Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

I'm making Chicken Cacciatore and one of the pre-requisites is to make
the tomato sauce first.

Katie bar the door and call me Sophia.
This is the best tomato sauce I've ever made. OK, it's the only tomato
sauce I've ever made but dang it, it is outfreakingstanding.

It calls for onion, carrot, thyme, garlic, olive oil and whole canned
tomatoes.
http://i33.tinypic.com/2hcoylu.jpg

Cook the onion until soft and light golden brown. Then add the thyme,
and carrot.
http://i37.tinypic.com/x1hjc0.jpg

When the carrot is soft add the tomatoes with their juice.
http://i38.tinypic.com/2ziao40.jpg

I decided the tomato can needed rinsing out. Heaven forbid I use water
in such a sauce so I used red wine, just enough to rinse out the can.
http://i33.tinypic.com/28vul9c.jpg

And added that to the already wonderful sauce.
http://i36.tinypic.com/19lcp2.jpg

Simmer the sauce until it is the consistency of hot cereal.
http://i38.tinypic.com/6eequo.jpg

I suppose if you wanted a smooth sauce you could run it through a food
mill.

This is one of the ingredients in the Chicken Cacciatore that is now
simmering on my stove and making the cottage smell so good.

Getting ready to cook some pasta and have dinner.

Basic Tomato Sauce
makes 4 cups

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
salt

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10
minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is soft,
about 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring
often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about
30 minutes. Season with salt. This sauce can be refrigerated for up to
1 week or frozen for 6 months.

Mario Batali

And that's that.

koko
--

There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 10/11

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

koko > wrote:

>Basic Tomato Sauce
>makes 4 cups

>1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
>1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
>4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
>3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
>1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
>two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
>salt

>1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
>onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10
>minutes.

I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?

I generally saute all the other vegetables first, then push them aside
enough to form a spot large enough for the garlic and a bit more
oil, and cook it for about 20 seconds.


Steve

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:33 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

>koko > wrote:

>>1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
>>onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10
>>minutes.
>
>I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
>Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?

I am not Koko, but it depends on the heat at which you are cooking the
garlic. If you cook it over a lower heat, it won't be too long or
produce a toasted flavor, but instead just get rather sweet and
mellow.
This is just my experience.

Christine

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

Christine Dabney > wrote:

>On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:33 +0000 (UTC),

>>koko > wrote:

>>>1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
>>>onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10
>>>minutes.

>>I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
>>Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?

>I am not Koko, but it depends on the heat at which you are cooking the
>garlic. If you cook it over a lower heat, it won't be too long or
>produce a toasted flavor, but instead just get rather sweet and
>mellow.

Good point. The above says 8-10 minutes at medium heat;
I think, interpreted literally, that gives you toasted garlic,
but perhaps "medium" is relative.

Steve

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:33 +0000 (UTC),
>
> >>koko > wrote:
>
> >>>1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
> >>>onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10
> >>>minutes.
>
> >>I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
> >>Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?
>
> >I am not Koko, but it depends on the heat at which you are cooking the
> >garlic. If you cook it over a lower heat, it won't be too long or
> >produce a toasted flavor, but instead just get rather sweet and
> >mellow.
>
> Good point. The above says 8-10 minutes at medium heat;
> I think, interpreted literally, that gives you toasted garlic,
> but perhaps "medium" is relative.

If the onions haven't lost all their moisture, that'll keep the pan
temperature down.

Isaac

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

In article >,
koko > wrote:

> I'm making Chicken Cacciatore and one of the pre-requisites is to make
> the tomato sauce first.
>
> Katie bar the door and call me Sophia.
> This is the best tomato sauce I've ever made. OK, it's the only tomato
> sauce I've ever made but dang it, it is outfreakingstanding.
>
> It calls for onion, carrot, thyme, garlic, olive oil and whole canned
> tomatoes.
> http://i33.tinypic.com/2hcoylu.jpg
>
> Cook the onion until soft and light golden brown. Then add the thyme,
> and carrot.
> http://i37.tinypic.com/x1hjc0.jpg
>
> When the carrot is soft add the tomatoes with their juice.
> http://i38.tinypic.com/2ziao40.jpg
>
> I decided the tomato can needed rinsing out. Heaven forbid I use water
> in such a sauce so I used red wine, just enough to rinse out the can.

