PART I: STOCKING UP

Desiri Wightman, RD

Now don't panic! Stock making is quite simple to do. It mostly consists of putting ingredients in a pot and
letting them simmer on the back of the stove. The advantages of homemade stock include that 1) it
extracts every bit of good out of kitchen scraps like bones, meat remnants, and vegetables; 2) you can
adjust the sodium content to your taste; 3) it is nutritious, 4) it contains no artificial colors, additives, or
preservatives; 4) it freezes superbly for use when you need it; 5) you enjoy a higher quality and flavorful
product over commercial broth or bouillon; and 6) you get that higher quality for less money. If all of that
doesn't say homemade stock is worth the effort, you can certainly use canned or dried forms of stock,
consommé, broth, or bouillon for the stock called for in sauce recipes.

The simplest way to accumulate ingredients for stock is to keep a container or baggy in your freezer to
add kitchen scraps to until you acquire enough to stir up the stock. Toss in meat bones, chicken skin,
vegetable peelings, onion skins, mature produce you don't care to steam, and so forth. When you have
enough to make stock, place the ingredients in a pot. Pour in cold water, add seasonings (except salt), let
it simmer for the recommended time, strain or clarify, cool, remove fat, and freeze. The following tips will
help you create delightfully flavorful and clear stocks. They are general tips that can be applied to any
type of stock, whether made from fish, chicken, meat, or vegetables.

1. Use only cold water when making or adding moisture to stock. Hot or warm water causes the meat
proteins to coagulate into tiny particles that cloud the stock. When cold water is heated slowly, the
proteins clump together and rise to the surface where they can be skimmed off easily.

2. Pour only enough water into the pot to cover approximately 3/4 of the meat, bones, or vegetables. As
the stock cooks, the ingredients will settle into the water until they are covered. If they don't settle enough
to be completely covered, add a little more water. Using this method will ensure that your stock doesn't
become too flat in flavor or thin due to excess water use.

3. Heat stock slowly, uncovered, to a simmer. Avoid boiling it as those pesky proteins will cloud up your
stock and flavor it with a greasy bite. Simmering slowly encourages the proteins and fat to float up to the
top so you can skim them away.

4. The first 60 minutes of cooking skim the scum from the stock every 5-10 minutes. This will keep the
impurities from working their way back down into the stock. After that first hour, you'll only need to skim
the stock about every 30-60 minutes. Store your "skimming" tool (a ladle, spoon, etc.) in a glass of cold
water while waiting for your skimming opportunities. This ensures that you won't keep putting the scum
back into the stock when its time to skim.

5. Do not stir or move the stock contents while cooking; you'll just stir up more proteins and make the
stock cloudy. Also, during the straining process, avoid pressing the contents through the sieve. Instead,
patiently wait for the liquid to drain out by itself.

6. Avoid adding salt to the stock until you are ready to use it for sauces, soups, or gravies. As the liquid in
stock evaporates, the salt concentrates and you'll find your stock is unpleasantly high in sodium.

7. Store prepared stock in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you'll be using it frequently over the
course of a week, you can boil the stock every two or three days, return it to a clean container, and
refrigerate it again. This will help fight off any possibility of bacteria building a settlement in your lovely
stock. Of course, you can always freeze stock for up to 3 months. Be sure to store it in usable portion
sizes.

8. You can create your own bouillon by reducing brown stock until it becomes like syrup and coats the
spoon. Once cool, it will gel up. It will store in the refrigerator for several months in an airtight container.
To use, simply spoon out a dab to flavor sauces, soups, and gravies, much as you would use a bouillon
cube.

The following recipes give you a start on putting together a basic stock. However, don't feel confined to
use only the ingredients listed. Certainly put whatever kitchen scraps you own to good use. After your
stock is complete, you can use it in soup, gravy, or sauce recipe.

