[MaryB]

In a pinch the WalMart brand (great value?) tomato sauce spread on the crust with a shake of dried Italian seasoning on it. Works well and the walMart tomato sauce is surprisingly good for being dirt cheap. I am looking forward to fresh romas from the garden, those I just slice and pile on the pizza, add some herbs and cheese I favor a cracker type crust thats fermented on the counter for 24 hours then rolled as thin as possible. Into a 500 degree oven on top of the stone.

[longfellow]

4 tbs Olive oil
3 to 4 garlic cloves sliced,smashed or mashed
1,5 tbs fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 small can tomatoe paste
water to whatever consistance u desire
1 tbs basalmic vinegar
Onion powder salt,pepper
Put oil in sauce pan.when oil is hot put seeds,then garlic.once you got
some aromatic action going put in tomatoe paste push it around the pan
so that it mixes with the seeds and garlic then give it a little time to carmalize. Then add water to desired consistance. Add onion powder and vinegar then season with salt and pepper. taste and adjuct vinegar and seasoning to you liking.

[longfellow]

Missed the oregeno
add 1 tbs oregeno in oil with seeds and garlic

[Luc_H]

Originally Posted by GrlcbrkmyGinsu

I'm looking for a slightly spicy flavor to the sauce (

mixing equal parts of water (or broth) with tomato paste gives you exactly the right pizza sauce consistency.

1 small can of tomato paste
1 small can of broth or water
1/2 tsp of salt (if broth is low sodium)
1 tsp of sugar (brightens up the tomato flavour)
juice of 1/2 lemon (brightens up the tomato flavour)
handfull of dried rubbed oregano (approx 2 - 3 tbsp)
1 tbsp of basil
1 tsp of olive oil
do not cook, mix and use as is

if you want slightly spicy
heat a small skillet medium high. wait until hot, Add 1 tsp of olive oil immediately add 1/2 - 1 tsp of cayenne pepper flakes. heat until most is turned brown (not black). Quickly scrape from the skillet to the sauce above. Stir and use.

Luc H.

[RPMcMurphy]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

(If RPM's reading -- this is a shoutout. I know you're on a whirlwind basics mastery tour. Jason too.)

BDL

always reading sir. always...

and a p.s. to everyone.

Chicago doesn't know how to make pizza. New York does, but to be honest, NJ does it better (at least at Delorenzo's)

[boar_d_laze]

Luc,

You're suggesting using a sauce made with equal parts tomato paste straight from the can, plus an equal volume of liquid, and some seasonings?

Based on my experience with paste, that doesn't seem right to me. Paste has a very distinctive raw, concentrated taste which requires some handling and a great deal of dilution. Are you sure you don't have some other tomato product in mind? Canned tomato sauce or puree perhaps?

BDL

[Luc_H]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Luc,

You're suggesting using a sauce made with equal parts tomato paste straight from the can, plus an equal volume of liquid, and some seasonings?

Based on my experience with paste, that doesn't seem right to me. Paste has a very distinctive raw, concentrated taste which requires some handling and a great deal of dilution. Are you sure you don't have some other tomato product in mind? Canned tomato sauce or puree perhaps?

BDL

BDL,
The recipe I posted is what I do for my pizza. I'll admit I eyeball the seasoning but I measure the liquid in the can. Works every time because tomato paste (versus other tomato concentrates like puree) is standardized in Canada (at least). A 1:1 ratio of paste and liquid gives a ketchup like consistency which is what I found to be the case in Montreal delivery pizzas.
the product I use the most often is found here (last item below: tomato paste)
CanGro Foods Inc.

I doubt the paste in Canada is different then the one in the US but maybe it is...
Luc H.

[Luc_H]

BDL,
we may not be comparing apples to apples here. It may be a question of terminology:

here is what Canadian regulations says:
B.11.009. [S]. Tomato Paste shall be the product made by evaporating a portion of the water from tomatoes or sound tomato trimmings, may contain salt and Class II preservatives and shall contain not less than 20 per centtomato solids, as determined by official method FO-19, Determination of Tomato Solids, October 15, 1981.

B.11.010. [S]. Concentrated Tomato Paste shall be tomato paste containing not less than 30 per cent tomato solids, as determined by official method FO-19, Determination of Tomato Solids, October 15, 1981.

B.11.012. [S]. Tomato Puree shall be the heat processed product made from whole, ripe tomatoes, with the skinsand seeds removed, concentrated to yield a product with a specific gravity of not less than 1.050 (20°C/20°C) and may contain salt and a Class II preservative.

reference: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_for...e_b-text-1.pdf

you may be referring to concentrated tomato paste which is the more concentrated commercial version of the consumer tomato paste I am referring here.

Luc H

[boar_d_laze]

A general thought:

Most fresh "pizza sauce" is simply sugo marinara aka "marinara sauce." Marinara is a light, simple sauce with a smooth consistency which focuses on the sweetness and freshness of the tomatoes. It's a sauce cooked so quickly the sailor's wife (la marinara) could whip it up after the boat was tied up and the sailor (il marinaro) was hanging up the nets and walking home.

