I am a sauce snob. If I go to an Italian I am a sauce snob. If I go to an Italian restaurant- the first thing I do is taste the restaurant- the first thing I do is taste the red sauce. If it’s good, I can order anything- red sauce. If it’s good, I can order anything- if not, I will end up with something like if not, I will end up with something like linguini and clams with a white sauce or linguini and clams with a white sauce or fish. I have cooked with this recipe for 10 fish. I have cooked with this recipe for 10 yrs, and nothing has changed, so trust it’s yrs, and nothing has changed, so trust it’s the goods. Oh, and prepare to do this for a the goods. Oh, and prepare to do this for a few hours each day spanning a weekend. few hours each day spanning a weekend. No need to try and fit this in one day. No need to try and fit this in one day. There’s no reason to have it take up a whole There’s no reason to have it take up a whole day and ruin your life for 10+ hours…day and ruin your life for 10+ hours…

• If you don’t have a garden, don’t bother If you don’t have a garden, don’t bother making sauce out of store-bought tomatoes. making sauce out of store-bought tomatoes. Not worth it. Go get a few cans of Not worth it. Go get a few cans of importedimported peeled tomatoes. peeled tomatoes.

• Grow roma tomatoes.Grow roma tomatoes.• Make sure you start early, and have a garden Make sure you start early, and have a garden

that has been adequately limed. (Bottom-end that has been adequately limed. (Bottom-end rot is a bitch, yo.)rot is a bitch, yo.)

• Know how to choose, and only pick ripe fruit. Know how to choose, and only pick ripe fruit. Tomatoes that aren’t ready yet are very hard Tomatoes that aren’t ready yet are very hard to skin, and the sauce will taste like ass.to skin, and the sauce will taste like ass.

• Put some Dean Martin on. Frank Put some Dean Martin on. Frank Sinatra will do as well. Sinatra will do as well.

• Other alternatives include:Other alternatives include: --PavarottiPavarotti --Lou MonteLou Monte

• Wash, and remove peduncle on top of fruit. Wash, and remove peduncle on top of fruit.

• Use a small paring knife and make a small Use a small paring knife and make a small circle to remove the thing.circle to remove the thing.

Peduncles

• Make a ‘X’ in the epidermis on the bottom of the Make a ‘X’ in the epidermis on the bottom of the berry. This will peel back when blanching, letting berry. This will peel back when blanching, letting you know when it’s time to peel.you know when it’s time to peel.

• Blanche the tomatoes. This requires flash boiling the Blanche the tomatoes. This requires flash boiling the fruit from 1-3 mins or until you see the skin from the fruit from 1-3 mins or until you see the skin from the ‘X’ you just made peeling back. Use a stainless steel ‘X’ you just made peeling back. Use a stainless steel strainer that fits into a large boiling pot.strainer that fits into a large boiling pot.

Blanche

• Get a slightly larger knife with serrated Get a slightly larger knife with serrated edge, and wait 20 mins for cooling. If you edge, and wait 20 mins for cooling. If you have gloves, go for it.have gloves, go for it.

• Keep another dish for storage close by. I use stainless Keep another dish for storage close by. I use stainless steel cause that’s what all the cool kids use. Cut steel cause that’s what all the cool kids use. Cut tomatoes in half, down the middle- and place upright tomatoes in half, down the middle- and place upright (skin down) in storage dish, carefully.(skin down) in storage dish, carefully.

• Notice on the cutting board we only lost a few seeds Notice on the cutting board we only lost a few seeds and some water. The idea here is to retain most of the and some water. The idea here is to retain most of the inner goodness until everything is nicely cooled down. inner goodness until everything is nicely cooled down. Place storage dish in freezer for 2-3 hous.Place storage dish in freezer for 2-3 hous.

• Now that we are working with some cooled-down Now that we are working with some cooled-down product, it’s time to take the skin off these little guys. product, it’s time to take the skin off these little guys. Have a drink close by.Have a drink close by.

• I pinch.I pinch.• Pinch the top of the tomato if you can, so you have a hold Pinch the top of the tomato if you can, so you have a hold

of the fruit’s central column . Take two or three of the of the fruit’s central column . Take two or three of the fingers from your other hand and remove the seeds.fingers from your other hand and remove the seeds.

• Take your skinless, seedless tomatoes and place them in Take your skinless, seedless tomatoes and place them in the blender. Just beat it up with the pulse manually. Don’t the blender. Just beat it up with the pulse manually. Don’t go crazy unless you want tomato soup.go crazy unless you want tomato soup.

• Final step for this round. If you want to make the sauce Final step for this round. If you want to make the sauce now, go ahead. I happen to have a life, so I place a few of now, go ahead. I happen to have a life, so I place a few of these bad boys in the freezer. See you in a day.these bad boys in the freezer. See you in a day.

• This should actually be Rule #3, but anyways- use a bunch This should actually be Rule #3, but anyways- use a bunch of garlic. I tend to use a whole bulb minus a few cloves just of garlic. I tend to use a whole bulb minus a few cloves just in case I need them for an emergency. Mash up with a fork in case I need them for an emergency. Mash up with a fork or garlic press (stainless steel only). or garlic press (stainless steel only).

• Take garlic and mix with Take garlic and mix with First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil Oil (very important) – just enough to coat and a tad bit (very important) – just enough to coat and a tad bit more. Sautee until garlic becomes a gold color. Remove more. Sautee until garlic becomes a gold color. Remove from heat.from heat.

• Add tomatoes to the garlic/oil mixture. Add cold water, Add tomatoes to the garlic/oil mixture. Add cold water, enough to fill the pot. Add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a rolling enough to fill the pot. Add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring every ½ hour for 4 hours. Reduce heat to boil, stirring every ½ hour for 4 hours. Reduce heat to medium.medium.

After 4- 5 hours of the rolling boil, you can add some stuff.After 4- 5 hours of the rolling boil, you can add some stuff.• Salt/pepper to tasteSalt/pepper to taste• 1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp dried oregano• ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped or whole leaf)¼ cup fresh basil (chopped or whole leaf)

Cook 3 more hours. I hope you’ve been drinking all this time.Cook 3 more hours. I hope you’ve been drinking all this time.

*Also, you will want to spoon out the oil from earlier. After the *Also, you will want to spoon out the oil from earlier. After the sauce has been cooking for the first few hours, it will be easy sauce has been cooking for the first few hours, it will be easy to remove. Spoon it into a glass measuring cup or to remove. Spoon it into a glass measuring cup or something. If you don’t like chunky sauce, take your finished something. If you don’t like chunky sauce, take your finished product and blend it again. Feel free to go nuts at this point, product and blend it again. Feel free to go nuts at this point, it is your sauce. it is your sauce.

-Thanks. Eat well.-Thanks. Eat well.