Hi All,

Yesterday I ate a tomato sauce that I would love to cook at home but
don't have any idea how.

At Allegria restaurant in Malibu, California, they served a tomato
sauce that was bright orange in color, very smooth, light, and
non-greasy. It had a great flavor. (I wish I could describe it
better.)

I asked the chef how he made it, and he said he took a standard trio
of carrots, celery, and onion, then added good tomatoes, cooked it for
a couple hours, and then blended it. This was my first time eating
there, and I didn't want to press the issue and ask for more details.

Does anyone have a recipe they could share that uses these ingredients
and a similar method? I am a relatively beginner cook and don't know
how to improvise this, especially with respect to the proportions of
the ingredients. I looked through our several cookbooks and saw
nothing that seemed like it would come out like this.

Thanks!

Johnny

Johnny1 wrote:

> Does anyone have a recipe they could share that uses these ingredients
> and a similar method?


This serves as a base to many many dishes of mine (as it does for Babbo
in NYC)... I wouldn't recommend blending it though unless you're
planning on using it as a pizza sauce...


Basic Tomato Sauce
Recipe Courtesy of Mario Batali

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 cups
1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 tablespoons dried)
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 - 28-ounce cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed and
mixed well with their juices
Salt, to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until
translucent, but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the thyme and carrot
and cook 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower the
heat to just bubbling, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Season with
salt to taste. Serve immediately, or set aside for further use. The
sauce may be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to 6 months.

Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Search out Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking", or
any of her previous books and follow her advice. You will be there soon.
Good Luck
Kent

Johnny1 wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> Yesterday I ate a tomato sauce that I would love to cook at home but
> don't have any idea how.
>
> At Allegria restaurant in Malibu, California, they served a tomato
> sauce that was bright orange in color, very smooth, light, and
> non-greasy. It had a great flavor. (I wish I could describe it
> better.)
>
> I asked the chef how he made it, and he said he took a standard trio
> of carrots, celery, and onion, then added good tomatoes, cooked it for
> a couple hours, and then blended it. This was my first time eating
> there, and I didn't want to press the issue and ask for more details.
>
> Does anyone have a recipe they could share that uses these ingredients
> and a similar method? I am a relatively beginner cook and don't know
> how to improvise this, especially with respect to the proportions of
> the ingredients. I looked through our several cookbooks and saw
> nothing that seemed like it would come out like this.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Johnny

Thank you both for your suggestions. I will try the recipe, and after
reading the reviews of Marcella Hazan's book on Amazon, I know it will
be a great resource for me to learn from.

Johnny

"Johnny1" > wrote in message
...
> Hi All,
>
> Yesterday I ate a tomato sauce that I would love to cook at home but
> don't have any idea how.
>
> At Allegria restaurant in Malibu, California, they served a tomato
> sauce that was bright orange in color, very smooth, light, and
> non-greasy. It had a great flavor. (I wish I could describe it
> better.)
>
> I asked the chef how he made it, and he said he took a standard trio
> of carrots, celery, and onion, then added good tomatoes, cooked it for
> a couple hours, and then blended it. This was my first time eating
> there, and I didn't want to press the issue and ask for more details.
>
> Does anyone have a recipe they could share that uses these ingredients
> and a similar method? I am a relatively beginner cook and don't know
> how to improvise this, especially with respect to the proportions of
> the ingredients. I looked through our several cookbooks and saw
> nothing that seemed like it would come out like this.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Johnny


The carrot, celery and onion is called a mirepoix, these are diced and
sautéed gently until the onion becomes transparent. Use olive oil to sauté,
some garlic may also be added. Then add the tomatoes, fresh that have been
seeded and diced or canned tomatoes, some oregano and/o fresh basil and
simmer for as the chef said a few hours. Remove from the heat and blend. Be
careful here, either use a blending wand or very carefully use a blender -
hot foods in a blender heat the air quickly and can cause the top to blow
off.


Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:
> "Johnny1" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi All,
>>
>>Yesterday I ate a tomato sauce that I would love to cook at home but
>>don't have any idea how.
>>
>>
>>Thanks!
>>
>>Johnny
>
> The carrot, celery and onion is called a mirepoix, these are diced and
> sautéed gently until the onion becomes transparent. Use olive oil to sauté,
> some garlic may also be added. Then add the tomatoes, fresh that have been
> seeded and diced or canned tomatoes, some oregano and/o fresh basil and
> simmer for as the chef said a few hours. Remove from the heat and blend. Be
> careful here, either use a blending wand or very carefully use a blender -
> hot foods in a blender heat the air quickly and can cause the top to blow
> off.
>
>
> Dimitri
>
>

dimitri,
what about using fresh yellow tomatoes peeled and seeded instead of the
normal red ones?

also i wouldn't use oregano. it has a strong flavor and from the
description johnny gives probably was not included. i would add several
basil leaves to be removed before blending. they would give a very
smooth flavor.

also i would suggest to remove the garlic before blending. and maybe for
a fresh tomato sauce is not necessary to cook more then 30-45 minutes. I
will have to try this!

ciao, anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 16:01:49 GMT, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>The carrot, celery and onion is called a mirepoix, these are diced and
>sautéed gently until the onion becomes transparent. Use olive oil to sauté,
>some garlic may also be added. Then add the tomatoes, fresh that have been
>seeded and diced or canned tomatoes, some oregano and/o fresh basil and
>simmer for as the chef said a few hours. Remove from the heat and blend. Be
>careful here, either use a blending wand or very carefully use a blender -
>hot foods in a blender heat the air quickly and can cause the top to blow
>off.

Thanks, Dimitri.

What do you think about this for proportions? I would like to have
enough sauce to dress four servings of pasta as a main course:

1/4 cup each minced carrot, onion, and celery
2 tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 tbs. fresh basil
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in their juice

Thanks also for the warning about blending hot foods. I once knew
about it but had completely forgotten. I will use a blending wand.

anna maria, thank you for your additional suggestions.

(This is a second post - I sent this yesterday but it never showed
up.)

Johnny

"Johnny1" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 16:01:49 GMT, "Dimitri" >
> wrote:
>
> >The carrot, celery and onion is called a mirepoix, these are diced and
> >sautéed gently until the onion becomes transparent. Use olive oil to
sauté,
> >some garlic may also be added. Then add the tomatoes, fresh that have
been
> >seeded and diced or canned tomatoes, some oregano and/o fresh basil and
> >simmer for as the chef said a few hours. Remove from the heat and blend.
Be
> >careful here, either use a blending wand or very carefully use a
blender -
> >hot foods in a blender heat the air quickly and can cause the top to blow
> >off.
>
> Thanks, Dimitri.
>
> What do you think about this for proportions? I would like to have
> enough sauce to dress four servings of pasta as a main course:
>
> 1/4 cup each minced carrot, onion, and celery
> 2 tbs. olive oil
> 1 clove garlic, sliced
> 2 tbs. fresh basil
> 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in their juice
>
> Thanks also for the warning about blending hot foods. I once knew
> about it but had completely forgotten. I will use a blending wand.
>
> anna maria, thank you for your additional suggestions.
>
> (This is a second post - I sent this yesterday but it never showed
> up.)
>
> Johnny

I think I would be tempted to double the tomatoes. You have 3/4 cup of
mirepoix to 28 ounces of tomatoes. The purpose of the mirepoix is to add
some sugars and "depth of flavor". One of the reasons to double the
tomatoes is the "simmer" time. The proportions of the sauce to the servings
is a personal choice. Part of this process ids to simmer and reduce the
sauce.

Remember, if you like the results it's perfect.

Dimitri

"anna maria" > wrote in message
...

<snip>

> dimitri,
> what about using fresh yellow tomatoes peeled and seeded instead of the
> normal red ones?

No problem here.

