Cooking for Seven

It’s ridiculous how much enjoyment I get out of comparing my old food photos with my more recent work. I find it so interesting to see how my style has changed. How much I’ve grown.

Here’s the comparison of my original Smoky BBQ Sauce photo (taken way back in October 2008, when my blog was brand new) to the photo I took of it just yesterday. Same BBQ sauce, same jar. But I chose different settings and lighting. I’m really disliking the blue color cast on the original photo. But I’m still liking the contrasty atmosphere.

What do you think? Which photo do you like better?

All of this to say, go visit the Tasty Kitchen Blog to see step-by-step instructions for making my Smoky BBQ Sauce {Link}


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Sauce is so important to a homemade pizza. I’m sure you could buy a very good bottled sauce. But why not make your own and control what goes into it?

This recipe makes a slightly sweet pizza sauce. The maple syrup helps to balance the acidity of the tomato paste. If you would like a less sweet version, simply decrease the amount of maple syrup.

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:: Quick Homemade Pizza Sauce ::

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Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

1-2 tablespoons red cooking wine (optional but very good)

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together until well combined. Place over low heat and cook until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Makes about 3/4 cup, or enough for two large pizzas

P.S. It’s Kitchen Tip Tuesday…

Grilling season is just about over. But we like to eat barbecue sauce all through the year: barbecue pizza, in a chicken panini sandwich, or just slathered on pork roast. Here is a recipe that doesn’t require chopping vegetables and hours of cooking, just a few special ingredients.

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:: Smoky BBQ Sauce ::

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 0z.) can tomato paste
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store in the refrigerator.

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