The 5 "mother" sauces

In the early 20th century, Chef Auguste Escoffier classified five "mother" sauces. These five are considered essential and accordingly are still taught in chef schools today.

bechamel - (bay-shah-MEHL)

basic white sauce made by stirring milk into a butter-flour ROUX (a mixture of flour and fat (most often butter) used to thicken sauces).

espagnole - (ehs-pah-NYOHL)

a brown sauce traditionally made of rich meat stock, mirepoix of browned vegetables, a brown roux, herbs and sometimes tomato paste.

hollandaise - (hol-uhn-dayz)

a sauce made with butter, egg yolks and lemon juice, generally used to embellish vegetables, fish and egg dishes.

tomato sauce

a sauce made of tomatoes

veloute - (veh-loo-tay)

a stock based white sauce, made from chicken, veal or fish stock. Enrichments such as egg yolks or cream are sometimes added.

• 1/4 stick butter (2 tbsp)
• 1 pound field mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb asparagus, blanched and chopped (note: you can substitute artichokes)
• 3/4 cup dry vermouth

• 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 7 1/2 ounces)
• Ground nutmeg, optional
• 1 9-ounce package oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles
• 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (a bit of goat cheese is nice too!)

method

for filling:

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté until mushrooms release juices and begin to brown, about 7 minutes.
2. Add asparagus and vermouth. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

for béchamel sauce:

1. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk.
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens and lightly coats spoon, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg.
3. Spread 2/3 cup béchamel sauce over bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Top with enough noodles to cover bottom of dish. Spread 1/4 of asparagus mixture over. Spoon 2/3 cup béchamel sauce over. Top béchamel with 1/4 of the mozzarella.
4. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with enough noodles to cover. Repeat layering 3 more times, finishing with a layer of noodles, then remaining béchamel. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake lasagna covered with foil 1 hour (or 1 hour 15 minutes if chilled). Remove foil. Increase temperature to 450°F. Bake lasagna until golden on top, about 10 minutes longer.

We have expanded our hours to serve you better!

We are now open

Monday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The shop is closed on Sundays

We hope that by staying open an extra hour, it will be more convenient for many of you to stop in on your way home.

Looking for a unique and delicious way to treat your mother this year?

Dana Shortt Gourmet has gourmet gift ideas that are sure to warm her heart…

gift certificates

Dana Shortt Gourmet Gift Certificates - the gift of gourmet (as well as the gift of time!!).

Gift certificates can be purchased in any denomination, and used towards any of our products or services (gourmet gifts, fresh and frozen meals, funky aprons, or put towards a catered event, etc.).

gift boxes and gift baskets

Dana Shortt Gourmet gift boxes – we offer gift boxes in small, medium and large sizes – check www.danashortt.ca under the gifts section to view the pricing and contents.

We also offer customized gift boxes, should you want to come in and put something together yourself.

Treat Mom to gourmet breakfast in bed

The following package (to serve 4 adults) must be ordered in advance and can be picked up at the store on Saturday, May 10th, 2008.

It's simple, just choose a quiche, scones and salad.

choose a 10” quiche (serves 4 large portions, quiche is cooked and ready for you to re-heat in your oven)

• quiche option 1 - roasted vegetable, chevre and basil
• quiche option 2 - bacon, swiss cheese and caramelized onion
• quiche option 3 - ham, artichoke and asiago

choose your scones (4 large scones – scones are ready for you to bake in your oven)

• scone option 1 - lemon currant
• scone option 2 - cranberry orange
• scone option 3 - almond crème
• scone option 4 - cinnamon raisin with cream cheese icing
• scone option 5 - cheddar herb

choose a salad (salad ingredients are prepared in separate containers, all you have to do is toss them together)

• salad option 1 - mixed greens with our tangy lemon dressing, candied pecans and sliced strawberries
• salad option 2 - mixed greens with our toasted almond vinaigrette and fresh vegetables

$39.96/ 4 people ($9.99 for each person)

Did you know that household china (http://www.householdchina.com/) has recently opened a second floor cooking school loft?

The newly renovated space features a stop-in-your-tracks working kitchen with Retro Appliances (Elmira Stove Works) and a luxurious, comfortable, relaxed demonstration area.

Students almost feel that they are sitting in a “movie set” kitchen, waiting for chefs Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver to make their appearance.

Cooking classes are demonstration style and can be customized for brides-to-be, special groups or a girls/guys night out.

Kirstie Herbstreit, one of the catering chefs here at dana shortt gourmet, is teaching a "tapas treasures" class on Thursday, June 12th from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Check out more of their classes on line at
www.householdchina.com

The often-quoted theory of cooking fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness may be a good guideline, but in reality 8 minutes is a better timeframe in which to at least start checking for doneness.

Fish will continue to cook for a minute or two off the heat. Be sure to stop cooking when the fish is just shy of done; otherwise, it will overcook by the time you serve it.

Use the tip of a small knife to peek at the interior of the fish. Many cookbooks tell you to cook fish until it flakes; this is too long. Once it flakes, the fish has lost too much moisture and will be dry and bland. As you peek, see how easily the fish gives way. It should gently resist flaking but show signs of firming. If the fish is on the bone, the flesh should lightly resist pulling away from the bone.

Raw fish has a translucent appearance that turns opaque during cooking. Most types of fish are considered done when they're just opaque throughout. Many people, however, enjoy some types of fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon, a little less done. These should be opaque on the outside but still translucent at the center.

Source: Fine Cooking

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If you would like to be removed from this list, please let me know and we will fulfill your request asap.