Speaking of Jarred Sauces

jmcquown said:

You never know when you'll have a pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G>
And I figure most of us usually enhance sauces of this type anyway
with our own herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of wine, etc.

Jill

You figure wrongly (assuming that grating Parmesan cheese over the top
doesn't count.)

Best regards,
Bob

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> hitched up their panties and posted
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

After the "would you use this service thread" I decided to haul myself
off this chair and do some grocery shopping. And yes, folks, while I
was out I was inspired to buy a couple of jarred sauces. I've never
tried these particular sauces before so I cannot comment at this time.
Bertolli's sells a vodka sauce so I got a jar of that. Ragu sells a
roasted garlic and parmesan cheese sauce; it was on sale two for $4
(smaller jars than the Bertolli) so I grabbed two of those. You never
know when you'll have a pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G> And I figure
most of us usually enhance sauces of this type anyway with our own
herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of wine, etc.

Jill

I don't use a lot of jarred sauces but I have used Ragu sauces in the past.
I'll usually get the sauces with meat (sausage if I can find it) and doctor
it up. However, I usually find that browning my own meat, adding spices
etc. does not take much more time than doctoring up the jar of sauce. One
huge exception to this. When I make my own sauce I like it to simmer for
3-4 hours. When using Ragu it's ready within the hour 😉

I use jarred gravy sometimes but very rarely. I just don't care for the
taste of it. I'd much rather scrape the crusty bits out of the pan and
make my own. Once, and one time only, I used a tinned spaghetti sauce. GAG.

Michael

--
"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she
served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been
found."

--Calvin Trillin

On Sun 12 Mar 2006 02:37:03p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it zxcvbob?

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

You never know when you'll have a pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G>
And I figure most of us usually enhance sauces of this type anyway
with our own herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of wine, etc.

Jill

You figure wrongly (assuming that grating Parmesan cheese over the top
doesn't count.)

Best regards,
Bob

I *always* add something to jarred sauces before serving them. For one
thing, I like cooking them longer to reduce them more, along with additions
of sauteed onion, garlic, herbs, and oftentimes, meat. For me, a jarred
sauce is often just a shortcut to more of a "homemade" sauce.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sun 12 Mar 2006 02:37:03p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
zxcvbob?

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

You never know when you'll have a pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G>
And I figure most of us usually enhance sauces of this type anyway
with our own herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of wine, etc.

Jill

You figure wrongly (assuming that grating Parmesan cheese over the
top doesn't count.)

Best regards,
Bob

I *always* add something to jarred sauces before serving them. For
one thing, I like cooking them longer to reduce them more, along with
additions of sauteed onion, garlic, herbs, and oftentimes, meat. For
me, a jarred sauce is often just a shortcut to more of a "homemade"
sauce.

That's what I do, Wayne. Usually I wind up adding more basil and oregano;
saute some onion and celery and if it needs garlic, that too. And yes, Bob,
I think adding Parmesan cheese counts, unless you're talking about
sprinkling it with that green shaker of grated stuff 😉

Jill

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sun 12 Mar 2006 02:37:03p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it zxcvbob?

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

You never know when you'll have a pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G>
And I figure most of us usually enhance sauces of this type anyway
with our own herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of wine, etc.

Jill

You figure wrongly (assuming that grating Parmesan cheese over the top
doesn't count.)

Best regards,
Bob

I *always* add something to jarred sauces before serving them. For one
thing, I like cooking them longer to reduce them more, along with additions
of sauteed onion, garlic, herbs, and oftentimes, meat. For me, a jarred
sauce is often just a shortcut to more of a "homemade" sauce.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

I use a jarred spaghetti sauce that I tweak to get that homemade
taste. I usually make a large pot of it and let it mellow in the fridge
for a day before we eat it. .....Sharon

zxcvbob said:

You figure wrongly.

