Subj : Carp To : JIM WELLER From : Ruth Haffly Date : Thu Jul 28 2022 13:24:30 Hi Jim, JW> ... Store bought pasta sauce is a serious crime in Italy. Almost, but not quite a crime for me to buy pasta sauce as my own is easy enough to make up. We may buy some while travelling or, in the case of the last time we bought it (up in VT), I was too sick to make it up. We were also running short on time for Steve to both shop and cook so he bought some at Hanniford's. I forget the brand/type he got but with the addition of my standard trio of herbs (oregano, basil and parsley) plus garlic powder it tasted close enough to my home made that I didn't complain. Before Steve and I got married, his mom gave me her basic sauce and meat balls recipe. At some point we asked her how she'd standardised it to give it to her children and spouses. She told us that to do the herbs, she lined them all up on the kitchen table. Then she took the pot she made the sauce in, shook one herb in until it looked right, then dumped it into a small bowl and measured & wrote it down. Then she repeated with the next one until all were measured and recorded. It worked, I've been using that sauce (and my varients on it) for almost 50 years and it still gets compliments. MOM HAFFLY'S BASIC PASTA SAUCE 6 oz can, tomato paste 3 1/2 cans, water 1 tsp each, dried oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder 1/2 tsp, black pepper *1 tsp salt About 2-3 hours before serving combine all, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until desired thickness. May be cooked faster by reducing amount of water but long, slow cooking, especially if meat balls are in it gives it better flavor. Quantities may be multiplied as much as you want; this is just the basic sauce for 2-4 people. *I cut the salt back to a pinch. Also, at times I'll add an 8 oz can of tomato sauce with half a can (to rinse it out) of water or a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, sometimes some crushed tomatoes--all depends on what I have on hand, what I think the sauce needs for the meal. Also, fresh herbs & garlic can be used but increase the herbs to at least one tablespoon each, garlic, about 2 good sized cloves. --- Catch you later, Ruth rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28 .... OH NO! Not ANOTHER learning experience! --- PPoint 3.01 * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28) .