[1] Tomato sauce has so many uses beyond pasta. Here, its shakshouka, a spicy egg dish (all photos © Jar Goods).

[2] Jar Goods sauces are non-GMO, gluten free, and three of the four are vegan.

[3] Jar Goods sauces are thick enough to top pizza.

[4] How about trying something different, like pappardelle—a wider variation of fettuccine?

[5] Chili, anyone?

Many food entrepreneurs we’ve met have started their businesses because friends and family said, “This [salsa-pie-barbecue sauce-relish-whatever] is so good, you should sell it.

In the case of Melissa Vitelli, co-founder of Jar Goods, it was her father-in-law’s “famous” tomato sauce—recipe that she cooked in advance and relied on to make dinner quickly.

She used it for everything, from cassoulet to ratatouille to pizza. She wondered why more people didn’t use tomato sauce beyond pasta.

She studied the sauces in grocery stores, and saw an opportunity for a better sauce, with top-quality ingredients.

She recruited her sister-in-law, Laura. Using an initial investment of $150, they began bottling Pa Vitelli’s tomato sauce by hand, and branded it Classic Red.

The sauce used vine-ripened tomatoes, pure olive oil, fresh onions, garlic and basil: clean label sauces that get dinner on the table “easier, faster, and happier,” says Jar Goods.

They sold it at farmer’s markets and street fairs, gained fans, sold on Amazon, and ultimately gained shelf space in the type of grocery stores where consumers look for new and better products.

We, too, became a fan. This is great sauce—as good as we could make personally (and our heritage is that our mother’s own pasta sauce was famous).
 
 
JAR GOODS TOMATO SAUCES

Vitelli calls her line “tomato sauce” instead of “pasta sauce,” because there are so many more uses for the sauces than pasta. See them below.

These are very thick sauces—they won’t run off a pizza.

The line currently includes:

 
How good are they?

We started eating them from the jar!

The line is certified GMO and certified kosher (pareve) by OU. All four are gluten free. Except for the Classic Vodka Sauce, which contains cream, the sauces are vegan.

The stylish jar surrounding the excellent sauces place them on our “giftable” list, whether for the holidays or more frequent opportunities.

We’ll be giving jars as party favors!
 
 
GET YOUR JAR GOODS

Use the store locator, or head online to Amazon.
 
 
TOMATO SAUCE VS. PASTA SAUCE: THE DIFFERENCE

Tomato sauce is any one of a number of tomato-based sauces where the predominant ingredient is tomato.

Marinara sauce, meat sauce, pasta sauce*, pizza sauce, red sauce, Sunday gravy, among others, are all types of tomato sauces.

The different types of pasta sauce reflect different seasonings: arrabiata (chile flakes), bolognese (meat), marinara (garlic, onions, oregano) etc.
 

MORE USES FOR TOMATO SAUCE

Beyond pasta and pizza, here’s how to use tomato or pasta sauce:
 
Breakfast

 
Lunch

 
Appetizers

 
Dinner Mains

 
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*Not all pasta sauces are tomato based; e.g., Alfredo sauce and pesto.

For dinner yesterday, we made this salad from Discover California Wines, the consumer website of the Wine Institute. Its focus is recipes with wine pairings.

This asparagus salad recipe (photo #1) reminded us to have as much asparagus as we can while it’s in season.

In some parts of the country asparagus is in the market as early as February. April is the peak month for harvesting, and June marks the end of the season.

There always seems to be asparagus in stores, because customers demand it. But out-of-season, the asparagus travels from Chile and Peru, and the extra travel time means less fresh asparagus (less fresh = less flavor).
 
 
SPRINGTIME SALAD

This salad proclaims springtime. Pick up a rotisserie chicken and dinner is ready to go in 10 minutes. The fun here is that you shave the asparagus: a delightful visual and texture.

It’s also an opportunity to get to know ricotta salata cheese (photo #2—there’s more about the cheese below).

The dressing is perked up with Vietnamese fish sauce, nuoc cham, which adds umami flavor. Thailand’s prik nam pla is a similar fish sauce.

There are many uses for fish sauce in everyday cuisine. Check out some uses below.

But if you don’t have fish sauce and don’t want to buy it, substitute soy sauce, tamari, oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce.

If you’re a from-scratch cook, you can make your own nuoc cham from scratch.
 
 
RECIPE: ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Discover California Wines recommends a pairing of Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.
 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Dressing

 
For The Salad

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, fish sauce and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. SHAVE the asparagus, one spear at a time. Lay the spear flat on a work surface and shave it lengthwise into thin ribbons with a sharp vegetable peeler.

