Food and Wine Service - Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

During my time with Gartner, some of us toyed with the idea of creating a subscription service to rate food and wine: Everything from restaurant reviews and wine tasting notes to recipes and memorable meals. I subscribed to Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate and found his taste to be flawless.

While that dream remains a future possibility, I've got some experience cooking, fortified by a few adult education classes at the Culinary Institute of America during the 1980s. In thanks to them, and as my first gift to the Internet community, here's my recipe for home-made spaghetti sauce. I learned it from my Mother, and have modified it with experience over the past forty years. It takes time.

Prepare the stock

Ingredients:
Marrow bones, 1#
Peeled turnip in medium dice, 1/2 #
Peeled parsnip in medium dice, 1/2 #
Carrots in medium dice, 1/2 #
Large Spanish or vidalia onion coarsely chopped
Two leeks, rinsed and coarsely chopped (white and green parts)
Three celery ribs, coarsely chopped

Method:
Roast ingredients under broiler until lightly toasted, five to ten minutes.
Put roasted ingredients in large stock pot and cover with cold water.
Bring to boil.
Simmer 3 hours, skimming regularly.
Strain through a fine sieve and reserve stock.
Yield: 2 qts

Note that this stock can be reduced considerably and yields a wonderful consommé.

Spaghetti Sauce:

Ingredients:

Large can crushed tomatoes
Large can peeled tomatoes
Large can tomato paste (I prefer Contadina) (12 oz)
Peeled turnip in small dice 1/2 #
Peeled parsnip in small dice 1/2 #
Peeled carrots in small dice 1/2 #
Olive oil
Large Spanish or Vidalia onion chopped medium
Three peeled garlic cloves, minced
Two leeks, washed and trimmed, chopped medium (whites only)
Two celery ribs, peeled, in small dice
Chopped meat (ground beef or pork) 1#
Sweet Italian Sausage 1 #
Bouquet garni

Method:
Bring stock to a medium boil
Add bouquet garni (peppercorns, Bay leaf, parsley, oregano, basil)
Add tomatoes
Add root vegetables
In a frying pan, heat olive oil and clarify onions, garlic, leeks, and celery.
Add to boiling stock
Brown meats and add to stock.
Let simmer two to three hours.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Note that this sauce improves after being refrigerated overnight. It can be frozen, as well. I generally make four times this amount and freeze the extra for later dinners.

For dinner, serve with a leafy green salad, garlic bread, grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, and a red wine (good for the heart) - my preference is the Gaja Barbaresco but even a simple chianti will work well.