{"id":4730,"date":"2018-03-27T05:39:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T12:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/forestcamping.com\/blog\/2009\/12\/16\/cooking-with-old-friends-and-family\/"},"modified":"2018-03-06T20:58:09","modified_gmt":"2018-03-07T03:58:09","slug":"cooking-with-old-friends-and-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestcamping.com\/dow\/suzi\/cooking-with-old-friends-and-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooking with old friends for family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two of life’s greatest comforts – Hugs and Good food.<\/i><\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

My husband walked into the kitchen while I was at the stove and asked, \u201c Wha\u2019ch doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking tomato sauce,\u201d was my response.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of work.\u00a0 Why bother when that stuff from a jar is okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s right.\u00a0 Making tomato sauce from scratch takes time and is work but, to me, it\u2019s like visiting family and friends.<\/p>\n

Tomato sauce over pasta with a tossed salad and hot garlic bread was the first meal I made for Fred.\u00a0 I use a recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook my Aunt gave me back in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

My mother\u2019s sieve has made everything from applesauce for my babies to my tomato sauce smooth and loved.<\/p>\n

I chop the onions for my tomato sauce\u00a0 with a knife used by Fred\u2019s mother (Jane), the grip worn satin smooth over the years.\u00a0 It replaced a massive butcher\u2019s knife which was one of the first kitchen utensils I bought fresh out of high school.<\/p>\n

I stir my tomato sauce with the wooden spoon belonged to my first husband\u2019s mother (Resi).\u00a0 It has a burn across the back where she laid it down on a hot electric burner the day the doctor told her she might have skin cancer (false alarm I am happy to report).<\/p>\n

And the magic all comes together in my “Dutch\u00a0 oven” which is actually an ancient alumiinum pot.\u00a0 I can’t count the number of meals made in that pot but it has always given me a tomato sauce that makes this gal proud.<\/p>\n

Making tomato sauce from scratch does require some work but it\u2019s easy work when surrounded by family and old friends.<\/p>\n

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my recipe for Tomato Sauce from the above mention cookbook (option – toss in meatballs, an assortment of sauteed vegetable, or cooked ground meat – de-glaze the fry pan with a splash of red wine and add to the sauce for another\u00a0 dimension to the sauce )<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup chopped onions
\n1 clove garlic, minced
\n3 Tbsp olive oil
\n2 cans (1lb 4oz each) tomatoes, rubbed through sieve (omitting the sieve and you get a chunky sauce for a change in texture)
\n1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
\n1 can (6oz) tomato paste
\n1 cup water
\n1 tsp. dried Italian seasonings or basil
\n2 Tbsp minced parsley
\n2 tsp. salt
\n1\/4 tsp. pepper
\nhealthy pinch of sugar<\/p>\n

Saute onions and garlic until tender in oil.\u00a0 Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat 1 hour.\u00a0 Good that day and even better the next day.<\/p>\n

<\/div>