3. PLACE the asparagus in a salad bowl with the arugula. With a cheese plane or vegetable peeler, shave 3 ounces (90 g) of cheese—or as much as you like—into the bowl.

4. ADD enough dressing to coat the salad lightly; you may not need it all. Toss gently, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.
 

WHAT IS RICOTTA SALATA?

Ricotta salata (photo #2)is a firm Italian cheese with a mildly salty flavor. (If you can’t find it, substitute feta.)

It’s a table cheese—a term used for any cheese that can multitask: grated, shaved or sliced in appetizers, soups garnishes, salads, as part of the main course and a dessert with fruit.

Most people are familiar with the fresh, soft form of ricotta. But as a fresh cheese, ricotta has a limited shelf life.

Long ago, to extend its life, the fresh ricotta was salted, baked and smoked. Today the pressed, salted, dried and aged version of ricotta is known as ricotta salata (salted ricotta).

The cheese, made in wheels, is milky-white and firm. In addition to salads, grate it over potatoes, rice, soups and grilled vegetables.
 

USES FOR VIETNAMESE FISH SAUCE, NUOC CHAM

In addition to other Asian dishes like pad thai, fish sauce can be used in:

 
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*According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, approximately 502.4 million pounds of fresh asparagus was imported in 2017, mostly from Mexico, Peru and Chile. The value of the 2017 U.S. commercial asparagus crop was approximately $73.1 million.

[1] Shaved asparagus salad with arugula (photo © Discover California Wines).

[2] Ricotta salata, an all-purpose table cheese (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Nuoc cham, Vietnamese fish sauce with umami flavor. Buy it at an Asian market; or here’s the recipe from Gastronomy Blog (photo © Gastronomy Blog).

[4] Pick up a rotisserie chicken to turn asparagus salad into a main meal (photo © McCormick).

[5] Enjoy your salad with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris (photo © Tommy Bahama | Facebook).

[1] A pizza grilled cheese sandwich with pepperoni (photo © Emily Ellyn).

[2] Sliced mozzarella cheese (photos #2 and #3 © Frigo Cheese).

[3] Ricotta cheese is blended with a marinara sauce for the sandwich and for dipping.

[4] A Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich—the grilled cheese version of the Caprese Salad. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cooking Classy).

April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.

While we’ve printed many a grilled cheese sandwich in the 17 years of publishing THE NIBBLE, here’s one we haven’t published:

Pizza Grilled Cheese. We’ve made it often with mozzarella, pasta sauce, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil—a grilled cheese Caprese sandwich.

But this recipe, by Emily Ellyn, Retro Rad Chef, uses a classic pizza approach, with mozzarella, pepperoni, and any other favorite toppings.

Find more of her recipes at EmilyEllyn.com.

Thanks also to Frigo Cheese, which shared this recipe with us.

> There are 20+ more grilled cheese sandwich recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: PIZZA GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

In this recipe, ricotta is blended with marinara sauce to create a creamy pizza sauce.

Prep time is 5 minutes, and cook time is 15 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 4 Sandwiches

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the ricotta and the marinara sauce in a small saucepan, heating gently on low until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.

2. BUTTER both sides of each bread slice and lightly sprinkle them with the garlic powder. Place the slices in a large skillet or on a griddle set to medium-low heat. Cook the slices for 3–4 minutes or until the bread is browned on one side.

Cook in batches, if necessary, and hold the finished sandwiches on a sheet tray in an oven set at 300°F.

3. FLIP half of the slices of bread and spread each with 1–2 tablespoons of ricotta-marinara sauce, slices of mozzarella, and a tablespoon of pepperoni slices. Add any additional pizza toppings. Top with the remaining slices of bread, toasted side down.

4. FLIP the sandwiches and continue to cook them on medium-low heat, until the bottom slices of bread are toasted. Then, flip and cook the sandwiches until the mozzarella is melted.

5. TO PLATE, cut the sandwiches in half and serve them with the marinara sauce for dipping. (Note: Personally, we pass on the dipping sauce and avoid the dripping.)
 
 
MORE GRILLED CHEESE RECIPES

April 11th is National Cheese Fondue Day.

Fondue, a melted cheese dish (photo #1), originated in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel.

(Don’t confuse Neuchâtel with Neufchâtel, a soft cheese made in Neufchâtel-en-Bray, a commune* in the French region of Normandy.)

