This homemade tomato sauce recipe has a secret ingredient… and it’s not the tomatoes.

I’m not saying that perfect tomatoes aren’t critical… they are THE MOST IMPORTANT ingredient. But I’ve added a little something else that gives this sauce a subtle layer of umami complexity.

A Parmesan cheese rind.

I’ve always saved (in the freezer) Parmesan cheese rinds to use in soups and stews as they simmer. But the other day I was making tomato sauce and I felt like it needed a little oomph. I dropped in a cheese rind and, viola! Enchantment.

Don’t flinch when you see that I used canned tomatoes. I know most homemade tomato sauce recipes call for fresh tomatoes. That’s great, but I think canned Italian San Marzano tomatoes (the ONLY canned tomato you should use for sauces) deliver a more consistent result.

I added the 4 other (not so secret) ingredients and used my Pauli Cookware to gently simmer the sauce until it was thick and rich with flavor. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so use some now and freeze the rest!

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Here are a couple of recipes to make with the tomato sauce:

Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs

Easy Pasta and Sausage Bake

Summer soups should be cool and bright, with just enough bite to keep them interesting… kind of like my friends.

A really good gazpacho is like this, too…full of flavor, but light enough to be refreshing. This is the time of year when we don’t want to have what we eat weighing us down.

What’s gazpacho? Well, it’s usually a chilled, somewhat spicy tomato-based soup from Spain. It’s served with chopped fresh vegetables like cucumbers and onions on the side, so you can add what you like to the soup.

This gazpacho is made with cucumbers (lots of them), grapes and garlic. I use really good extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar… both of which are traditionally used in a gazpacho.

Oh, I also added a little bit of dill because I like the way it gently bounces off the cucumbers and grapes. Sprinkle in a little salt, put it all in a blender and you’ve created enchantment again: Chilled Dilled Cucumber Soup.

Cool and bright… with a little bit of bite. Just like you.

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It’s Spring, yes, but it’s still chilly enough to need something hearty for dinner, so here it is: Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs.

I love this recipe because you can use shortcuts (pasta sauce from a jar, frozen meatballs), or take your time and make the sauce from scratch and hand-shape your own meatballs. Either way, you’ll come up with something hot, cheesy and delicious.

I made my meatballs from scratch using ground beef, veal and pork… but you can use any combination (turkey? chicken? lamb?). Remember a little bit of fat in your mixture means more flavor in your meatballs.

If you do make your meatballs from scratch, here’s a great idea: double the recipe, make extra meatballs and freeze them. Then all you’ll have to do is thaw them for a quick dinner (Meatball Sandwiches, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Meatball Appetizers) when you’re in a hurry!

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Chicago’s Wrigley Field celebrates its 100^th Birthday today!

In honor of the centennial celebration, the ballpark is doing something really cool… they’re putting a historical twist on hot dogs.

“Decade Dogs” will commemorate each of the 10 decades that the North Side ball field has been in existence. If you look at the offerings you can really see how the American palate has become more adventurous and really embraced ethnic cuisine.

Some of the hot dogs sound absolutely delicious… others, not so much (I’m looking at you TV Dinner Dog).

Here’s a breakdown of the dogs, decade by decade, being offered at the Friendly Confines:

1910’s Rueben Dog: In honor of the invention of the Ruben Sandwich: Vienna Beef hot dog, sliced corn beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese.

1920’s Chicago Dog: The Chicago classic hot dog: Vienna Beef hot dog, tomato wedges, pickle spears, sport peppers, diced onions, mustard, neon relish and celery salt, served on a poppy seed bun.

1930’s Cheese Steak Dog: In honor of the invention of Philadelphia’s favorite sandwich: Vienna Beef hot dog, shaved rib eye steak, grilled onions, peppers and provolone cheese.

1940’s Corn Dog Nibblers: In honor of the Corn Dog, invented at the Texas State Fair: Deep-fried mini Vienna Beef corn dogs.

1950’s TV Dinner Dog: In honor of that unforgettable foil-tray meal:  Vienna Beef hot dog, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn.

1960’s Buffalo Wing Dog: In honor of that now ubiquitous party snack, invented at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York: Vienna Beef hot dog, diced chicken, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese crumbles and chopped celery.

1970’s Pulled Pork Dog: In honor of when America woke up and smelled the smoke (barbecue that is): Vienna Beef hot dog, pulled pork, barbecue sauce, fried onions and coleslaw.

1980’s Nacho Dog: In honor of the decade Tex-Mex cooking seduced the country: Vienna Beef hot dog, tortilla strips, nacho cheese, salsa and pickled jalapeños.

1990’s Bagel Dog: In honor of when bagels broke out of the New York Delicatessens and into middle America’s strip malls: Vienna Beef hot dog wrapped in a warm bagel with deli mustard.

2000’s Dog: The Decade Dog that is the most popular will also receive the honor of being named 2000 Dog.

I don’t see me being able to eat 10 dogs at any one game, so I guess I’ll have to make multiple trips back to Wrigley.  It’s a shame the Cubs can’t match the quality of the food!

Happy Birthday Wrigley Field!