I think you're in the minority, bob. I certainly tweak jarred
spaghetti sauce with herbs, meat, mushrooms, olives, wine, etc. I
don't usually use prepared sauces, 'cept'n spaghetts, but I can't
think of a jarred/canned anything (soup, veggies) that wouldn't
benefit from a little help.

nb

notbob said:

zxcvbob said:

You figure wrongly.

I think you're in the minority, bob. I certainly tweak jarred
spaghetti sauce with herbs, meat, mushrooms, olives, wine, etc. I
don't usually use prepared sauces, 'cept'n spaghetts, but I can't
think of a jarred/canned anything (soup, veggies) that wouldn't
benefit from a little help.

nb

I agree with "notbob". I just don't see the point of starting out with a
jar of corn syrup & tomato paste and then trying to doctor it up when it
is just too easy to start with tomatoes and take it anywhere you like.

notbob said:

zxcvbob said:

You figure wrongly.

I think you're in the minority, bob. I certainly tweak jarred
spaghetti sauce with herbs, meat, mushrooms, olives, wine, etc. I
don't usually use prepared sauces, 'cept'n spaghetts, but I can't
think of a jarred/canned anything (soup, veggies) that wouldn't
benefit from a little help.

nb

I'm a minority to as I don't buy commercial jarred tomato sauce but I do
have a very nice supply of homecanned sauces. None of those need
tweaking other than the plain tomato sauce. The types of commercial
sauces I buy are Asian or Indian so I can get a feel of what the flavour
and texture is supposed to be like. Once I've used them, I look for
recipes to duplicate the sauce. Some I find difficult to get the
ingredients to duplicate and others are just easier to buy the sauce. I
don't tweak them though. I'm still learning how to make good Asian
foods as well as starting to experiment with Indian foods so I find I'm
not as adventurist as I should be. One thing we have tried is going to
an authentic restaurant to help with developing the taste and feel of
how the dish should be. I have a nice collection of hot sauces but I
won't try tweaking them.

George said:

notbob wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

don't usually use prepared sauces, 'cept'n spaghetts, but I can't
think of a jarred/canned anything (soup, veggies) that wouldn't
benefit from a little help.

Quoted message said:

I agree with "notbob". I just don't see the point of starting out with a
jar of corn syrup & tomato paste and then trying to doctor it up when it
is just too easy to start with tomatoes and take it anywhere you like.

Same here. It's easier to buy a few cans of tomatoes (I used crushed
recently, but I prefer diced if available) and make my own sauce. I
just chop some white onion and garlic, heat in EVOO for a few minutes,
add cans of tomatoes and some red wine and simmer while I do other
stuff. After a while I add some spices and let it simmer some more.
Then I divide it out and freeze it.
That said, I do use Ragu or Bertolli white sauces if I need one.

Stacia

George said:

I agree with "notbob". I just don't see the point of starting out with a
jar of corn syrup & tomato paste and then trying to doctor it up when it
is just too easy to start with tomatoes and take it anywhere you like.

That's my take, too. Doctoring up a jar of 'spaghetti sauce' with
your own herbs and spices and meats is a common way to start cooking,
and it satisfies for a while. Eventually, you find that you can buy
good canned tomatoes instead and it makes a much better starting point,
in that it gives you control over the sugar and salt and also more
overall flexibility. -aem

zxcvbob said:

jmcquown said:

You never know when you'll have a pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G>
And I figure most of us usually enhance sauces of this type anyway
with our own herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of wine, etc.

Jill

You figure wrongly (assuming that grating Parmesan cheese over the top
doesn't count.)

Yup, doctoring jarred sauce in an attempt to salvage what is
essentially [censored] doesn't alter the fact that they are over salted,
contain way too much fat, are loaded with with preservatives and
thickener gums, and really haven't much flavor... not to mention those
containing really scary mystery meat that's so pureed you can't really
discern what it is... makes much more sense to doctor a can of plain
old crushed tomatoes. Rather than fercocktah jarred pasta sauce, when
in a hurry I heat a jar of all natural salsa with some good olive
oil... already doctored plenty good enough and can choose from Mild,
Medium, Hot. And can always add some anchovy, olives, canned shrimp,
even a jar of marinated artichoke and chunks of kielbasa, whatever.

