Dressing up canned spagetti sauce...

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

Some divine white truffles...

--
Best
Greg

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Gregory Morrow"

Quoted message said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

Some divine white truffles...

<lol> Glad you can afford it! :-)

I've never had them.
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<lol> Glad you can afford it! :-)

I've never had them. <<

At €1000 to €3000 a kilo, I'd snake him raw for doing it, anyway.
Tomatoes and sugar do not go with truffles!

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

I'll be the first to say I don't have a lot of experience with
commercially canned tomato sauce other than the few times I
miscalculated and didn't bring enough homecanned sauce camping. We used
to make a lot of pie irons over the campfire so it was easy to
miscalculate how hungry the kids would be. We still make pie irons on
the outdoor firepit and sometimes if we stay overnight boating but
nowhere near as much as when we camped.

Quoted message said:

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

I make a few homecanned - plain as in no spices but very close to the
consistency of Hunts, roasted, meatless Italian, and meat tomato sauce.
I'll use my plain sauce as an example but in reality Hunt's is more
like a mix between my plain and my meatless Italian. Fresh sauteed
mushrooms and chopped onions always work well with both. For the plain,
I would add whatever spices needed for that dish which really varies.
If I'm using the sauce for cabbage rolls, it gets a bit of salt, pepper,
onion salt, garlic and fresh parsley when I have it. If using as an
ingredient for something like meatloaf, I don't add any seasonings. I
tend to use the other homecanned sauces for pastas instead of the plain
but I think the basic concept is the same, additions are based on what
I'm making.

Judith Umbria said:

Quoted message said:

<lol> Glad you can afford it! :-)

I've never had them. <<

Quoted message said:

At ?1000 to ?3000 a kilo, I'd snake him raw for doing >it, anyway.
Tomatoes and sugar do not go with truffles!

I was just joking, such a combination would indeed be a travesty :-)

The closest I've ever come to truffles is truffle oil...

--
Best
Greg

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!

[snip]

Quoted message said:

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

Spaghetti is one of those things that I [almost] always make the way
mom used to make, which means jarred spaghetti sauce as a base. But
like you, the sauces by themselves would be very boring. As my mom
did, I alway start by browning ground beef and/or italian sausage with
onion and garlic and pepper. After draining the grease, I add the
sauce along with the spices, typically rosemary, thyme, basil and
oregano. Along with the spices, I add whatever veggies looked good at
the market that day. Zucchini, carrots, celery, and green peppers are
all pretty common. Simmer until done.

--
Ernest

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

I do pretty much the same thing, but add a good slug
of red wine to the mix.

Quoted message said:

--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack
Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

While I agree with most everything you stated in the OP, I find it
intriguing you like Hunt's prepared spaghetti sauce. I just recently
tried some for the first time and I didn't like it at all. Very much
of a chemical, off flavor. In fact, the worst of the off-the-shelf
sauces I've tried.

nb

I'm glad to hear somebody validate the preference for Hunt's I have had for
years over the more hyped brands. Even comparing them straight up I like it
better, and as long as you are going to tweak it anyway, why not choose the
one that you can stock your pantry with when it is on sale at 69 cents a
can. I figure the tomatoes they use have to be better than the junk I get
around here, esp. in winter.

I began adding shredded carrot (and simmer) along with herbs, sometimes
ground beef, years ago when my sister gave me her scratch sauce recipe that
called for carrots -- it seems to cut the acidity better than other sweet
additions. That's my perception though I have never researched it.

Lefty
--
Life is for learning

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack

Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

~patches~ said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

I'll be the first to say I don't have a lot of experience with
commercially canned tomato sauce other than the few times I
miscalculated and didn't bring enough homecanned sauce camping. We used
to make a lot of pie irons over the campfire so it was easy to
miscalculate how hungry the kids would be. We still make pie irons on
the outdoor firepit and sometimes if we stay overnight boating but
nowhere near as much as when we camped.

What is a pie iron?
I'm not familiar with that term.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

I make a few homecanned - plain as in no spices but very close to the
consistency of Hunts, roasted, meatless Italian, and meat tomato sauce.
I'll use my plain sauce as an example but in reality Hunt's is more
like a mix between my plain and my meatless Italian. Fresh sauteed
mushrooms and chopped onions always work well with both. For the plain,
I would add whatever spices needed for that dish which really varies.
If I'm using the sauce for cabbage rolls, it gets a bit of salt, pepper,
onion salt, garlic and fresh parsley when I have it. If using as an
ingredient for something like meatloaf, I don't add any seasonings. I
tend to use the other homecanned sauces for pastas instead of the plain
but I think the basic concept is the same, additions are based on what
I'm making.

What you make is probably far, far superior to home canned. ;-)
I was referring to the commercial "[censored]". <G>
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Gregory Morrow"

Quoted message said:

Judith Umbria said:

Quoted message said:

<lol> Glad you can afford it! :-)

I've never had them. <<

Quoted message said:

At ?1000 to ?3000 a kilo, I'd snake him raw for doing >it, anyway.
Tomatoes and sugar do not go with truffles!

