Hi Ky!
> KM> To reduce acidity (and thereby mellow out the flavor) of any sort
> KM> of tomato-based sauce... add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar.
> Bit of a problem when at a restaurant but I have heard of adding sugar
> when making a tomate sauce. AFAIK the commonly-available brown sugar in
> stores is just regular white sugar with molasses added.
KM> Yep, tho the brown/molasses does something for the flavor that
KM> regular sugar doesn't. Might be reacting with the tomato acids differently,
KM> or might just be adding it own bits.
My guess would be the molasses reacts somehow with the acids from the
tomato. ...Well, a bit of a quick search with "is molasses a base?"
comes up with "cane molasses has an acid pH, usually between 5 and 7".
OK, so checking on tomatoes find "Tomatoes, lemons, limes and
grapefruits are also alkaline rich". It's been way to long since
chemistry classes for all this.
How do you fix too acidic tomato sauce?
Adding baking soda will change the pH of tomato sauce, making it less
acidic. Generally, we balance tomato sauce acidity by adding a bit of
sugar. While sugar can't neutralize acidity in the same way that baking
soda can, it does change our perception of other tastes.
And:
How do you counteract acidity in cooking?
If a dish has enough salt and still tastes flat, it's often because it
needs a mouthwatering burst of acidity-think of a squeeze of lemon on a
piece of fish, or vinegary pickles on a sandwich. If a dish is too
acidic, the way to achieve balance is to add fat or sugar to mute the
sourness.
So appears it's a magic trick on the taste buds. Daryl just has to
start asking for Sweet 'n Low with his spaghetti! <g>
> KM> Lazy people don't bother pre-cooking the pasta part of lasagna,
> KM> and it turns out just as good. <g>
> You ought to know! <g> I have seen it made both ways; haven't had
> homemade lasagna in I don't know how long.
KM> It sounds like a lot of work. But if you just throw stuff into
KM> the pan and bake it -- way less work and just as good. :D
Yup! Also harder to damage the lasagna if a hard dried sheet as opposed
to a flimsy and so somewhat delicate wet laywer.
> KM> While back I was tired of tomato-stuff, so I made white lasagna
> KM> -- substituted a like quantity of cream cheese for the tomato
> KM> part, and otherwise left it much the same. It was very good.
> I've heard of using ricotta but don't recall cream cheese. <looking>
> Yup: so not just one of your usual crazy concoctions!
KM> I buy the bulk block of cream cheese at Costco so had plenty to
KM> hand... don't care for ricotta so much, use plain cottage cheese
KM> instead. Unfortunately can't get good dry curd anymore...
Darn manufacturing shortcuts!
> .. Bachelor cook:Something old,something blue,something frozen,call it stew.
KM> I call this "every damn thing in the house soup." It's one of the
KM> recipes in my forthcoming cookbook, "Why No One Eats At My
KM> House." :D
Adding those little bits of this and that (the French cooks call them
"le ftovers" <g> to create a soup or stew is a good way to use them up!
» BarryMartin3@ «
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