Basic Fish Stock (used in Veloute Sauce)

Makes 1-1/2 quarts

2 bay leaves
8 parsley stems (no leaves)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14-18 whole peppercorns
2 pounds fish bones, tails, heads (gills removed)
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, peeled
1 stalk celery
Cold water (up to 8 cups)

Make a bouquet garni with the seasonings listed and tie to the handle of a large stockpot. Clean fish
bones under running water. Dice the onion and celery. Sauté celery and onion in butter in the stockpot for
3-5 minutes or until onion is transparent. Top with fish scraps and cover with a piece of parchment paper.
Cook on low for about 5 minutes; discard parchment paper. Bring to a simmer. Add the water to cover 3/4
of the scraps. Tie in bouquet garni. Simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes, skimming off foam and
impurities as they rise to the surface. As stock simmers, the scraps should settle enough to be covered by
the water. If not, add additional water to cover. Untie the bouquet garni. Pour the stock and sachet into a
strainer lines with several layers of dampened cheesecloth. Let drain. Discard scraps and sachet. Cool
strained stock completely. Cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days
or freeze for up to 3 months.

Basic Chicken Stock (used in Béchamel)

Makes 4 quarts

2 bay leaves
10 parsley stems (no leaves)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
12-14 whole peppercorns
3 pounds chicken bones (wings, back, necks)
2 large onions, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled
2 stalks celery
Cold water (up to 4 quarts)

Prepare bouquet garni and tie to stockpot handle. Rinse bones under cold water. Cut the onions, carrots,
and celery coarsely. Place bones in the stockpot. Add vegetables. Cover scraps 3/4 of the way up. As the
contents simmer, they should settle until completely covered with water. Add more water as needed to
ensure coverage. Drop in the sachet. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam or impurities that rise to the
surface. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, uncovered, skimming as needed. Untie sachet. Pour
stock through a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth. Allow to drain. Cover and
store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Variation:
Brown Chicken Stock: Place the chicken parts in a single layer in a roasting pan and brown at 400 F. for
20 minutes. Chicken should be golden. Add chopped vegetables. Continue roasting for 45 more minutes
or until chicken is completely browned and juices are caramelized on the bottom of the pan. Remove pan
from oven and ladle off any fat. Pour in some cold water to deglaze the pan and stir with a spoon over
high heat to dissolve the caramelized juices. Transfer the contents to a stockpot; add water to cover 3/4 of
the way up the contents. Simmer for 40 minutes, skimming as needed. Add the bouquet garni, and then
continue cooking for a total of 3 hours, uncovered. Strain the stock, cool and store.

Basic Beef Stock (used in Brown Sauce)

Makes 4 quarts

2 bay leaves
10 parsley stems (no leaves)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 pounds beef bones (including marrow, cut into 3-4 inch pieces
2 onions, unpeeled
2 carrots, unpeeled
2 stalks celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Cold water (up to 4 quarts)

Prepare bouquet garni. Place bones in roasting pan and roast in oven at 400 F. for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop onions, carrots, and celery coarsely. After bones have roasted for 30 minutes, remove
pan from oven and add vegetables. Return to oven and roast 20 minutes more. Brush bones with tomato
paste on all sides and return to oven for 15-20 more minutes. Transfer bones and vegetables to a large
stockpot. Drain off fat from roasting pan. Using a little water, loosen the brown particles on the pan's
bottom, and then transfer that liquid and particles to the stockpot. Cover bones and vegetables with 3/4 of
the way with the cold water. Drop in the bouquet garni, and bring to a boil, skimming off impurities and
foam as they rise to the surface. As the contents settle, they should be completely covered with water.
Add additional water as needed to ensure coverage. Reduce heat and simmer for 4-6 hours, uncovered,
skimming as needed. Untie sachet and pour stock through a strainer lined with several layers of
dampened cheesecloth. Press vegetables gently through strainer with a large spoon. Discard bones and
sachet. Cool stock completely. Cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven
days or freeze for up to 3 months.

PART II: SAUCE ELEMENTS

Desiri Wightman, RD

Just so you'll know how amateur I can be in the kitchen, I once tried to make a nuttier-flavored sauce by
browning my roux of flour and margarine for an excessively long time. I stirred and stirred and tried to get
that margarine to change color. Finally, I gave up and went ahead and made my gravy. Then, a few weeks
later, I left some butter on the stove to melt, ignoring it like I usually do when melting margarine. Pretty
soon, the smell of burning and smoke brought my attention front and center. I had to discard my very
browned, practically black butter quickly and then open all the windows to air out my house. It then
dawned on me why my gravy hadn't changed to the brown I'd been hoping for . . . the simple difference
between margarine and butter.

