Wow, a complete answer to this would be huge.
I got interested in cooking a few years ago, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to devote to it. As a result, I tend to learn a way of making things, then branch off into variations. For sauces, I tend to go with a modified Veloute' (it's a french white mother sauce made with stock). And keep in mind, I'm not an expert. I've just come up with something that works for me.
The basic idea is to make a roux, then mix in stock for flavoring, then simmer to thicken.
Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat (or use an equivalent amount of pan drippings, but essentially you need 4 tablespoons of fat). When the butter foams, take pan off heat and stir in 4 tablespons of flour. Put the pan back on the heat and cook, stirring every few minutes. Cook the roux until it's the desired color... it will get darker as it cooks. For a pure veloute', a blonde roux (straw-colored) is called for. I cook it to whatever color best fits the desired use and flavor (good and brown if I'm mixing in a beef stock, for example). To stop the cooking, transfer the roux to a cool mixing bowl. Now to mix in the stock. General rule: hot roux, use cold stock... cold roux, use hot stock. Otherwise it won't blend smoothly.
Place the roux back in the saucepan (off the heat) and whisk in 1-cup of liquid (chicken stock, beef stock, vegetable stock, wine, whatever). Put pan back on medium heat and whisk in another cup. When well combined, season with salt and pepper (white pepper for blond roux, black for the darker shades), reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until desired thickness. Don't forget to skim frequently at this point. And keep in mind the sauce will thicken as it stands.
Just before simmering, you can flavor it with whatever you want. Sauteed garlic or shallots, tomato paste, cream, whatever you want to get a flavor to compliment your dish.
Pizza stones Tips please JL 1673Carol Garbo Pizza stones are a gimmick, to separate the idiots from their dollars. Residential ovens have nowhere enough BTU ratings for quick enough recovery rates for stones to be of any real use...
Pizza stones Tips please JL 1676Sheldon I'm not sure on this one, dogturd. Can you post the specific heat ratings for some common pizza stones and the BTU rates for home...
It's a very flexible base recipe, and tastes fine on it's own, but adding the extras can really make it special.
