Color and the 5 Basic Sauces

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Let  the Spoon Mage™ Help You Learn to create Mother Sauces!

Bechamel Sauce new Mother Sauce 101 copyColor and the Five Basic Sauces

Five sauces rule the kitchen – Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, Hollandaise, and Tomato. Fantastically named Mother Sauces, they form the swirling base or hefty ladle of deliciousness on top of your favorite meals.

Once you know what to look for, you’ll see Mother Sauces everywhere – in many recipes, on menus, and on cookery shows. It doesn’t take secret saucery incantations or an analysis of ancient texts to learn to identify them. The easiest way to find the big five is by mindfully considering their colors – white, light brown, deep brown, yellow, and red.

Pause a moment, breathe, and let your imagination stir up a little colorful saucy goodness.  Read More

Bechamel Sauce

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Bechamel WMBéchamel is a rich and creamy Mother Sauce made out of milk. It’s one of the five main source sauces from which other saucy recipes spring.

The smooth white sauce is begun by making a light or white roux – briefly cooking the flour and butter until the flour begins to cook. Warm or hot milk is carefully stirred into the roux (or vice versa in the traditional manner) to create the sauce.

Béchamel is then modified with seasonings or other elements such as cheese, onions, or shallots.

Once you know how to make a Basic Béchamel, you will recognize it in many dishes from au gratin potatoes to Alfredo. Add a little of this and a little of that to make the sauce sing. Read More

Pizza Sauce, version 2

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3pizzas 3Ingredients:

3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 (44 oz) tomato puree, or 1 (29 oz) can and 1 (15 oz) can of puree
2 T carrots, minced (approximately two large baby carrots)
2 Parmesan rinds
1 2/3 t onion powder
2 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 t oregano
1/4 t basil
Pinch ground rosemary
Pinch ground thyme
Several shakes of crushed red pepper flakes Read More

Italian Barbecue Sauce

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Homemade barecue sauce in jar

Homemade barecue sauce in jar

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pure olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 29 oz can of tomato puree
2 T red wine vinegar – get a good one, I use Colavita
2 T packed brown sugar…packed firm and maybe even rounded a bit if you enjoy a sweet sauce
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1 t oregano Read More

Swiss Steak and Gravy

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Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 (2 1/2 lb) chuck roast
2 T flour
Salt and pepper
2 T vegetable oil, or your favorite high heat oil
1 medium onion, cut into large
2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 bell pepper, deveined, deseeded, and cut into large pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef stock
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T paprika
1 t oregano
1 t granulated garlic
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 T butter, room temperature
2 T flour Read More

Garlicky Pasta Sauce with Meatballs

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Makes enough sauce to serve over pasta for about 8 people

Ingredients:

1 recipe baked meatballs
2 full heads of garlic, roasted, peeled with the cloves left whole
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, rough chopped
1 (32 oz) can peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
6 oz (or more if necessary) of tomato paste
1 cup of beef stock
1 cup of good red wine
1 Parmesan or Romano rind
1 good cup or more of fresh basil, rinsed and torn
1 bay leaf
a few shakes of hot red pepper flakes, or to taste, I use 1/4 teaspoon
4 t garlic powder
1 t dried basil
3/4 t of fresh ground black pepper
1  1/2 t dried oregano
1 t dried crushed rosemary
Optional: dark brown sugar Read More