Lucky you! You get to learn from my mistakes and can go right on to creating splendid sauces. A bit of
knowledge regarding the ingredients and tricks to using them will help your sauces turn out just the way
you wish.

Sumptuous or Slender?
So many of the tried-and-true recipes passed down from generations ago use butter for its cooking and
flavoring properties. Since those sauces are so delicious, why change a good thing? The only reason you
may see is to lighten up on the calories and fat. If this is your desire, you can substitute extra light olive oil
in any sauce recipe calling for butter or lard. Expect some flavor differences, as the olive oil will add no
taste to the sauce. In sauces where the fat flavor is important, it's probably best to use real butter. Most
recipes request unsalted butter, which is sold under the name of 'sweet butter' in American grocery stores.

Thick or Thin?
Sauces can be thickened using a variety of ingredients or methods listed below. I've listed the thickeners
available to home cooks in order of common usage.

1. Roux: This is an equal combination of flour and fat (butter, oil, margarine, shortening, drippings, lard,
etc.) that is cooked until smooth and bubbly over low heat. It can be browned to bring out a nuttier flavor
and add color to your sauce or gravy. This is especially the case when using butter; however, the flour will
turn slightly golden regardless of which fat you use. After the roux is made, the liquid is whisked into it,
and the gravy or sauce is heated until it thickens.

To ensure smoothness in the sauce, a chef taught me to remove the roux from the heat and to whisk in
the liquid slowly, stirring out the lumps. When all of the liquid is added and the sauce is smooth, return it
to the heat source and bring it to boil until thickened.

Another trick for less cooking time is to heat the liquid before adding it to the roux. Then, you won't have
to stir the sauce for such a long time waiting for the liquid to warm up and come to a boil.

Use this guide for how much roux you'll need for the desired consistency of your sauce.

Thick: 3 tablespoons roux to 1 cup liquid

Medium: 2 tablespoons roux to 1 cup liquid
Thin: 1 tablespoon roux to 1 cup liquid.

It's easy to remember by counting back "3-2-1" per cup of liquid. This rule of thumb is based on wheat
flour. All other flours have twice the thickening power of wheat, in which case you'd need half the amount
of the roux listed to thicken one cup of liquid (1-1/2 tablespoons, 1 tablespoon, and 1-1/2 teaspoons).

2. Cornstarch and Arrowroot: I love to use cornstarch for dessert sauces. I love the translucent, shiny
gloss it adds to fruity glazes. It is simple to use and thickens quickly. Simply stir the cornstarch into an
equal amount of liquid until smooth. Then pour it into your simmering liquid. Whisk and cook for only a
minute or two until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don't cook too long or the
sauce will thin out again. Cornstarch-thickened sauces are best when served immediately.

Use arrowroot in the same way you'd use cornstarch and as a last-minute thickener. Don't cook it for over
one minute. It pretty much thickens upon contact.

Use 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot per 1 cup liquid.

3. Egg Yolks: If you enjoy making homemade puddings or lemon pie, you've certainly put the thickening
power of egg yolks to good use. Slightly tricky, I find it so discouraging to put the effort into a lovely
pudding, only to add the egg yolks and have them curdle and lump up my dessert. I'm much more
cautious when using yolks than I used to be.

To prevent curdling depression in your kitchen, never boil a sauce containing egg yolks unless your sauce
includes the stabilizing power of flour. Heat the sauce gently and thoroughly, but don't let it boil. Never add
yolks directly to your hot liquid. Instead, whisk some of the hot liquid (just a bit at a time) into the yolks to
bring them slowly up to temperature. If you add them all at once to your sauce, they'll be temperature
shocked into curdle syndrome. And once your sauce curdles, there is unfortunately little you can do to
make it smooth again, except perhaps to run it through a very fine sieve. When you're ready to add the
warmed yolks into your hot liquid, drizzle them slowly into the sauce and use your whisk and beat that
drizzle in quickly. They'll have less chance of curdling if that whisk is dancing in the pan to incorporate
them into the sauce.
Use 2-3 egg yolks to thicken 1 cup of liquid.

