Philippines

by: Maria Ana Gonzalez de Leon-Hudson

It was the message of friendship in the movie “Friend Green Tomatoes,” that made me think of the line, “the secret is in the sauce” as a title for this book.

Friends are the spice of life-they come in different shapes and personalities. A friend who truly believes in you gives you the strength to try your wings from new heights that you would not dare before. Another friend takes you for all your kookiness, and still another drools over your culinary experiments, making you are Einstein in the kitchen.

The real secret us the dash or pound-full of love that goes into the preparation of food to celebrate life. We want our loved ones to enjoy our concoctions, so we see to it that we have done the right thing-the size suitable for their appetites, the dash of spice that their palate can take, sautéing just before it gets too brown, baking cookies just until they are crunchy or chewy, and setting food attractively on a platter to please their eyes.

The basic ingredients in any dish are the raw materials: seafood, poultry, beef, pork, vegetables and fruits-these are good grilled, fried, boiled or baked with just a dash of salt to enhance the natural flavors. But to add adventure and pizzazz, there is nothing like a sauce or marinade.

Copyright 1999
Second Edition 2006

ISBN 978-971-569-545-9