Anyone who consumes jarred pasta sauce, regardless how altered, is a
culinary desert... a can of pissghettiOs tossed with a tin of vienna
sausage demonstrates far more creativity.

Sheldon

jmcquown said:

Bertolli's sells
a vodka sauce so I got a jar of that. Ragu sells a roasted garlic and
parmesan cheese sauce; it was on sale two for $4 (smaller jars than the
Bertolli) so I grabbed two of those.

Check out Barilla's sauces. My all-time favorites, although we buy
them rarely. Crash prefers the huge cans of Hunt's for a dollar per
can, so that's what we usually get. I love the Barilla green and black
olive sauce. If I remember correctly, that wouldn't be one of your
choices, even if hell froze over. But try another variety sometime.
It's very good, in my uneducated opinion.

Gotta make a batch of Harry's Tomato Sauce sometime (it's Googleable,
if anyone wants to check it out - I don't have MasterCook installed
yet).

Peace,
Carol, who adds red wine and ground fennel to her jarred sauces

Quoted message said:

I agree with "notbob". I just don't see the point of starting out with a
jar of corn syrup & tomato paste and then trying to doctor it up when it
is just too easy to start with tomatoes and take it anywhere you like.

Here here! Jarred spaghetti sauce is for a fast dinner: ten minutes
tops. Dump the stuff onto cooked pasta (broccoli and/or sliced carrots
added two minutes before it's done), and finito! No milling around the
pot while the sauce simmers, thinking "What *else* could I add?"
Luckily I'm not too far from Fairway, and they have a wonderful jarred
sauce for $2.50. (Plus Trader Joe's opens in five days, corresponding
to the date when all cooking-from-scratch ceases here.)

Damsel in dis Dress wrote on 13 Mar 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Gotta make a batch of Harry's Tomato Sauce sometime (it's Googleable,
if anyone wants to check it out

Ditto...works well over sketty squash and pretend catch a torrie.

--
-Alan

On Mon 13 Mar 2006 12:42:22p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Mr Libido
Incognito?

Quoted message said:

Damsel in dis Dress wrote on 13 Mar 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Gotta make a batch of Harry's Tomato Sauce sometime (it's Googleable,
if anyone wants to check it out

Ditto...works well over sketty squash and pretend catch a torrie.

The last torrie I caught put up such a fight, I vowed to never make it again.

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

Damsel in dis Dress said:

jmcquown said:

Bertolli's sells
a vodka sauce so I got a jar of that. Ragu sells a roasted garlic
and parmesan cheese sauce; it was on sale two for $4 (smaller jars
than the Bertolli) so I grabbed two of those.

Check out Barilla's sauces. My all-time favorites, although we buy
them rarely. Crash prefers the huge cans of Hunt's for a dollar per
can, so that's what we usually get.

Hunts makes mostly red sauces, though, right? I've seen it but never bought
any. I bought the Raju "white" sauces; the roasted garlic and cheese. I
figure it will go nicely with the spinach tortellini (stuffed with
parmesan). And I can honestly say I've never made a vodka sauce, but I've
heard much about it.

I love the Barilla green and

Quoted message said:

black olive sauce. If I remember correctly, that wouldn't be one of
your choices, even if hell froze over. But try another variety
sometime. It's very good, in my uneducated opinion.

Your opinion counts! But you're right, I don't care for olives. However,
if hell froze over, I'd give it a whirl 🙂

Quoted message said:

Gotta make a batch of Harry's Tomato Sauce sometime (it's Googleable,
if anyone wants to check it out - I don't have MasterCook installed
yet).