4. Reduction: No added ingredients needed! Simply evaporate the liquid out of the sauce by continuous
cooking until it reaches your desired consistency. You can do this slowly by simmering the liquid for hours,
or you can do it through quick evaporation by heating it over medium to high heat. If using the quick
method, be sure to watch it carefully to avoid boiling all of the liquid away. Reduction intensifies the
flavors. You may wish to avoid adding seasonings (like salt) until your sauce reaches the desired
consistency, as they will concentrate down as the water evaporates.

5. Kneaded Butter (Beurre Manie): This spur-of-the-moment thickener works quickly when you decide
you'd like that soup or sauce to be a bit heartier. To prepare, knead together equal amounts of butter and
flour to make a thick paste using a butter knife, fork, or your clean fingers. Store it in the freezer if you like
to always keep some on hand. When needed, pinch off a bit and roll it into a pea-sized ball. Whisk one or
two balls into your sauce, bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Continue adding bits of
kneaded butter until your sauce reaches the desired consistency. If your sauce or stew tastes too floury,
simmer it for about 30 minutes and the flour taste will disappear. A sauce or soup thickened with kneaded
butter should not be reboiled. The high heat will cause it to thin out.

6. Bread Crumbs: Great for adding heartiness to salsa, soups and some sauces, simply add a handful of
crumbs to the sauce, stir in, and let the mixture set or cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The
crumbs will go to work to absorb excess liquid. When the sauce reaches your desired thickness, serve it
right away. If you desire a smoother sauce, strain it before serving. Crumbs can either be toasted or fresh.

7. Grated Potato: You'll need 10 minutes to spare for a potato to thicken and add heart to your sauce,
soup, or stew. First run grated potato through your blender or food processor. Then add it to your liquid
and let it cook for those 10 allotted minutes (you may need to cook it longer).

8. Potato Starch: Working again like cornstarch and arrowroot, it thickens sauces quickly but has little
staying power if overheated or left to sit. Potato starch's light flavor is preferred in delicate sauces.
Dissolve the starch in an equal amount of water before whisking into simmering liquids. Cook until thick.

Use 1/2 tablespoon potato starch per 1 cup liquid.

9. Butter and Cream: These flavorful ingredients work to thicken sauces too. However, they are being
replaced by other methods due to their waist-bulging properties. Butter added to sauce gives it a shiny,
luscious appearance, adds flavor, thickens it, and makes the sauce smoother in texture. Use chilled
(practically frozen) butter. Remove the sauce from the heat, and drop in about 1 teaspoon of butter at a
time. Don't stir the butter in harshly. Instead, just swirl the pan from and let the butter melt into the sauce.
Keep swirling the pan until the butter disappears.

Cream lends velvety smoothness to sauces. Use only heavy cream. To know how much cream to use to
thicken a sauce, measure how much sauce you have. Use 10-20 percent of that quantity of cream to
thicken the sauce. Boil the cream separately for a few minutes before adding it to the sauce.

PART III: THE FIVE BASIC SAUCES

Desiri Wightman, RD

As mentioned in previous segments, by mastering the techniques behind five basic entrée sauces, you'll
find you can create distinctive sauces for any occasion through variation of ingredients. The sauces
include béchamel, veloute, brown, tomato, and hollandaise. Since tomato sauces were discussed at
length in August's newsletter, only the recipes and techniques for the other four will be provided below.

Béchamel Sauce
This common white sauce uses roux to thicken milk or cream. The roux is cooked for about 3 minutes to
keep it "white." For lump free sauce, remove the roux from the heat before stirring in the milk. Warm the
milk in the microwave before adding to the roux. This will spare the muscles in your hand, as you won't
have to stir the sauce so long before it comes to a boil. Use a whisk to incorporate the milk into the roux
and stir until it is lump free. Return to the heat source and bring to a boil.

Home cookbooks say to just boil the sauce for 1 minute to cook out the flour flavor. Professional
cookbooks encourage you to reduce the heat after bringing the sauce to a boil, then continue to simmer
the sauce for 15-30 minutes, stirring, to remove the flour taste. What you actually do will depend upon
your time limit and personal tastes.

