A Cooking Tip

[RayH]

Basic cooking lesson #1:

Anything that can be cooked in a sauce (like stews, spaghetti sauce, chili, etc) can bee cooked in a covered pot in the oven at 325-350F. I just check to make sure the liquid hasn't totally evaporated. Put on stove first to bring to boil before sticking in the oven!

This takes time. But very little babysitting. No stirring. Use a piece of aluminum foil on the top. The seasoning likes to evaporate and stick to the lid. Makes clean up a lot easier!

[Atomic Rooster]

Nice tip there Ray. But nothing beats a good old fashioned homemade spaghetti sauce simmered all day over and old potbelly stove.

[RayH]

Oven has better heat transfer. Convection. Pot belly is conduction. The sauces can burn at the bottom if not constantly stirred. This you still do all day, but just in the oven. It allows you to do other things. Put a bit more spice in to compensate for the evaporation.

The secret to a good spaghetti sauce is to first fry all the ingredients individually and put them in reserve (one by one). Then, put them all together in a pot! I got that secret from a two time California State Fair champ!

[Atomic Rooster]

Hey, you don't need to tell an Italian how to cook spaghetti sauce. I learned all the secrets I need from my Nonna.

[pickel]

Originally posted by Atomic Rooster
Nice tip there Ray. But nothing beats a good old fashioned homemade spaghetti sauce simmered all day over and old potbelly stove.

With at least a cup of vino in the mix!!!

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally posted by pickel
With at least a cup of vino in the mix!!!

Of course.

[RayH]

Atomic Rooster The tip was for the uninitiated. There's a new generation that has difficulty with Progresso Soup!

I never Italian for Italianos. I never make New England Clam Chowder for my niece's husband (Conneticut raised). You get the drill.

I don't purport to be a great cook. I'm just a down and dirty kind. But no one has ever not wanted one of my meals.

[Atomic Rooster]

What's for dinner? I'll be there in about an hour and a half!

[RayH]

Atomic Rooster Been ate! Ribs! I actually don't like Baby Backs--too dry. I like the regular ribs. $1.59/lb. fresh!

Healdsburg...do you stomp your own or buy ready bottled? It's maybe like the difference between build your own or buy off the shelf!

[Atomic Rooster]

I buy it. The funny thing is I live up here in the middle of the wine country and have nothing to do with the industry other than to consume their products. Maybe that will change soon.