I recently returned from France and traveled to Dallas and Austin, Texas. I was food shopping in Central Market and lo and behold my favorite French butter made in northern France - President. Was this a sign?
It is important to lead an active, healthy lifestyle, balanced eating, exercise and know your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. I grew up in 70s and 80s with no butter or salt added to food due to both grandfathers stricken with heart disease. I grew up scared to eat it.
A great, informative book on Fat with delicious recipes by Jennifer McLagan, Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient
Low fat, no fat, low carb, no carb diets - In 2010, I arrived in Paris for professional cuisine training. I bought my first brick of butter and warm baguette. I was born again! French food is rich and it took me time to adjust. I found myself eating smaller portions and I had less of an appetite overall.
During my 5 months in school, I learned how to use lardon (pork back fat), beurre et sel to balance flavors. By tradition, the French begin each cooking day cutting numerous bricks of butter in precise small cubes to keep at their workbench. My first knife injury occurred (week 2) cutting a brick of butter with a razor sharp chefs knife. Atton-CEE-ON! My chef teacher found it in his heart to hand deliver me to the infirmière.
The American culture is missing out on what makes food come alive - salt & butter! "Of course it tastes better with butter." Yes it does and we should not be afraid of it. Moderation and smaller portions. When a recipe calls for 1-4 Tablespoon of butter, this is a fraction per person. If you take the time to prepare a recipe from scratch, you have earned a bit of butter and flavor. A little dab will do ya!
"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients," Julia Child.
Sauce de Tomate
Serves 6
**This sauce can be used for pasta, vegetables, calamari, chicken Parmesan etc.
Ingredients
Dried pasta from southern Italy (preferably Napoli). A gluten free option Tinkyada brand organic brown rice pasta (be sure to check and cook to "al dente").
2 large 27 oz. cans, certified San Marzano tomatoes, pour into bowl and crush with hands or cut with scissors. Do not buy crushed tomatoes...
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, minced (optional)
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 "cranks" fresh black pepper from pepper mill
1 pinch sugar
1 dash red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup strong red wine
5 large basil leaves - flavor will infuse (chopping leaves creates bitter flavor)
Cooking instructions:
*Heat pan medium
*Add 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sweat minced onion for 3 min. You do not want onion to brown at all so stir and take off heat if necessary.
*Add garlic and sweat for 1 more min.
*Add red wine and let evaporate for 1 min.
*Add crushed tomatoes and above ingredients.
*Bring to a rapid simmer and let reduce for 40 min, stir often.
Taste Test: It is important to taste after each step below to learn how each ingredient affects overall flavor!
*After 40 minutes, turn off heat, remove bay leaf and divide sauce into 2 pans.
*Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to both - stir and taste.
*Add more fresh black pepper if needed - taste.
*Add another dash of red pepper flakes if you prefer sauce more spicy - taste.
To one version add:
*1 "knob" of unsalted butter - 1/2 Tablespoon - stir and taste.
*1 more pinch of salt (fleur de sel best for seasoning any food at the table.
*Taste both versions! Voilà!
“THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING,” 1605, Miguel de Cervantes - Don Quixote
Bon Appetit!
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