All sauces mean something else to a chef I imagine. Tomato based
topping sounds unappetising ... ;-)
--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]