> also i wouldn't use oregano. it has a strong flavor and from the
> description johnny gives probably was not included. i would add several
> basil leaves to be removed before blending. they would give a very
> smooth flavor.

The chioce and amount of herbs is a persoal choice. I try to abide by the
classic French theory "if you can recognize a herb you've used too much"
IMHO oregano is essential to the flavor but that was the norm for me. I also
"spike" the pasta water with a few bay leaves as well.


Dimitri

Johnny1 wrote:

> What do you think about this for proportions? I would like to have
> enough sauce to dress four servings of pasta as a main course:
>
> 1/4 cup each minced carrot, onion, and celery
> 2 tbs. olive oil
> 1 clove garlic, sliced
> 2 tbs. fresh basil
> 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in their juice
>
> Thanks also for the warning about blending hot foods. I once knew
> about it but had completely forgotten. I will use a blending wand.

FWIW...I'd prolly add the basil *after* the sauce has been cooked and
pureed and use a more aromatic herb such as fresh thyme or oregano
during the cooking...

~john!


--
What was it like to see - the face of your own stability - suddenly look
away...

Johnny1 wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 16:01:49 GMT, "Dimitri" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>The carrot, celery and onion is called a mirepoix, these are diced and
>>sautéed gently until the onion becomes transparent. Use olive oil to sauté,
>>some garlic may also be added. Then add the tomatoes, fresh that have been
>>seeded and diced or canned tomatoes, some oregano and/o fresh basil and
>>simmer for as the chef said a few hours. Remove from the heat and blend. Be
>>careful here, either use a blending wand or very carefully use a blender -
>>hot foods in a blender heat the air quickly and can cause the top to blow
>>off.
>
>
> Thanks, Dimitri.
>
> What do you think about this for proportions? I would like to have
> enough sauce to dress four servings of pasta as a main course:
>
>
> Johnny
>
>

I agree with dimitri that the use of spices and heis matter of personal
taste. I still think that the description you gave of the sauce (that
was bright orange in color, very smooth, light, and non-greasy) couldn't
include oregano, that gives an unmistacable "italian" taste (i would
have a lot to say about the abuse of oregano in the italian cooking).
also i think that using canned tomato, no matter how ripe they are (and
most canned tomato are not) could give to the sauce an acidic taste. i
would try the following recipe.

yellow tomato sauce

3 tablespoons butter
3–4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
one carrot, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 lb (approximately 1 kg) very ripe fresh yellow tomatoes, peeled and
seeded
6–7 + 2-3 fresh basil leaves
1 lb (450 gr) fresh fettuccine or dry fettuccine egg noodles
½ cup (75 gr) parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated

In a medium-size saucepan, place the butter and olive oil. Turn the heat
to medium.
As soon as the butter starts foaming, add the blended vegetables, salt,
and pepper.
Sauté until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
Add the tomatoes and basil leaves.
Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 20–25 minutes, stirring
frequently, until the sauce is thicker. if the sauce has an acidic taste
stir in 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream.
Cooking time may vary depending on the type and ripeness of the tomatoes.
In a food processor finely blend the sauce, until reduced to a puree.
Cook the fettuccine in abundant salt water following manufacturer’s
instructions. Taste for readiness from time to time, until al dente(firm
but not too soft or overcooked).
Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Top with the sauce and the cheese, toss, and serve immediately garnished
with fresh basil leaves broken in small pieces (optional).

I hope you know how to peel fresh tomatoes.
The combination of sauteéd onion-celery-carrot is called in italian
“soffritto” and means lightly freid.

anna maria wrote:

i forgot to sign... :-)

ciao, anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

anna maria wrote:

> I hope you know how to peel fresh tomatoes.
> The combination of sauteéd onion-celery-carrot is called in italian
> “soffritto” and means lightly freid.

Hi Anna... got a question for 'ya... How do you feel about Italian Chef
Mario Batali repeatedly saying "I would never cook with fresh tomatoes -
I would only slice them and serve them with salt. In sauces I much
prefer the acidity of canned tomatoes" I'm no expert in Italian cooking
so you'll have to enlighten me... If I were to sit down at a your
Grandmother's table whilst she was preparing a nice Ragu Bolognese -
would she reach for the vine or the cupboard?...

