However, as I have delved into the world of food and have started making more sauces and such I have realized how you create layers in your food. These layers make even simple dishes much more flavorful.
Basically it is allowing different ingredients to shine though. I am going to use a simple tomato sauce for example:
To begin my basic tomato sauce I heat some olive oil in the pan. When is it hot I add my onions. I cook the onions till they are translucent. This releases their sugars and gives them a wonderful sweet flavor. Then I add my carrots, celery and garlic. I cook these for about 5 minutes on medium heat, and this starts their cooking process. I de-glaze the pan with either sherry or red wine, depending on what I have handy.
After that I add in my soft vegetables. Mushrooms, fresh tomato and chopped garlic. I also add any herbs at this time. Oregano, basil, tarragon and some red pepper flakes usually find their way into my pot.
I cook those for about 3-5 minutes on a medium low heat. Then I add two cans of tomato sauce and one can of diced tomatoes. A quick stir and then I add my secret ingredient.....balsamic vinegar, about a quarter cup. I taste it at this point and add salt and pepper as needed.
I let it simmer on a very low heat for about 30-45 minutes. I like a chunky tomato sauce, but you are welcome to use an immersion blender to blend it all together.
Either way, you can taste the different flavors in it. The sweetness of the onions and the tang of the vinegar come thru clearly. Each ingredient is cooked in its own time. The soft vegetables are added later because they don't need as long to cook as the carrots and such. The same with the herbs, whether fresh or dried, they don't like high heat. They need low and slow to bring out their loveliness!
So take a look at your favorite recipes...take the time to cook each ingredient, and enjoy the difference it makes!!!
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