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Salsa Del Dispersore Della Cucina
...or at least that’s how Babelfish translated the name of my latest creation: Kitchen Sink Sauce. The sauce is so named because it has everything but the kitchen sink in it. I considered another name for it, too: Salsa Entusiastica (enthusiastic sauce). This because I put everything I had into it! (Can I get a rimshot?)
Let me describe it, and then you tell me which name you prefer:
—1 Eggplant
—1 bulb of garlic, each clove thinly sliced
—1 small tin of sliced black olives
—Olive oil
—Capers
—Anchovies
—Sun-dried tomatoes
—Button mushrooms
—2 small cans tomato sauce
—Wine (I used blush because it’s what was in the fridge)
—juice of one lemon
—1 tablespoon of sugar
—salt and pepper to taste
—thyme, oregano, and basil
I allowed the sun-dried tomatoes to rehydrate in a container of wine. I then sliced and salted the eggplant, and then I left it on paper so it could drain. In the meantime, I sliced the garlic and quartered the mushrooms. I tossed these into a large saucepan with the olive oil so they could saute. Then I rinsed the eggplant, patted it dry, and cut it up into bite-sized pieces. I tossed the eggplant into the pan along with the garlic and mushrooms. Next, in went the olives, capers, and anchovies. I poured the rehydrated tomatoes into the mix, wine and all. I added the tomato sauce. Then I started to tweak the flavors, using lemon juice and sugar to take the edge off the of the tomato products and the salt of the capers and anchovies. The rest of the herbs and spices added the punch the dish needed.
After about an hour and a half of simmering, the result is a deep, dark, brick-red, chunky sauce with a slighty salty edge to it and the smoky overtones of sun-dried tomatoes. I made some linguine on which to toss it, though it probably could have used a “tougher” pasta with which to partner. The pantry is rather thin; I didn’t have many choices.
So what do you think? Salsa del dispersore della cucina or salsa entusiastica?
PS. Lex wanted brownies tonight, so while the sauce was simmering, I made cake brownies from scratch. I can’t eat them, but they smell good enough. They aren’t pretty, though. The oven must have been too hot; the top split :(