It's not a dark sauce made with long simmering. Nor, should it be made with lots of tomato paste. Paste is a way of adding structure sauce -- that is helping it come to a sauce consistency. It also adds depth to the flavor when it's properly cooked -- which means either browning it or cooking it for a very long time. And in the case of marinara, it also means using very sparingly.

Marinara is not made very spicy -- either in terms of heat or complexity. The traditional herbal component when making the sauce is basil -- enough to taste and not much more. My suggestion is to add only what's necessary to make the tomatoes taste as though they were perfectly ripe, and just a tiny bit more to make it delicious. Made this way, the sauce is extremely versatile and stores well.

Part of its versatility is that once made, it can be altered to suit. Seasnings may be added. The sauce can be cooked down, etc. A couple of tomato sauce tricks have come up here. One that hasn't been mentioned is adding a little espresso or instant coffee to the sauce. It's surprising what a compliment that is to tomato. However, I suggest reserving it for a longer cooked sauce than simple marinara.

My experience with pizza is that it's best to put the seasonings on, rather than in the sauce. This includes garlic, herbs, and peppers.

Not to careen off on a tangent, but: If you like a spicy-hot pizza (and I do, I do, I do) you might want to try chipotle hot sauce on it after the pie has baked. Tabasco makes an excellent chipotle hot sauce. It's not quite as hot as their regular red and has a slightly sweet component along with the smoky hotness.. It's so good it's addictive. Harder to find is a brand called Yucateca, it's hotter with an even more pronounced sweetness and it's my fave. More to Mexican tastes in terms of what chipotle should be, but not that particularly hot, is Bufalo Chipotle. I use Bufalo for cooking (smokier) and Yucateca or Tabasco for the table (taste better).

It's a bit much for most people, but one of my favorite "salt and pepper" combinations in the food universe is pizza with anchovies and jalapenos.

BDL

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by Luc_H

BDL,
we may not be comparing apples to apples here. It may be a question of terminology.[...]you may be referring to concentrated tomato paste which is the more concentrated commercial version of the consumer tomato paste I am referring here.

Your "tomato paste" that's 20% tomatoes doesn't sounds like anything I've seen in U.S. markets. In the States and in recipe writing, "tomato paste" refers to "concentrated tomato paste," i.e., a product stiff enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Commercial pizza sauces are typically made with a high component of paste, but with a great deal of cooking as well. As is, canned tomato paste is pretty obnoxious.

At least this has always been my impression. I'd certainly like to hear if anyone who reads recipes reads the term "tomato paste" differently. I understand the term "tomato paste" in a recipe to mean the very thick stuff that comes in little cans and tubes (of course you can get big cans, but you know what I mean), is too thick to pour. Anyone?

BDL

[humpty99]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Not to careen off on a tangent, but: If you like a spicy-hot pizza (and I do, I do, I do) you might want to try chipotle hot sauce on it after the pie has baked. Tabasco makes an excellent chipotle hot sauce. It's not quite as hot as their regular red and has a slightly sweet component along with the smoky hotness.. It's so good it's addictive.



BDL

Just made me think of a quick little dipping sauce I throw together for quesadillas, and also good as a chicken wing sauce:

About a quarter cup honey
maybe a tbs or so of tabasco chipotle hot
couple teaspoons apple cider vinegar
tbs or so of chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk it all together. I don't usually measure. I just look for the right consistency, and then taste. The sweet honey hits first, then the pepper sauce kicks in. Its really simple, and can be used with a lot of different things.

[RPMcMurphy]

tomato paste to me , i buy in the little 50 cent cans.....use a spoonful (having the damnedest time getting it OFF the spoon) and ditch the rest....

here is a pic




and we ALL know wikipedia is 100% accurate 100% of the time
Tomato paste - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[RPMcMurphy]

another for my short rib braise...

[Luc_H]

Originally Posted by RPMcMurphy

tomato paste to me , i buy in the little 50 cent cans.....use a spoonful (having the damnedest time getting it OFF the spoon) and ditch the rest....

Precisely the same product I am referring to.

Oh and I forgot to mention: the reason I said to use my recipe as is is because if you attempt to cook the recipe it will end up tasting like a canned spaghetti sauce.

Luc H.

[GrlcbrkmyGinsu]

Thanks a lot all, I really appreciate all the answers. I'm thinking a may experiment a bit. My wife came up with idea to make pizza and made it herself. While I could eat it, it made me die a little inside. The sauce was straight store-bought which she added a bunch of dried "pizza seasoning" to, the cheese was pre-shredded kraft mozzarella, and the dough was some pillsbury crap. To be diplomatic, I asked if I could give it a shot and just went crazy. The real problem was the sauce, I just kept making it like a tomato pasta sauce and it never came out right. Thank you all. I can finally show here why pizza isn't called "saucy, cheesy, sponge".




Edit: Wrong terminology