I was just joking, such a combination would indeed be a travesty :-)

The closest I've ever come to truffles is truffle oil...

Is it good?

What do you use it for?
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

ewdotson said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!

[snip]

Quoted message said:

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

Spaghetti is one of those things that I [almost] always make the way
mom used to make, which means jarred spaghetti sauce as a base. But
like you, the sauces by themselves would be very boring. As my mom
did, I alway start by browning ground beef and/or italian sausage with
onion and garlic and pepper. After draining the grease, I add the
sauce along with the spices, typically rosemary, thyme, basil and
oregano. Along with the spices, I add whatever veggies looked good at
the market that day. Zucchini, carrots, celery, and green peppers are
all pretty common. Simmer until done.

Ooh I like the idea of adding the veggies...
I'd probably chop them fine or shred them in the case of squash and
carrots!
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

Nothing, it is just too easy to start with tomatoes (fresh or canned)
and add whatever you want. Why bother trying to fix up a jar of corn
syrup and tomatoe paste?

notbob said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

While I agree with most everything you stated in the OP, I find it
intriguing you like Hunt's prepared spaghetti sauce. I just recently
tried some for the first time and I didn't like it at all. Very much
of a chemical, off flavor. In fact, the worst of the off-the-shelf
sauces I've tried.

nb

I'd have toagree with you on the taste of Hunt's. I can get Ragu or the
canned Hunt's here in Honduras. I'll use the Ragu if I don't have time
to make my own. Additions to the off the shelf brand - browned ground
beef, black olives, sauteed garlic, onion, and green pepper. I'll also
add one small can of mushroom pieces since fresh are next to impossible
to get here.

SD

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tom Royer said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

I do pretty much the same thing, but add a good slug
of red wine to the mix.

Good idea...

Burgundy?
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

notbob said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

While I agree with most everything you stated in the OP, I find it
intriguing you like Hunt's prepared spaghetti sauce. I just recently
tried some for the first time and I didn't like it at all. Very much
of a chemical, off flavor. In fact, the worst of the off-the-shelf
sauces I've tried.

nb

Note I said it was "ok", not good. :-)

My personal favorite is the marinara sauce from the refrigerated
section, but it's 3 times the price.

The advantage tho' is that it does not need any additions. It's the only
sauce I've ever found that was really good all by itself...

I never noted a chemical flavor in hunts? <shrugs>

So what brand do YOU get? I posted this thread for new ideas!
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

Lefty said:

I'm glad to hear somebody validate the preference for Hunt's I have had for
years over the more hyped brands. Even comparing them straight up I like it
better, and as long as you are going to tweak it anyway, why not choose the
one that you can stock your pantry with when it is on sale at 69 cents a
can. I figure the tomatoes they use have to be better than the junk I get
around here, esp. in winter.

I began adding shredded carrot (and simmer) along with herbs, sometimes
ground beef, years ago when my sister gave me her scratch sauce recipe that
called for carrots -- it seems to cut the acidity better than other sweet
additions. That's my perception though I have never researched it.

Lefty
--
Life is for learning

It's some of the least expensive available and comes in a good variety.
:-) I've never added carrots but this is the third post I've seen that
suggested that.

I'll try that next time, thanks!
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

George said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

But in a pinch/hurry, Hunts brand canned is ok but I still have to make
additions! I will not buy Ragu. :-P

I'll sautee' fresh chopped onion, garlic, white pepper and a selection
of fresh minced herbs from the garden, basil, rosemary, mexican oregano,
marjoram, dittany and thyme at the minimum. Fresh sliced mushrooms and
italian sausage are also good chunky additions.

What do or would y'all add to make canned tomato sauces acceptable?

Nothing, it is just too easy to start with tomatoes (fresh or canned)
and add whatever you want. Why bother trying to fix up a jar of corn
syrup and tomatoe paste?

It's cheaper per volume......

And tends to be thicker to start off with.
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

~patches~ said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Considering the food snob thread, I thought I'd throw in this one. <G>

IMHO most canned/jarred sauces are just plain boring!
I usually prefer to use either my own version from fresh peeled roma
tomotoes chopped and cooked down with my own mix of flavorings, herbs
and spices, or a shortcut of a mix of chopped tomatoes and canned tomato
paste with the above additions.

I'll be the first to say I don't have a lot of experience with
commercially canned tomato sauce other than the few times I
miscalculated and didn't bring enough homecanned sauce camping. We used
to make a lot of pie irons over the campfire so it was easy to
miscalculate how hungry the kids would be. We still make pie irons on
the outdoor firepit and sometimes if we stay overnight boating but
nowhere near as much as when we camped.

What is a pie iron?
I'm not familiar with that term.

Oh sorry I should have explained. A pie iron is generally cast iron, 2
part type sandwich maker you use on a wood fire. You spray the parts
with cooking oil then put a piece of bread on a load it up. Our
favourites were the pizza ones with tomato sauce and toppings followed
by apple pie filling and cheese but you can get really creative with the
fillings. You can get single or double pie irons. We have the doubles.