I can't believe the information some of you are sharing........ - Page 2

Sugar, no sugar \,whatever taste good and whatever you and your clientel are happy with . There is no right or wrong way here.

well i dont add sugar, i just cook it for hours until it turns sweet..

A matter of choice, Huy Bui, which I have no argument with.

What I'm having trouble with is the dogmatism portrayed by some posters. The shock they exhibit if anybody does something which violates the culinary rules they live by, and which, in their minds, were written on high in stone.

The fact is, not only is the addition of sugar to tomato sauce common, it's not even confined to North America. For example, Michelin Star holder Nino Graziano is just one of many Italian chefs who include sugar in their tomato sauce.

Gypsy ...glad you enjoyed that one....hoped you would! 

With the tomato/sugar thing I'm not shy to adjust with it if the dish needs it (or that particular can ) or not if I'm using a couli to cut the richness of a dish. Or if going off reservation with chilli, ginger, lemongrass etc. some palm sugar might find its way in  .

I do stand by the 'rounding out' thing as with mayos. I have a pet peeve about hollandaise made with unreduced vinegar or even just lemon juice (no depth)...I use a 2:1 wine rdctn for the rounded sweetness and finish with lemon juice.             .....no, I don't add sugar, H.B.

it all comes down to personal preference... i agree people shouldn't get worked up about the use of sugar/ not. if everyone had the same taste, then sure i can see there being hard rules to cooking... but that is not the case. 

i actually don't reduce vinegar (so no peppercorns) for hollandaise and skip lemon altogether. i never liked hollandaise and making it the proper way did not taste good to me, nor anyone else in the room. so i made it my way and it tasted good to everyone including my chef-instructor. (and it was easier, which is always a bonus) from then on, i always made it that way and had nothing but praise. i just hit it with white pepper to make up for lack of peppercorns and it turns out i need far less salt than if i reduced the vinegar. still im no fan of hollandaise and i am glad i could skip those calories and fat, so i can indulge on pork belly and foie gras, instead. lol.

I've seen it done with sugar, with honey, loaded with carmeized onions, with Parmesan rinds, with Reggiano rinds, with Prosciutto rinds, with.....Meh, whatever works, works.

That being said when I was washing dishes waaay back when, it was common for the Greek restaurants to add a stick of cinnamon in the tomato sauce.  If done correctly, it does add a nice touch, don't particularily care for it personally, but it is kind of nice.

 I don't understand why we are making such a big deal over a little sugar.

If you have put enough in it that you can taste it, you have put too much.

It's only supposed to take the edge off the acid in the tomato.

The same as white pepper, if you can taste it,you have put too much.

You should only be able to tell if it is not in it, the same as salt.

A little sugar also awakens the taste buds, like the glutamate in MSG.

As I said in another post, I keep a gallon jug of simple syrup on line for that purpose.

labled  Chef's LFE for "Liquid Flavor Enhancer" spiked with a touch of vinegar

to keep the bartender out of it and a little Egg Shade in case they loose the label.