I was going to write about Italian cheeses then had to change my mind (I will do a piece on triple-cream cheeses when I get the stuff I ordered....but, wouldn't you know it, the French postal system stinks...or else they're striking, as usual). It occurred to me that I should do a piece on sauces since they are the soul of French cooking. To become a good saucier, one has to learn for years about the complexities of making a stock, managing a roux, understand liaisons, think emulsions, perform reductions, produce a demi-glace and many other duties related to make your dish stand out.
The word "sauce" is a French word that means a relish to make food more appetizing. Sauces are liquid or semi-liquid foods devised to make other foods look, smell, and taste better, while paying much attention to its digestive properties. Because of the lack of refrigeration in the early days of cooking, meat, poultry, fish, and seafood didn’t last long. Sauces and, ahem, gravies were used to mask the flavor of tainted foods.
Cross-posted from La Vida Locavore.
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