The SauceTalk Newsletter

Like so many others I was so inspired by the movie Julia and Julia to start doing some gourmet cooking in my own little kitchen… and then I hit a stumbling block.  No it wasn’t sticker shock for Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking (two volume set), nor the daunting task of even lifting the enormous book.   It was the meticulous detail and difficulty of the recipes.. let’s face it, who has that kind of time?

But what I learned is that the real secret to gourmet cooking is all in the sauce.  So here is some basic information on sauces… I’ll start with Wine Sauces.

What I found most amazing in my research is that Sauces have been used since the middle ages- who knew! But of course French chef’s have upped the bar on sauces almost to the point of high art — just treat yourself to any fine dining at a French restaurant and you will know this is true.

So what goes into making a great sauce? The famous French Chef, Aguste Escoffier, tells us that the chef who wants to create a memorable sauce must first prepare a mirepoix (Wikepedia has a great but lengthy definition) and roast beef or veal bones to begin developing a stock… then one must slowly reduce the stock and add a slowly browned roux to create a deep brown color and rich flavor with a smooth and velvety consistency.  This will create a “foundation sauce” from which many other sauces can be made.

Slow being the operative word in the whole process … again I ask, who has this kind of time?  Let’s face it, this is a time intensive process that I certainly don’t have the patience required to complete it.  Never fear! More Than Gourmet has taken care of the time intensive work for us and has created both a Red Wine Sauce as well as a White Wine Sauce which reduces what would have taken hours to mere minutes without sacrificing flavor, consistency or eye appeal!

Using classical methods and only the finest ingredients,these sauces are consistently reliable, dependable, affordable and most importantly delicious! They have found a permanent home in my pantry and I know you also will find them so easy to keep on hand that all your meals will be gourmet!

Bon Appetite!

Sherea

Welcome to The SauceTalk Newsletter. A blog dedicated to all things Sauce.

Sauces have been around I’m sure since man began roasting food, cooking in some fashion or using vessels to hold liquid. The desire to disguise the burned and often over seared flavors of food cooked over an open flame was a cause for curiosity and experimentation. This then led to adding something “new to the pot” so to speak to what may have been a very boring, burned or dried out and flavorless dish.

Dry seasonings and herbs found in the surrounding area were most likely the first steps in adding flavor to food. That was followed by the use of something fashioned to hold water or the moisture being released during the cooking process which then became a sauce or sorts. Even broad leaves such as banana leaves were used to retain moisture and flavor. Then the ingenious clay pot was created and became the most common type vessel for cooking.

There have been volumes written about the history of food, food styles and types, the cooking process and sauces used and infused from one culture to another through the ages. We would like to continue that discussion and to continue to share because there is always something new evolving in the world of food and something new that we can take away and use to improve our own dishes.

This space is therefore dedicated to sharing recipes and information involving food that we can all enjoy, use and ultimately call our very own.

That said let the posts begin!

The primary sponsor for this site is Club Sauce an internet provider of high quality gourmet and specialty foods such as More Than Gourmet Demi Glace and Cooking Stocks, Italian extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars, ready-to-use wine sauces, seasonings, mushrooms, chutney and spicy jams, saffron, BBQ sauces, chocolate sauces and more and can be found at www.clubsauce.com