NOT QUITE A COOKING COLUMN

By Nicole Pecenka

Have you ever wondered how some spaghetti sauces can be ricb. flnvorful. substontinl. a11dpleasant. while others are glorified noodle paints? Generally, the majority of prepnred spnghelli snuces are closer to paint than Lusubstance, but this can be remedied.

Vegetables can add substance and tluvor to ,my sauce. Try browning some onions and green peppers, and/or opening a can of mushrooms to add to your sauce, Meat also can turn a side dish into a main course. If yuu arc u vegetarian or arc simply desirous of a meal• less dish and w,1uld like to add protein to your sauce, try Yves Fine Foods' Vegetarian GroLind Round. The consistency and llnvorof this product is very impn::ssive for a vegetarian product and <loes a I1nejob of enhancing any sauce.

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If you don't want to bulk up the sauce and only wish to i111provethe flavor. try playing with spices. I ani a fan of garlic. tarragon, oreg,,no, and seasoning salt. Try adding a little bit nf one spice at a time, and give the sauce time to mature (simmer for 10 minutes or su) before adding more. This is sound advice, as it is very easy to overdo ii. 1 have had to add an extra can of sauce to my existing creation in order to tone down the flavor to an edible level. Once you get the hang or seasoning, you' II know it was wurth lhc effort.

Obviously, .i combinution of both body and flavour is the epicurean ideal. so onions and tarragon together are far superior to either separately. Prep time is marginally increased by taking these small actions, but the time spent in preparation is justified by the sheer h:vcls of cnjoymcnl of the final product.

So. the next time yuu feel the need to complain about life in general or spaghetti sauce in particular, rather than whining. do omething about it.