Peace,
Carol, who adds red wine and ground fennel to her jarred sauces

Ah yes, I forgot about fennel! Excellent addition unless you're adding
browned Italian sausage which already (should) contain a nice amount of
fennel.

Jill

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

jmcquown said:

Bertolli's sells
a vodka sauce so I got a jar of that. Ragu sells a roasted garlic
and parmesan cheese sauce; it was on sale two for $4 (smaller jars
than the Bertolli) so I grabbed two of those.

Check out Barilla's sauces. My all-time favorites, although we buy
them rarely. Crash prefers the huge cans of Hunt's for a dollar per
can, so that's what we usually get.

Hunts makes mostly red sauces, though, right? I've seen it but never bought
any. I bought the Raju "white" sauces; the roasted garlic and cheese. I
figure it will go nicely with the spinach tortellini (stuffed with
parmesan). And I can honestly say I've never made a vodka sauce, but I've
heard much about it.

Dang, lady! I didn't pick up on that garlic/cheese sauce thing. If
it's not too late, return it to the store. I'm serious. I've had
vomit (on its way out) that's tasted better. I bought it once, washed
it off my pasta, and started over. The "Alfredo Sauce" sucks too.

Peace,
Carol, shuddering

Damsel in dis Dress said:

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

jmcquown wrote:
>
> Bertolli's sells
> a vodka sauce so I got a jar of that. Ragu sells a roasted garlic
> and parmesan cheese sauce; it was on sale two for $4 (smaller jars
> than the Bertolli) so I grabbed two of those.

Check out Barilla's sauces. My all-time favorites, although we buy
them rarely. Crash prefers the huge cans of Hunt's for a dollar per
can, so that's what we usually get.

Hunts makes mostly red sauces, though, right? I've seen it but
never bought any. I bought the Raju "white" sauces; the roasted
garlic and cheese. I figure it will go nicely with the spinach
tortellini (stuffed with parmesan). And I can honestly say I've
never made a vodka sauce, but I've heard much about it.

Dang, lady! I didn't pick up on that garlic/cheese sauce thing. If
it's not too late, return it to the store. I'm serious. I've had
vomit (on its way out) that's tasted better. I bought it once, washed
it off my pasta, and started over. The "Alfredo Sauce" sucks too.

Peace,
Carol, shuddering

Surely I can salvage? With addition of more garlic and some herbs? How can
I drive back to the store and explain a friend on usenet said I should
return it because the sauce sucks? LOL Besides, the receipt is already in
the trash bag outside buried under some yukky stuff I'd rather not dig
through 🙁

I will try the Barilla sauce next time I shop; do they make "white" sauces?
Shoot, I forgot I can just Google.

Jill

jmcquown said:

After the "would you use this service thread" I decided to haul myself off
this chair and do some grocery shopping. And yes, folks, while I was out I
was inspired to buy a couple of jarred sauces. I've never tried these
particular sauces before so I cannot comment at this time. Bertolli's sells
a vodka sauce so I got a jar of that. Ragu sells a roasted garlic and
parmesan cheese sauce; it was on sale two for $4 (smaller jars than the
Bertolli) so I grabbed two of those. You never know when you'll have a
pasta-needs-sauce-emergency. <G> And I figure most of us usually enhance
sauces of this type anyway with our own herbs, more garlic, maybe a touch of
wine, etc.

Jill

I haven't met one yet that wasn't way too salty. But I am coming to
the conclusion that the average American eats 10 times more salt than I
do. The chefs use it abundantly and freely on the cooking shows on TV,
and nearly every meal I have ever eaten out is much too salty. About
the saltiest thing I eat pre-packaged is salsa and many of them are
inedible to me because of it. The exception is pickles and jarred
green olives, and I'm not sure why - maybe because I expect them to be
salty.

DH is even more sensitive than I, so I have to be careful when I cook.

-L.