Similar to the other "Food for the Soul" sections of the web site, I would love for you to share your recipes with me and I will post them for everyone to comment on and enjoy. If E-mailing your recipe is a hardship, then you can fax to (610) 525-4749. Please only use the fax if it is absolutely necessary.

Recipe of the Month

Barbecue Sauce

2 1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup chicken broth (sub Beef broth if you like.)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard
2 shallots(minced)
4 small sprigs of Thyme(minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon red wine
3 cloves of fresh garlic(minced)

     This sauce is very easy to make and equally as easy to manipulate into other variations. That is what cooking is all about really. If you walk away from this recipe and think to yourself "hmm I can make barbecue sauce.", your just not getting it. You should walk away and say "I can think of 10 variations of this sauce, one would go great with pork, the other with salmon" , and so on and so forth. When you look at food that way then you are really getting it.

     Take a sauce pot and place the tablespoon of olive oil in the pot. When pot gets to the point where the oil is slightly steaming, place in your garlic,thyme and shallots. Cook over medium heat until onions begin to caramelize(turn transparent and brown). De glaze pan with red wine and let cook for an additional two minutes to cook out the alcohol. Whisk in the whole grain mustard now until it has blended in with other ingredients. Turn heat down very low and put in your brown sugar. Stir this mixture over low heat for a few minutes. Proceed to add the ketchup, broth,lemon juice,worcestershire and vinegar. Whisk this mixture together until everything is blended. Leave this to slow cook for about 3 hours. Keep your eye on the pot on occasion, if the sauce seems to get to thick then thin with some more broth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

     I know you are thinking .. "Darn I wish Tom would have given us some insight on variations." Well fine, here you go. I am sure all of you were thinking of one other ingredient -- it had to be HONEY. Very good work , whisk honey into the process after you place in the broth and other ingredients. How about a really good Asian marinade or Hoisin sauce in place of honey (with Salmon) to really give it some flare? Okay the other variations are up to you, I just gave you a boost in the right direction. ENJOY!!!