Tomato Paste Is the Bane of My Existence

I hate wasting food. I get very upset when neglected veggies go bad because I can't get to the back half of the frig because there's just too much damn crap. Sam's even worse, though, because he'll drink sour milk. He'll smell it, shrug his shoulders, and pour it into his cereal. "Eh." It's both adorable and horrifying.

Tomato paste vexes me. It's commonly sold in little cans, and since most dishes call for a mere Tablespoon or two, what do you do with the rest? Well, because I hate wasting food, I just use the whole can. Or, if I know I'm going to make something in the next couple of days with it, (since I'm crazy and plan out dinners a week in advance) I'll scoop the excess into Saran wrap and refrigerate it. Oftentimes, I'll forget about it and find a little treat weeks later...

To get rid of the "rawness" of the paste, though, you must cook it thoroughly. For example, in making my pizza sauce the other day, I started with anchovies, a mirepoix (2 parts onion to 1 part celery and onion), and tomato paste. Just make sure it doesn't burn, as it gets bitter. If you add paste to an already simmering pot of sauce, you'll never quite get rid of the rawness, but it's not so bad. It's just not gourmet. Amateur move, in fact. Your guests will be asking, "Why is there no depth to your sauce, Lillian?" and you'll respond, "What? I live in Singapore and would never make my own pizza sauce!" and I'll say, "Lillian, you must move back to Los Angeles!" and so forth. Whaaa? I digress...

I also have a tube of tomato paste, but I don't like it as much. It's never quite as fresh as the canned stuff, but it's fine in a pinch. Funny, how canned stuff is often times better than "fresh." I prefer canned tomatoes, especially, when they're out of season, although here in California it's hard to know what's in and out of season.

I've been getting recipe requests and other questions about food, and sometimes not about food. Please don't be shy. Comment away.

In the words of Jacques, happy cooking!
Quyen