Fondue, which derives from the French verb “fondre”, meaning to melt, is an 18th-century dish that enabled farm families to stretch their limited resources during the winter months. With some bits of cheese, some stale bread for dipping, and a dash of wine, the family had dinner [source].

The dish found its way from the farms to towns and cities: There are 26 cantons in Switzerland, each with its own variation of the recipe.

Modern fondue is generally made from at least two varieties of cheese, plus alcohol and a bit of flour or cornstarch to keep the melted cheese from separating. Garlic and other seasonings can be added.

What makes one recipe different from the next?

The particular blend of cheeses, the alcohol (wines, liqueurs, spirits) and the seasonings. Traditionalists will tell you that one of the cheeses has to be Swiss Gruyère (photo #2).

Switzerland designated fondue a national dish† in the 1930s.

The World Fondue Championships (Mondial Fondue) was established in 2015, and is held every other year.

In 2019, more than 120 competitors combined different cheeses and wines, hoping to carry off the honors in professional and amateur categories.

(In the Championships, the cheese component must be at least 50% Swiss Gruyère.)

Fondue crossed the pond some time after World War II with numerous other European dishes. It became extremely popular in the U.S. during the 1960s. American stores did quite a business in fondue pots.

Here’s more about fondue.
 
 
FONDUTA IS NOT THE SAME AS FONDUE

Fonduta is the Italian version of fondue—i.e., melted cheese—but it’s not the same.

Instead of Gruyère, fonduta is made with Fontina (photo #3), a young cows’ milk cheese that melts easily and tastes similar to Gruyère.

Fontina cheese—and hence fonduta—is a specialty of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, both at the north of Italy, just over the border from Switzerland.

The big difference between Swiss fondue and Italian fonduta is that the Italian recipe does not include alcohol, garlic, or a cornstarch/flour thickener.

Instead, the Fontina is blended with butter and milk, and egg yolks are used as the thickener, making it more custardy.

The classic Italian finishing touch is a shaving of white truffle—or for most of us, a drizzle of truffle oil instead.

Similar to fondue, fonduta is served with crostini (toasted bread slices, as opposed to untoasted bread with Swiss fondue); boiled fingerling potatoes and cornichons (photo #4).

Here’s a recipe.

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*French communes are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada.

†Rosti, thinly grated potatoes that are pan-fried until crisp and golden, is another of Switzerland’s national dishes. It’s another dish with farm origins: Farmers in the canton of Bern would traditionally eat it for breakfast [source].

[1] Fondue…or is it fonduta? Read the details! (photo © iGourmet).

[2] Swiss Gruyere cheese, at Murray’s Cheese (photos #2 and #3 © Murray’s Cheese).

[3] Fontina val d’Aosta, at Murray’a Cheese.

[4] Cornichons are delicious with cheese dishes, the vinegar in the pickles an excellent counterpoint to the fat in the cheese (photo © The Nibble).

[1] A frozen Baileys Colada. The recipe is below (photos #1 and #2 © Baileys | Diageo).

[2] You can have a dessert of Baileys Colada on the rocks.

[33] For a grander dessert, top vanilla ice cream with Baileys Colada (photo © Carmela Ice Cream).

For Piña Colada lovers and Irish Cream Liqueur lovers, here’s some limited-edition excitement:

Baileys Piña Colada, a new flavor from Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur.

It’s a great Mother’s Day gift; and you may want to buy more than one for yourself.

It’s available now through the summer, while supplies last.

Drink it from a shot glass, on the rocks (photo #2), in an ice cream float…

…or in a frozen drink (recipe below).

Options with ice cream:

 
Here are 12 more ways to use cream liqueur.
 
 
RECIPE: BAILEYS COLADA

The difference between a Baileys Colada and a classic Piña Colada is rum versus Irish whiskey, and a different creamy base.

A Piña Colada uses coconut cream, a Baileys Colada uses dairy cream*.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. ADD crushed ice and Baileys Colada to a blender. Blend to a smooth consistency.

2. POUR the cocktail into a colada glass (photo #1), another tall glass or an oversized wine glass.

3. GARNISH. Make a slit in a small pineapple wedge to affix to the rim of the glass.
 
 
MORE BAILEYS IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

 
 
> RECIPES FOR ICE CREAM & LIQUEUR FLOATS

> RECIPE FOR MILKSHAKE WITH LIQUEUR

> BAILEYS IRISH CREAM HISTORY

> PIÑA COLADA HISTORY

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*Baileys Irish Cream is a liqueur made with Irish whiskey, cream and cocoa.