Part 98 (1/2)

IN A small saucepan, dissolve the bouillon cube in boiling water. Keep the broth warm on the lowest flame possible.

Melt the margarine in a separate small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is deep golden brown and smells toasty, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the minced shallots and garlic, coating with the sauce, and continue to cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes; it will resemble a coa.r.s.e paste. Stir in the celery and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the celery has softened a little.

Pour in the hot veggie bouillon and stir with a wire whisk to create a thick sauce. Add the bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary. While stirring constantly, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Gradually pour in the wine, continuing to stir with the whisk, and bring to a boil again. Lower the heat once more and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened (sauce is not as thick as a gravy but will cling to the back of a metal spoon).

Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped chives, and either ladle directly over food or serve alongside in a gravy boat.

To reheat the sauce: This sauce will become very thick if refrigerated, but it reheats easily. Place the sauce in a small saucepan, heat over medium-low heat while stirring occasionally, and whisk in a little vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached.

MARINARA SAUCE AND VARIATIONS.

MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS.

(ENOUGH FOR 4 SERVINGS OF PASTA).

TIME: 20 MINUTES.

The secret to a great marinara sauce is K.I.S.S.-keep it simple, stupid! Oh yes, and a h.e.l.l of a lotta garlic. Store-bought sauce tends to be too sweet and tastes, well, store-bought. We use this in all of our tomato-based Italian dishes from pasta to eggplant rollatini, and it doesn't take much time, so go ahead and pour some love onto your spaghetti. Go crazy with the variations that follow.

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

teaspoon dried thyme

teaspoon dried oregano

teaspoon salt

Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

PREHEAT A saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and garlic, and saute for about a minute, until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and raise the heat a bit to bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Variations: Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce: Add a chopped roasted red pepper along with the tomatoes. Blend the sauce when done cooking, if you like.

Mushroom Marinara Sauce: Increase the oil to 1 tablespoon, and saute 1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms before adding the garlic.

Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce: Decrease the minced garlic to 2 teaspoons. Add a whole bulb of peeled roasted garlic to the sauce halfway through the cooking process. Blend the sauce when done cooking.

Olive Marinara Sauce: Add cup of chopped black olives to the sauce about halfway through the cooking process.

Caramelized Onion Marinara Sauce: Increase the oil to 1 tablespoon. Sweat 1 cup of finely chopped white or yellow onion for about 15 minutes. (To sweat, keep the heat low and cover, stirring every few minutes, the onions should not brown.) Uncover and cook for 15 more minutes at higher heat, until browned and caramelized. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

We also like to mix and match some of these variations: Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom and Olive, you get the idea.