If your sauce is lumpy after your best efforts, you possibly didn't beat it enough before cooking, brought it
to a boil too quickly, or didn't stir it enough during cooking so that it stuck to the pan bottom. To repair,
pour it through a strainer or process the sauce in a blender. Return the strained or blended sauce to a
clean pan and heat to the boiling point.

The recipe below makes white sauce of medium thickness. For a thinner sauce, use 1 tablespoon butter
to 1 tablespoon flour. For a thicker sauce, use 3-4 tablespoons butter to 3-4 tablespoons flour. Click here
for variations on this sauce. Béchamel can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Béchamel (Basic White)

Makes 1 cup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk, warm

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until
mixture is smooth and bubbly. This is called a white roux. Remove from heat. Stir in warm milk and whisk
until mixture is smooth and lump-free. Return to heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for at least
one minute.

Veloute Sauce
Veloute sauce is a thinner, lighter white sauce than béchamel because it uses chicken or fish stock
instead of milk or cream. It is often referred to as a "blonde sauce." Ideally, the consistency of veloute
should be thin enough to pour or a sauce that thinly coats the back of a spoon. Serve over chicken, fish,
veal, or with rice.

Since it is so similar to béchamel, be sure to read the tips above to ensure a successful sauce. If you find
that after cooking, your veloute is too thin, you possibly didn't use enough flour, added too much liquid, or
didn't reduce (simmer) the sauce long enough. Either reduce the sauce further or thicken with kneaded
butter. If your sauce is flavorless, what quality of stock did you use? Perhaps your sauce has not reduced
enough for the flavors to concentrate. You can either perk up your sauce with a dash or two of lemon juice
(or other seasonings) or reduce it further to bring out more flavor.

Store veloute in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Veloute
Makes 1 cup

2 cups chicken or fish stock

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Bring stock to a boil; set aside. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Create a roux by whisking
in the flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring continually, for 2-3 minutes, until the roux is bubbly and
begins to darken slightly. Remove from heat. Whisk in the stock until smooth. Return to medium heat and
bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5-30 minutes. Season with salt
and pepper to taste. Set over a double boiler filled with warm water until ready to serve. If not serving right
away, dab butter on top of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.

Variation: Supreme Sauce (to serve over chicken)

Stir 1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms and 2 tablespoons heavy cream into heated veloute sauce. Simmer
gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Strain the sauce into a clean pan set over
medium heat. Whisk or swirl in 1 tablespoon chilled butter, a teaspoon at a time. Remove from the heat.
Add lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brown Sauce
For hearty meat entrees, noodles, and wild like bear or venison, brown sauce outshines other sauces. In
addition, it is used to create more complex sauces. The technique to master here is the browning of the
flour or the creation of a dark roux. By using clarified butter, you eliminate the possibility of the butter
turning bitter or burning before the flour is browned. If you prefer to use regular butter, however, just watch
it closely. To make a dark roux, melt the butter in the saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour
until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring constantly or until the mixture
becomes chestnut brown.

This sauce freezes well for up to 3 months.

Basic Brown Sauce

Makes 3 cups

3 tablespoons clarified butter

1 large carrot, scrubbed and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup flour
6 cups brown stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bouquet garni
1/3 cup tomato puree

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add vegetables. Sauté until golden, but not brown.
Dump in the flour and stir over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flour and vegetables are well
browned, but not burnt. Stir in stock. Add garlic, bouquet garni, and tomato puree. Simmer for 60 minutes
or until the sauce is reduced to half, stirring occasionally. Strain. Cool, chill and skim off any fat before
using.

Hollandaise
Served warm over eggs, fish, or vegetables, hollandaise is considered a hot emulsified egg-yolk sauce.
Mayonnaise would be a cold emulsified egg-yolk sauce, for a point of reference. While in mayonnaise egg
yolks are whisked with other room temperature ingredients, in hollandaise, the yolks are whisked with
liquid over heat. The trick is to cook the sauce ever so slightly without curdling the eggs. Water simmers in
a double boiler where it should never be allowed to touch the bottom of the bowl in which the sauce is
made. The temperature of the water should never rise above 150 F., either. You don't want the sauce to
be too hot because it will coagulate the eggs and make it impossible for the butter to emulsify with the
liquid.