You may find that a white wine gives a better flavor; the red's tannins
can make the sauce a bit astringent.

Isaac

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

isw > wrote:

> (Steve Pope) wrote:

>> Christine Dabney > wrote:

>> >On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:33 +0000 (UTC),

>> >>I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
>> >>Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?

>> >I am not Koko, but it depends on the heat at which you are cooking the
>> >garlic. If you cook it over a lower heat, it won't be too long or
>> >produce a toasted flavor, but instead just get rather sweet and
>> >mellow.

>> Good point. The above says 8-10 minutes at medium heat;
>> I think, interpreted literally, that gives you toasted garlic,
>> but perhaps "medium" is relative.

>If the onions haven't lost all their moisture, that'll keep the pan
>temperature down.

A sort of thermal mass effect. Right. Should work.

Still, I trust my method a little more.

Steve

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:29:15 -0700, isw > wrote:

>In article >,
> koko > wrote:
>
>> I'm making Chicken Cacciatore and one of the pre-requisites is to make
>> the tomato sauce first.

snippage

>> I decided the tomato can needed rinsing out. Heaven forbid I use water
>> in such a sauce so I used red wine, just enough to rinse out the can.
>
>You may find that a white wine gives a better flavor; the red's tannins
>can make the sauce a bit astringent.
>
>Isaac

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try it next time and see what I think.
koko
--
There is no love more sincere than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 7/06

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

On Oct 12, 1:26*am, isw > wrote:
> In article >,
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
> > >On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:33 +0000 (UTC),
>
> > >>koko > wrote:
>
> > >>>1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
> > >>>onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10
> > >>>minutes.
>
> > >>I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
> > >>Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?
>
> > >I am not Koko, but it depends on the heat at which you are cooking the
> > >garlic. *If you cook it over a lower heat, it won't be too long or
> > >produce a toasted flavor, but instead just get rather sweet and
> > >mellow. *
>
> > Good point. *The above says 8-10 minutes at medium heat;
> > I think, interpreted literally, that gives you toasted garlic,
> > but perhaps "medium" is relative.
>
> If the onions haven't lost all their moisture, that'll keep the pan
> temperature down.

Hi, I'm not an anal retentive freak, this recipe looks good, use
common sense, duh.....thanks for posting.

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> isw > wrote:
>
> > (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
> >> Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
> >> >On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:33 +0000 (UTC),
>
> >> >>I'm curious.... isn't that way too long to cook the garlic?
> >> >>Or do you like the toasted garlic flavor?
>
> >> >I am not Koko, but it depends on the heat at which you are cooking the
> >> >garlic. If you cook it over a lower heat, it won't be too long or
> >> >produce a toasted flavor, but instead just get rather sweet and
> >> >mellow.
>
> >> Good point. The above says 8-10 minutes at medium heat;
> >> I think, interpreted literally, that gives you toasted garlic,
> >> but perhaps "medium" is relative.
>
> >If the onions haven't lost all their moisture, that'll keep the pan
> >temperature down.
>
> A sort of thermal mass effect. Right. Should work.

More accurately, it's difficult to keep a pan much above the boiling
point with a mass of water-bearing veggies in it...

Isaac

Tomato Sauce ala Mario
 

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:59:34 -0700, koko > wrote:

>I'm making Chicken Cacciatore and one of the pre-requisites is to make
>the tomato sauce first.
>
>Katie bar the door and call me Sophia.
>This is the best tomato sauce I've ever made. OK, it's the only tomato
>sauce I've ever made but dang it, it is outfreakingstanding.

<laugh> You're a hoot Koko and I don't believe it's the only tomato
sauce you've ever made either. :)