Culinary Weekly Message
Culinary: mother sauces
Sustainability: mother nature
Message

Meet the 5 Mother Sauces of the culinary world. These 5 sauces are the starting point for
hundreds of sauces. These 5 Mother Sauces and their variations are used to enhance not
just the appearance of a dish but to create an extra depth of flavor
Monday
Culinary:
Velouté

Velouté – a light stock, such as chicken or fish that is thickened with a blond roux.

The literal French meaning of velouté is velvety or velvetiness.

A velouté thickened with a liason of egg yolks and cream is called Allemande sauce or
Parisienne sauce.

Bercy sauce is a fish velouté with a reduction of white wine and shallots.

Supreme sauce is chicken velouté enriched with cream.

Sauces are considered a test of a chef’s ability and skill.
Sustainability:
•
The major scientific agencies of the United States-including the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)- agree that climate change is occurring and that humans are contributing to it. In
2010, the National Research Council concluded, “Climate change is occurring, is very likely
caused by human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural
systems”. -EPA
Tuesday
Culinary:
tomato

Tomato sauce – A sauce made with a puree of tomatoes with savory vegetables and other
seasonings

There are many versions of tomato sauce, some require only the use of olive oil as the fat
others, while others require salt pork or bacon.

Some tomato sauces are lefty chunky, while others are pureed until smooth.

Tomato sauce is typically used on pasta but can be used on meats and vegetables.

Adding ground meats and carrots, onions and celery to tomato sauce transforms it into
Bolognese sauce.
Sustainability:
•
The global average temperature increased by more than 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the last
century. In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
the decade from 2000 to 2010 was the warmest on record, and 2010 was tied with 2005 as the
warmest year on record,- EPA
Wednesday
Culinary:
emulsions

Emulsion – a mixture of one liquid with another liquid that generally do not combine
smoothly. A classic example would be oil and water.

Emulsions are created by slowly adding one ingredient to another while at the same time
rapidly mixing.

Hollandaise – an emulsion sauce of egg yolk and clarified butter, seasoned with lemon juice,
salt and white pepper.

Hollandaise is the essential sauce for the classic breakfast or brunch dish, eggs benedict.
Eggs benedict consists of an English muffin, Canadian bacon, poached egg and topped with
hollandaise

Mayonnaise, another classic emulsion sauce, consists of oil, egg yolk, lemon juice or vinegar.

Vinaigrette is another emulsified sauce consisting of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, salt and
pepper. There are many variations of vinaigrette.

Sauces can be used to enhance the presentation of a dish.
Sustainability:
•
Changing the average global temperature by even a degree or two can lead to serious
consequences around the globe. For about every 2 degrees Fahrenheit of warming, we can
expect to see 200%- 400% increases in the area burned by wildfire in parts of the western
United States. 5-15% reductions in the yields of crops as currently grown. _EPA
Thursday
Culinary:
Espangnole / demi

Espagnole or “brown sauce” traditionally made of veal stock, a mirepoix of browned
vegetables, brown roux and sometimes tomato paste.

Demi-glace also a rich brown sauce, traditionally made by combining equal parts of veal
stock and espagnole sauce. Mixture is simmered and reduced by half.

A well-prepared brown veal stock is essential to the success of either a demi-glace or
espagnole sauce.

A derivative of brown sauce is sauce Robert, which is white wine, onions, mustard and
butter.

Sauces are used to flavor and finish seasoning a product.
Sustainability:
•
A small rise in sea level will affect many people, even in the United States. The amount of sea
level rise expected to occur as a result of climate change will increase the risk of coastal
flooding for millions to hundreds of millions of people around the world, many of whom would
have to permanently leave their homes. Global sea level has risen approximately 9 inches, on
average, in the last 140 years. This has already put some coastal homes, beaches, roads.
bridges, and wildlife at risk. By the year 2100, sea level is expected to rise another 1.5 to 3 feet.
-EPA
Friday
Culinary:
bechamel

Mother Sauces - the sauces that are the starting point for other classic sauces.

In the 19th century Antonin Careme set forth four base (mother) sauces; tomato, béchamel,
veloute and espagnole. Chef Auguste Escoffier added the fifth mother sauce; hollandaise.

Sauces normally consist of a liquid, a thickener, flavorings and seasonings.

Béchamel – a white sauce made from milk or cream thickened by a roux (butter and flour).

It was named after Louis de Béchamel, the chief steward for Louis XIV.

Soubise sauce – béchamel sauce with the addition on finely diced onions that have been
sweated in butter

Mornay sauce is a classic cheese sauce made with béchamel sauce and the addition of
Gruyere and Parmesan cheese.
Sustainability:
•
It is not too late to have a significant impact on future climate change and tis effects on us.
With appropriate actions by governments, communities, individuals, and businesses, we can
reduce the amount of greenhouse gas pollution we release and lower the risk of much greater
warming and severe consequences. Many of the actions that we can take to address climate
change will have other benefits, such as cleaner, healthier air. In addition, communities can
take action to prepare for thee changes we know are coming.- EPA