nothing to do with wine

[joeyz6]

I was wondering if maybe Roberto or Sciammnit (or anyone who is familiar with authentic Italian cuisine) could shed some light on a discussion I was having with a friend. My friend claims that a regular tomato sauce for pasta needs to be simmered for six hours. Is this how it's done in Italy? I thought that 30 or 40 minutes sufficed, just enough to thicken the sauce and for the tomatoes to turn to a deep red.

[Innkeeper]

I simmer mine for 30 minutes. Some folks have different traditions. Beverly's family (Georgia-Floridians) simmer their green beans for six hours.

[Thomas]

This subject likely has as many answers as there are people who cook tomato sauce. I approach the subject this way: for my ragu (thick sauce with meat) I cook long; for a simple sauce with a few spices (no meat) I am in the thirty-minute camp.

My mother, who was from Naples, cooked sauce until the next solar eclipse...

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 02-07-2003).]

[Kcwhippet]

As said, there are as many sauces and preparation methods as there are people preparing them. Each fall I put up about 60 to 70 quarts of various tomato based sauces, ranging from Italian style seasoned sauces to simple Provencal style to a few of my own concoction. Depending on the desired end result, the cooking times vary. The Provencal sauces only cook for about 20 to 30 minutes to retain the fresh taste of the tomatoes. The Italian style cooks for about 50 minutes to an hour, mainly to break down the tomatoes. Another Italian sauce cooks for 30 minutes to stay fresh. Many, many sauces - many, many methods.

[wondersofwine]

I once made a meat sauce from a Greek cookbook. It makes enough to store some for later meals. It was yummy but took several hours to prepare! Too much fuss! Never attempted it again. Also, I have several times made a chicken dish with sweet and sour sauce. Usually just settle for using La Choy (commercial) sweet and sour sauce until the time in a small West Virginia town, the grocery store had no commercial sweet and sour sauces. So that time I had to look up a recipe for sweet and sour meat balls and adapt the sauce for the chicken dish. It was good but not worth the extra time compared to the commercial sauce. I love a well-made sauce in a restaurant but just can't see devoting too much time to it in my kitchen if the difference isn't that pronounced.

[Thomas]

What's more: I love a tomato sauce that has been refrigerated for a few days after it was cooked.

[hotwine]

Had a good friend in my outfit at Bragg in '67 whose parents were from Naples and taught him to cook. He'd have a bunch of his Lt buds over on a Sunday afternoon for eggplant parmesan that was an absolute killer! He began cooking the sauce on Saturday and added the eggplant after church on Sunday morning so it was ready about 1300. Chianti, eggplant and endless loaves of hot garlic bread! Manomanoman! (burp)

[Drew]

I'll simmer sauces to reduce to the consistancy that I want but agree with Foodie that several days in the fridge does more for a sauce that hours of cooking, esp. gumbo, my fav.

Drew

[joeyz6]

Yeah, usually I cook it the same way you all do -- simmer it until it tastes right and is the right consistency. So Foodie, your mother cooked it for hours on end? Maybe I'll try it sometime to see how it turns out.

Regarding the few days in the fridge, I couldn't agree more. I feel the same way about chili con carne, and beef stew. And my friends here have told me that boeuf bourguinon is best made a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to integrate.

[wondersofwine]

At least one night in the refrigerater improves a marinated vegetable dish I make for potlucks, etc. The marinade has vegetable oil, sugar, and vinegar, etc. and I use petit pois (baby peas), french-cut green beans, whitepeg corn, diced red or orange bell peppers, pimiento, and diced onion. A good soaking in the marinade really melds the flavors.

[winedope1]

I agree with: 1. let the sauce sit in the fridge for a day or two. 2. simmer some sauces for a LONG time- I do it in a crockpot once all of the ingredients have been sauteed and mixed. 3. It is possible to make a good, quick sauce in 30-40 minutes. For this I usually use fresh tomatoes and herbs ( when in season, of course, preferably fresh out of my garden).WD