~john!

levelwave wrote:
> anna maria wrote:
>
>> I hope you know how to peel fresh tomatoes.
>> The combination of sauteéd onion-celery-carrot is called in italian
>> “soffritto” and means lightly freid.
>
>
> Hi Anna... got a question for 'ya... How do you feel about Italian Chef
> Mario Batali repeatedly saying "I would never cook with fresh tomatoes -
> I would only slice them and serve them with salt. In sauces I much
> prefer the acidity of canned tomatoes" I'm no expert in Italian cooking
> so you'll have to enlighten me... If I were to sit down at a your
> Grandmother's table whilst she was preparing a nice Ragu Bolognese -
> would she reach for the vine or the cupboard?...
>
> ~john!
>
>

i think it is not wrong at all to use canned tomatoes. in my opinion
fresh tomatoes are to be preferred when they are in season and they are
ripe. no canned tomatoes compares to it. but for matter of practicality
and in winter when fresh ones are not available, feel free to use canned
tomatoes. i really like to use as much as i can fresh stuff in my
cooking, without being an extremist of course.

there is a long thread about canned tomatoes going on right now, and
everyone stresses how important it is to choose the goodones. my
grandmather would have probably reached for the bottled tomatoes that
she would have done herself in summer at the peack of the season! many
lucky ones with space and equipment still do their own tomatoes.

mario batali is a great chef. but if he likes acidity in tomatoes must
be his personal taste, and doesn't agree (i think) with most of the
italians i am afraid. it doesn't agree with my taste. i stay away from
acidic canned tomatoes. it means just that they have been picked up not
ripe, probably for commercial reasons.

i would like to add that ragu' has a sweet buttery taste. you don't want
any acid. some people suggests to add some sugar to the sauce . that way
you will obtain an acidic sweet tasting sauce. i add instead 1-2
tablespoons of milk or cream (you don't need more). this is a little
trick that not everyone knows. it take the acidity away from the sauce
without changing the taste.

again i think that to really give a smooth sweet taste to your sauce you
have to use fresh. also the yellow tomatoes would recreate the orangy
color you were talking about. but feel free to use canned if you don't
have fresh. as you can see i also used the trick of the milk for the
recipe i wrote earlier.

keep us posted on what you did and how was the result!

Buon appetito!

anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

anna maria, you are a sweetheart. Thanks for all the great
suggestions.

The acidity of tomato sauce is exactly the reason I tend not to like
Italian red sauces, and the sauce I ate last weekend that I wrote
about had no trace of acid at all. It would never have occurred to me
to add some milk or cream. The next time I've cooked a tomato sauce
that's too acidity I will use your solution.

I think I will first try the sauce with a good canned tomato, Muir
Glen Organic. If it comes out too acidy, I will put in a bit of milk
or cream. If I'm not thrilled with the result, I will try fresh
tomatoes (including yellow tomatoes) assuming I can get them. There
are good markets and farmers' markets near me.

>keep us posted on what you did and how was the result!

I will cook this at the beginning of next week and will post my
results (even if it's not good!).

Johnny

In article >, Johnny1
> writes:

>The acidity of tomato sauce is exactly the reason I tend not to like
>Italian red sauces, and the sauce I ate last weekend that I wrote
>about had no trace of acid at all. It would never have occurred to me
>to add some milk or cream. The next time I've cooked a tomato sauce
>that's too acidity I will use your solution.
>
>I think I will first try the sauce with a good canned tomato, Muir
>Glen Organic. If it comes out too acidy, I will put in a bit of milk
>or cream. If I'm not thrilled with the result, I will try fresh
>tomatoes (including yellow tomatoes) assuming I can get them. There
>are good markets and farmers' markets near me.