If in spite of all your efforts to monitor the heat, your eggs and liquid cook too quickly, the sauce may
separate. This can also happen if you add the butter too briskly. You don't have to throw out the sauce.
Just start again, reserving the separated sauce for the clarified butter. Over low heat, in a double boiler,
beat 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water until light. Remove from the heat and stream in the separated
sauce mixture gradually while whisking. Be aware though that if your eggs have coagulated, your sauce is
history. Toss it and begin again with much lower heat!

Perhaps your sauce is too thin after you've completed all the steps. You may have not reduced the initial
liquid enough or perhaps you didn't add enough butter. To remedy, add more butter.

Hollandaise should be served warm. To keep it that way, place the sauce in a bowl. Set the bowl over a
pan of hot water (just barely over lukewarm), ensuring the bowl bottom doesn't touch the water. If
hollandaise is spooned onto really hot food, the sauce may separate; for this reason, it is almost always
served separately from the food it is to complement. Store any extra sauce in the refrigerator. You can use
it as a sandwich spread. It should never be reheated.

Hollandaise becomes the basis for rich sauces like béarnaise sauce, which complements meats and
salmon. The technique to master in making hollandaise also serves in making sabayon sauces. Sabayon
is often served with desserts and is a light airy sauce.

Hollandaise
Makes 3 cups

4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
4 egg yolks
1 cup unsalted butter, clarified, cooled to room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

In a small pan, bring the water, vinegar, and peppercorns to a simmer over low heat. Continue simmering
until the mixture reduces about a third, about 2-3 minutes. Strain the reduction into a glass or stainless
steel bowl; cool.

Place the bowl over a pan of just-simmering water; add the egg yolks and stir until the mixture is lemon
colored, thickened, and smooth. Keep the heat low. Do not allow the mixture's temperature to rise above
room temperature or the eggs may coagulate. Slowly pour in the cooled, clarified butter, stirring constantly
until the sauce becomes thick and fluffy. Stir in the lemon juice and salt. When the whisk is lifted from the
sauce, a ribbon of sauce should trail down from the whisk.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No More Boring White Sauce!

Desiri Wightman, RD

Just glance at the possibilities listed below for transforming ho-hum white sauce into gourmet béchamel!
With seasonings available in your spice cupboard, you'll find you can create clever combinations to serve
atop any entrée or side dish. The following amounts are for flavoring 1 cup white sauce.

Brown Almond Sauce: Add 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds to the melted butter before adding the
flour. Stir and cook until almonds turn golden brown. Serve with poultry or fish.

Cheese Sauce: Stir 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard and 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar into completed white
sauce. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Serve over
vegetables, rice, pasta or egg dishes.
Creamed Egg Sauce: Hard boil 2 eggs. Peel, chop, and add to completed sauce. Serve over salmon or
hot biscuits.

Cucumber Sauce: To the completed sauce, stir in 1/2 cup shredded cucumber and a dash or cayenne
pepper. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over salmon and other fish.

Curry Cream Sauce: Combine 1 teaspoon curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger to the flour
before adding to the butter. Season to taste with onion powder and paprika. Serve with chicken, lamb,
shrimp, or rice.

Dill Sauce: Combine 1 teaspoon fresh, minced dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed) and a dash of nutmeg
with the flour before adding to the melted butter. Serve with fish.

Horseradish Sauce: Stir 1/3 cup horseradish and 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard into completed sauce. Heat
through. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve over beef, lamb, or ham.

Lemon Mustard Sauce: In a small bowl, beat 1 egg yolk, 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir 1/4 cup of the prepared sauce into the egg mixture. Pour
the mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens (about
3-5 minutes). Do not boil. Serve over eggs, fish, or steamed vegetables.

Onion or Garlic Sauce: Add 3 tablespoons chopped onion (or 3 cloves minced garlic) to the butter before
adding the flour. Sauté for 3 minutes or until tender. Complete sauce as instructed. To make the sauce
richer, whisk about 1/2 cup sauce into 1 slightly beaten egg yolk. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan.
Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the fold in 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Serve with beef or steamed vegetables.