One of the most important cooking fundamentals is the creation of stocks and sauces. The recipes in this section will give you a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in this critical segment of the culinary arts.

A stock is a flavored liquid base for making a sauce, stew, or braised dish. A white stock (fond blanc) is prepared by placing the ingredients directly into the cooking liquid; in a brown stock, (fond brun) the ingredients are first browned in the oven and then added to the liquid. Sauces made from a white stock are named white sauce; all sauces made with a brown stock are called brown sauces.

You can also make fish sauces and soups. Use good quality fish stock or use the cooking juice of mussels or clams. Count one cup of juice for four cups of fish stock.

Do not cook your meat sauces on high heat but keep them simmering slowly. Skim the foam from time to time when using a brown stock, to clarify the sauce, and to purify it. Use good quality homemade stock and flame hard alcohol to liberate all flavors.

The 5 mother sauces are basic sauces which involve all the basics techniques in French culinary art sauce-making. I like to add some cold sauces such as vinaigrette and mayonnaise into this category as well. But the five mother sauces are the most important.

1. Espagnole sauce or brown sauce is traditionally made of a rich meat stock, a mirepoix of browned vegetables (most often a mixture of diced onion, carrots, and celery), a nicely browned roux, herbs, and at times, tomato paste.

2. Béchamel sauce is the king of all sauces. It is often referred to as a cream sauce because of its appearance and is probably used most frequently in all types of dishes. Made by stirring milk into a butter-flour roux, the thickness of the sauce depends on the proportion of flour and butter to milk. The proportions for a thin sauce would be one tablespoon each of butter and flour per one cup of milk; a medium sauce would use two tablespoons each of butter and flour; a thick sauce, three tablespoons each.

3. Velouté sauce is a stock-based white sauce. It can be made from chicken, veal, or fish stock. Enrichments such as egg yolks or cream are sometimes added.

4. Hollandaise sauce is a hot emulsified sauce made of clarified butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice, usually in a double boiler to prevent overheating and served warm. It is generally used to embellish vegetables, fish, and egg dishes, such as the classic eggs Benedict.

5. Tomato sauce is a favorite for nearly everyone. I love tomato sauce because it is among the simplest to make. You can prepare it either with good quality tinned tomatoes, preferable plum Italian, or when in season, fresh ripe tomatoes. It tastes delicious with all kinds of pastas and gnocchi.

6. Vinaigrette sauce is made with a simple blend of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper (usually three parts oil to one part vinegar). More elaborate variations can include any combination of spices, herbs, shallots, onions, and mustard. It is generally used to dress salad greens and other cold vegetables, meat, or fish dishes.

7. Mayonnaise sauce is a cold, thick emulsified sauce made of an emulsion of vegetable oil, egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings. It is widely used as a spread, as a dressing, and as a sauce. It's also used as the base for such mixtures as tartar sauce, thousand island dressing, aïoli, and remoulade.