Some Tomato Sauce

The kids are having some friends over - which amounts to a handful of teen-guys or young men.  That is the human anthropological sense of the guests.  But, in scope of their gustatory capability it is the equivalent of a plague of locust.  Fly through and consume.  They are liable to come and go without notice and you are left looking for that one thing you had left in the fridge for just that one moment when you could eat it; and, it would be deeply meaningful and comforting at once.  But then, you realize it was ravished as simple spoils of a teen invasion.

Today I have a good head start on the gang coming over so I am sauteing some peppers, onions, and garlic in olive oil.  Adding in some pre-cooked sausage and bacon.  And, when this is all done and simmering, cutting up some plum tomatoes and throwing them in to simmer for 45 minutes.

When I get to the end I am putting in some baby spinach leave - about 40 - 50 and letting them weep themselves into the sauce.  After they have settled into the sauce, I cut of the heat, dump in 25 fresh picked basil leaves and 1/2 cup of olive oil.

If you use really good extra virgin olive oil, always add it at the end - after the heat is cut and the food is settling into infusing itself into everything contained in the pan.  This aging and cooling of food is where tons of flavors are unleashed.  Too many folks serve foods TOO HOT and the flavors have really been killed or lost to the heat.

I wanna recommend friend Chef Jacob Burton's podcast of the FIVE MOTHER SAUCES.  It is the backdrop of so much in the culinary arts.  His new site Stella Culinary School is AWESOME and the FIVE MOTHER SAUCES starts with session 9.  Check'em out.

https://www.stellaculinary.com/stella-culinary-school-podcast-index