Getting Saucy

"Why would anyone want to make their own cocktail sauce?" my husband asked as I was tweaking my latest recipe. Adam, photographer extraordinaire and official taste tester, wasn't sold on the newest member of recipe development for our cookbook. He was more interested in the sexier "Pan-Seared Pork Chop with Red Plum and Gorgonzola." He wasn't convinced the lowly tomato-based condiment was book-worthy. As I adjusted the seasoning and added a little more pepper kick, I considered my answer. There's no way around it, I thought. I shrugged and admitted, "My name is Cheryl and I'm an ingredient snob."

I don't know when it happened. I can't even tell you the month. It was cold, I do remember that. I had been working on the cookbook concept for awhile and knew one thing for certain: I wanted to offer familiar, easy-to-prepare foods that combine my Southern roots with contemporary flair. I've always based my cooking on simple, fresh and seasonal food when each ingredient is at its most flavorful. A trucked in January Roma tomato is no match for those juicy, meaty heirlooms from the farmer's market in July. Better ingredients, better food. Period. So, that really got me thinking. Shouldn't the same rule apply to everything? Then, the same should hold true for kitchen and pantry staples.

In researching ways to make my family's life healthier many years ago, I kept stumbling upon reports concerning the health risks involving high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, added MSG and hydrogenated oils (or trans fats). Starting right then and there, in 2008, I decided to eliminate these items from my pantry and my cooking. Having read that as much as 70% of prepackaged food contains some or all of these ingredients, I became a label reader. And, by golly, I was on a mission! I wanted to see first-hand which everyday items I was using contained one or more of the UnFab Four and ceremoniously chuck them out of my culinary life.

In the first few days of my new, deeply-felt conviction, I can only imagine how ridiculous I must have looked, running up and down the grocery aisles, frantically picking up random jars and boxes, squinting at the lists of ingredients, fully determined to flush out the offenders. I was shocked to discover how many products contain high-fructose corn syrup, lurking in even seemingly healthy foods. It was in yogurt. Bread. Breadcrumbs. Applesauce. Graham Crackers. Ketchup, mustard, horseradish sauce. Pickles, for goodness sake! And, you guessed it...cocktail sauce, too.

 

I started to panic. Were there affordable options for pantry staples that did not contain these ingredients? Where could I find them? Is organic the only way to go? Fortunately, locating products free of the UnFab Four is pretty easy once you start. More and more companies are becoming increasingly responsive to those of us demanding quality food products without those ingredients. Now, wait a second. I know what you're thinking. Picture-Perfect Meals isn't about "diet" foods. It's about a passionate food lifestyle dedicated to making food that tastes as good as it looks. My philosophy is simple: Make great food. Use the best ingredients possible. Make it look fabulous (remember, we first start eating with our eyes!).

Back to Adam's question. Why would anyone make their own cocktail sauce? Simply put, it's fresher and better than anything you can buy. And it's easy! So, as I put the finishing touches on the latest PPM recipe member, I asked my taste tester to report for duty. He plucked a big shrimp from the pile, methodically dunked it in the bowl, popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly and skeptically. Then he smiled and said, "Now why would anyone buy cocktail sauce when they can make this at home?"

I couldn't agree more.

Makes about 2/3 cup