Gabriella's Goodies

I am so honored to be writing a blog on iBerkshires.com! I love to share my recipes with others, in hopes that the joy that I find in cooking will find its way to someone who isn't aware of how amazing it is to prepare your own meals. I am a self taught, home cook, who is trying to make a career out of doing what I love. I work a full time job, but try to cook as much as possible, and write about the ups and downs that I face in the kitchen. I read tons of cookbooks and try to create recipes that are inspired by things that I see. 

My husband and I have very different tastes in food. I hardly eat any meat at all, and definitely NO red meat, while he is a meat and potatoes type of guy! I grew up in a family with a very Italian background, so most of my recipes are pasta dishes and sauces. However, now that I cook a lot more for my husband I have been branching out, and he helps to keep my on my toes and challenges my creative side with his thoughts on what he would like for dinner. 

As you read this blog, you will see that every cook creates dishes that just don't work out, and also dishes that are amazing! I try to keep the cooking techniques simple so that people don't get discouraged if they try to re-create my recipes. I want everyone to find the happiness that cooking brings to my life. 

So without further adieu, lets start this blog off right with an Italian Tomato Sauce! I have worked for years to try and perfect this recipe. I grew up have homemade sauce all the time from my mother. I have taken her recipe, and my grandmother's recipe (which I am assuming that she brought over from Italy with her) and enhanced it to make, what I believe, to be a better recipe. 

Italian Red Sauce

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large can crushed tomatoes with basil 

1 regular sized can tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

Vegetable stock

6 oz. red or white wine, whatever is on hand

2 tsp sugar (or to taste)

Heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Italian seasoning or spaghetti seasoning 

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

Place butter and olive oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Melt butter and add in onions. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over onions and butter, stir occasionally. Once the onions are translucent put in the minced garlic, cook for just a couple of seconds. Add in the whole can of Tomato paste, stirring for approximately 2 minutes. Next put in Vegetable stock until the tomato paste loosens a bit, continue stirring until it starts to re-thicken, then add red wine. Turn the heat down to a simmer and let the alcohol evaporate, stirring occasionally. After a couple of minutes if the sauce is too thick, add more vegetable stock. Stir in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and cream. Stir until everything is mixed. The add the remaining ingredients stirring until combined. Simmer for 30 - 45minutes stirring occasionally.