“It is the sauce that distinguishes a good chef. The Saucier is a soloist in the orchestra of a great kitchen.” – Fernand Point
So true! You can saute a chicken breast to perfection and make a great meal, but if you know how to make simple pan sauces, you can prepare a hundred different meals. Furthermore, you are going to find every cuisine has it’s own style of sauces, some similar, some completely different.
For example, Italian sauces for pasta like a Genovese sauce are much different from classic French sauces like a demi glace sauce. A simple soy ginger sauce for Chinese dumplings looks and tastes different from an Indian curry sauce. Even barbecue sauces can be different depending on where you live.
So here are some of my favorite sauces from various cuisines that you can enjoy with your favorite meals.
How to Make Incredible Veal Marsala I learned this recipe from my friend Chef Ricco Deluca who has forgotten more about cooking Italian food then I’ll ever know. He grew up in family of cooks including his mom who was Frank Sinatra’s family cook for more than 15 years. I wanted to know how to […]
Great Soy Sauce This recipe came is from Suzanna Foo Chinese Cuisine. I am a huge fan of her restaurant here in Philadelphia and of her sister’s restaurant in Ardmore on the Main Line. I have this sauce posted because it goes so well with her Pork Dumplings that we made as a family one […]
Seafood Sauce Recipe If you are looking for a sauce to finish your favorite pan seared fish like scrod, flounder, haddock or orange roughy, you will love this sauce. It’s made with a lobster stock reduction (see sources below) and will let you make restaurant quality sauces at home in minutes. It really is one […]
Grilled Steak with Peppercorn Sauce Recipe One of the First Romantic Meals I Cooked For My Wife The first time I made this dish, I was trying to impress my girlfriend (now my wife) with my cooking skills. I would like to think this dinner contributed to our getting married. This was not the first […]
A Great Sauce, Especially in the Winter This is one of my favorite pasta meals. It’s easy and you can play around with it by adding different ingredients. Once made it’s like money in the bank…. eat it the same night or deposit it in the freezer and when withdrawn, the taste pays off dividends. […]
Grilled Flank Steak with a Delicious Chimichurri Sauce When we first moved to Philadelphia, we lived in Center City for a few months while looking for a house. The location was perfect for dining out and I enjoyed one of my favorite meals at a restaurant called Fork. This was when I was on my […]
Seafood Sauce for Your Favorite Fish Recipes “A remarkable blend of sweet and hot flavors. A beautiful presentation on a dark green plate.” – Chef David Click Here to see my interview with Chef David including tips to home cooks. PrintCurry Sauce for Sea Scallops Prep Time: 40 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 1 hour […]
Pistou Sauce with a French Twist This is the French version of Italy’s pesto that is traditionally served with the the southern French classic Soupe au Pistou but makes a great sauce/condiment for pasta, fish, chicken, vegetable, and soup dishes. PrintPistou Recipe Prep Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 10 minutes Yield: about 1 cup Ingredients2 tomatoes […]
Have you ever noticed that every summer there is a new “hot” food or ingredient that is hyped by all the cooking magazines? I’m going to date myself here but I remember one year it was sun dried tomatoes, another year it was polenta, and yet another year it was anything Asian, then Mediterranean, then […]
Turkey Gravy for Thanksgiving or Anytime What better way to show off your Thanksgiving turkey, than with a rich and flavorful turkey gravy? I love gravy, but it isn’t part of our everyday meals at home. I am more likely to make a quick pan sauce or a reduction than I am to make a […]
I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me... Read More
How to Make the Best Beef Wellington This Beef Wellington recipe has become a tradition in our house. We prepare it every couple of years for Christmas and made it again this year. If I’m lucky, we will have it next year and the year after that. My wife originally found a recipe in Fine […]
Christmas Standing Rib Roast Thanksgiving is a holiday in which turkey really shines. Many of you would rather not deal with another turkey just four weeks after Thanksgiving. Some of you might still have some frozen leftovers. The Christmas meal is a celebratory meal, and as such, celebration food is a natural at the Christmas […]
How to Bake A Ham For Christmas
Baked Christmas Ham Recipe Would you like to serve a wonderfully flavorful and juicy ham for the holidays? Here’s a can’t-go-wrong recipe that will have your guests asking for seconds, and for a plate of leftovers, as well. Be sure to read about the history of serving ham on Christmas and the various types of […]