I grow my own tomatoes, reds, yellows, all types... yellows are very low
acidity (too mildly flavored for sauce), very juicy (too juicy for sauce)...
great for salads, terrible for sauce. If you want an orange-yellow hued sauce
(strictly esthetics) use red romas and add pureed yellow bell pepper to suit.
Regardless, salad tomatoes make awful sauce, in fact they're not much good for
cooking... they're called *salad* tomatoes for a reason.




---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

PENMART01 wrote:

>
> I grow my own tomatoes, reds, yellows, all types... yellows are very low
> acidity (too mildly flavored for sauce), very juicy (too juicy for sauce)...
> great for salads, terrible for sauce. If you want an orange-yellow hued sauce
> (strictly esthetics) use red romas and add pureed yellow bell pepper to suit.
> Regardless, salad tomatoes make awful sauce, in fact they're not much good for
> cooking... they're called *salad* tomatoes for a reason.
>
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> Sheldon
> ````````````
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
>

you maybe right, but on this i think is a matter of taste. what is salad
tomatoes other than a definition. tastes don't have to be always STRONG!
especially in a butter-freshtomato-basil-parmigiano sauce.

my idea of a "salad tomato" is an little under-ripe firm tomato, roma or
heirloom. sliced, diced, wedged, or simply halved, dressed with
extra-virgin olive oil, fresh oregano chopped (or fresh basil), little
bit of fresh garlic, salt, and freshly grated pepper.

"sauce tomato" for me would be a very ripe tomato of any kind. if a
tomato is really ripe i think is generally good-tasting for sauces. if
too watery you can eliminate the liquid when you remove the seed, or you
can cook it on open pan on medium high, stirring often and reduce it as
much as you want.

regarding the color of course you can use yellow bell pepper, but i
think the taste of the pepper would overcome the tomato. i mean it
wouldn't be what johnny is looking for. maybe a combination of part red
and part yellow tomato, as color and flavor enhancement would be better.

ciao, anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

anna maria writes:

>PENMART01 wrote:
>
>>
>> I grow my own tomatoes, reds, yellows, all types... yellows are very low
>> acidity (too mildly flavored for sauce), very juicy (too juicy for
>sauce)...
>> great for salads, terrible for sauce. If you want an orange-yellow hued
>sauce
>> (strictly esthetics) use red romas and add pureed yellow bell pepper to
>suit.
>> Regardless, salad tomatoes make awful sauce, in fact they're not much good
>for
>> cooking... they're called *salad* tomatoes for a reason.
>>
>> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
>> Sheldon
>> ````````````
>> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
>>
>
>you maybe right, but on this i think is a matter of taste. what is salad
>tomatoes other than a definition. tastes don't have to be always STRONG!
>especially in a butter-freshtomato-basil-parmigiano sauce.
>
>my idea of a "salad tomato" is an little under-ripe firm tomato, roma or
>heirloom. sliced, diced, wedged, or simply halved, dressed with
>extra-virgin olive oil, fresh oregano chopped (or fresh basil), little
>bit of fresh garlic, salt, and freshly grated pepper.
>
>"sauce tomato" for me would be a very ripe tomato of any kind. if a
>tomato is really ripe i think is generally good-tasting for sauces. if
>too watery you can eliminate the liquid when you remove the seed, or you
>can cook it on open pan on medium high, stirring often and reduce it as
>much as you want.
>
>regarding the color of course you can use yellow bell pepper, but i
>think the taste of the pepper would overcome the tomato. i mean it
>wouldn't be what johnny is looking for. maybe a combination of part red
>and part yellow tomato, as color and flavor enhancement would be better.

Did anyone ever tell you your taste is in your ass... well it is... but then
you're a WOP. Perhaps if you bathed like more than once a month, and shaved,
you hirsute dago ape.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Whoever wrote this is an unhappy, bitter person. He has serious
problems. Don't pay attention to him. He's just trying to bring
people down to his own miserable level.


On 31 Oct 2003 02:15:17 GMT, (PENMART01) wrote: