I go to my grandmother, (I call her Nana,) for inspiration in the kitchen. Her "recipes" not only evoke a feeling of home but also bring up warm memories and feelings of comfort. When I think back to cooking with Nana, very rarely can I recall looking at a recipe book. Why? Because Nana's method of cooking was working from memory and "eyeballing it." Her method of measurement often involved a feeling for how much to add, be it a handful,(her hand to be exact), or use of a particular wooden spoon. In fact, the only thing I can remember her cooking from a recipe is her famous German chocolate cake which, to this day, must be mixed by hand with her mother's rotary egg beater.
Now that I have a family of my own to feed, I take Nana's lessons back into the kitchen. In an effort to preserve my family's "recipes," I continue the tradition of cooking by feeling, taste, and smell. As an admitted Pinterest addict, I Pin beautiful recipes left and right and very seldom find myself following them exactly. And this works for me.
Nana's old school "eyeball" method of cooking keeps it interesting, sometimes scary, but always fun and exciting from the kitchen to the dinner table. Try it!!
Nana's favorite Tomato Sauce
- Canned tomato sauce(you can substitute crushed tomatoes)
- Fresh garlic cloves, minced(however many you want)
- fresh basil leaves(substitute dried in a pinch)
- olive oil
- water
Heat a little judgshe of olive oil in a pot and add in your garlic cloves (I usually add about 4 cloves of garlic for a 16 oz can of tomato sauce but add more or less depending on your taste. Sauté your garlic just until its fragrant, stir in tomato sauce. Add a bit of water, I usually add about a third of the tomato sauce can of water. Bring this lovely little mixture to a rolling simmer and then lower the heat and reduce it just a bit, go for a texture that you're happy with. Once reduced, throw in a little chiffonade of basil....(all this means is that you roll up your basil leaves in a little log and cut them into beautiful little ribbons). I usually do about 5 good sized basil leaves or 4 shakes of the dried stuff. Serve it up!
Super simple, I like to throw in a few meatballs and toss it with some homemade pasta. Delish!
