Secret Sauces

Book excerpt: A great sauce has the ability to transform even the humblest ingredients, to elevate the everyday to the sublime. But a great sauce does not have to be complicated. Gone are the days when sauce meant mainly a concoction based on butter, flour, and reduced stock. This book celebrates a new generation of sauces that are simple to whip up and rely on fresh and healthy ingredients such as nuts, yogurt, and vegetables. Secret Sauces gives you an arsenal of "mother" sauces that fit today's kitchen and are infinitely adaptable. Each one can be made in advance and then customized to enliven different meals throughout the week. With every sauce comes a recipe for a full finished dish that's an ideal showcase, followed by many ideas for other uses. Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges come alive drizzled with Bengali Spiced Yogurt. Seared Red Snapper rises to a new level with Grilled Pineapple and Chipotle Salsa. Coconut Lemongrass Cream finishes off Fruit Kebabs. Most existing sauce books are written for the professional chef, but this book is aimed at the home cook. It removes the intimidation of traditional sauces and makes sauces approachable for everyone. Inspired by cuisines from around the world, these sauces bring a new level of excitement to any meal. Plus, they deliver maximum flavor with a minimum of effort.