I like-a-tha sauce!

For Italian women, perfecting our own 'homemade' sauce is a lifelong challenge. Each year, we add a little something and tweak our recipe just a bit in an effort to create perfection. This year...I think I am finally getting close.

I am not going to share my recipe. If you know Italian women, you know that we might share some recipes, but some are sacred. Our sauce recipes are sacred. I will, however, share some of the errors I have made in the past and some of the things that I have found helpful.

1.Cinnamon adds a little something unexpected in certain recipes. Does NOT work in sauce.

2.Canning your own tomatoes is a must. Adding a little of this and a little of that can make even the worst tomatoes (this year's) taste better. However, nothing can substitute for a good tomatoe harvest.

3. Using fresh herbs can take a 'good' sauce and make it 'fabulous.'

4. Don't skimp on the simmer. Let your sauce fully absorb all of the fresh herbs/spices.

5. Stir often. In the past, I have let my sauce simmer without stirring often enough. Although, nothing burned or stuck to the bottom of my pot...there was a slightly 'burnt' taste to my sauce. Of course, I was the only one to notice...

6. Use purified water. Don't ask me why...just tastes better.

7. Don't compensate for lack of taste with salt.

8. Use a stainless steel pot...again, not sure why, but the sauce just tastes better.