BRICK – The smell of cooking sauce – or gravy, depending on how you say it – is a scent hard to resist. Learning how to make it from scratch? From someone who wants to teach you how to make it?
That’s what Bridge Designs, a new company co-founded by Neil Eisenberg and Danielle DePasquale, is trying to accomplish. Their idea of teaching old techniques to a younger generation, through events and gatherings, is starting to take shape.
According to their website, Bridge Events started with an idea; one not involving your smartphone. ‘Real connections happen offline’ is one of their credos. ‘Shared passions build community’ is another. And lastly, ‘older generations shouldn’t be forgotten.’ All these ideas coming together are what transpired at a recent event held at the American Legion.
The idea of passing down recipes or handmade techniques is not new. It’s been happening for many, many years. But the concept of having it be open to the public are what owners DePasquale and Eisenberg are hoping to achieve.
The event was titled: Old School Homemade Tomato Sauce & Canning. A group of 24 people signed up to learn how to make tomato sauce from fresh ingredients. They were shown step-by- step how to slowly make sauce by instructor Melissa Bonifacio. At the end of the event, with garlic and herbs still lingering in the air, the group sat down to eat their creations.
Eisenberg and DePasquale spoke before the event to discuss their business idea. DePasquale spoke about going out to gather the tomatoes in August in New Egypt; unofficially tomato season in New Jersey. This brought about the idea to teach others how to enjoy sauce year-round, even after the ground is covered with two feet of snow. Tomato sauce when canned can have a shelf life of up to 18 months.
Family traditions like this are becoming rarer as people fill their time with screens and streaming devices. Eisenberg said he remembers old family teachings that he had when he was younger, that unfortunately are not there anymore. It is true that you don’t realize what you have until its gone. It’s also true that older generations have skills and traditions they can teach while telling the story behind it.
“When you think about it, it’s obvious,” said Eisenberg, when talking about saving family traditions. “You don’t necessarily take the initiative to do anything about it…you just assume it’s always going to be there.”
Melissa Bonifacio, the instructor for the event, spoke about why a workshop like this is important to today’s generation.
“The program of today is bridging the gap,” said Bonifacio. “Today, maybe mom or grandma works, and it’s kind of like a lost art.”
Bonifacio said she took her mother’s recipe and her mother-in-law’s recipe and combined them, making an even better recipe. She said she cooked a lot for her family at a young age; meatballs and sauce being one of the top meals. It takes a long time to make a truly great sauce. Bonifacio said she will show the group how to make the basics of the sauce so they can perfect the timing and the exact ingredients at their own homes. Years of experience is one of the main topics that were taught at the workshop.
What’s the secret to the sauce? The secret isn’t an exotic ingredient or method. It’s the idea of making it by hand that makes the sauce special.
“You can do it yourself,” said Bonifacio. “You don’t need to go to the store to buy it. You can do it cheaper. And it tastes better.”
All the ingredients and cooking utensils were laid out at three long tables. A large sauce pot is crucial to making a good sauce. Fresh ingredients are also key. Bonifacio, who is a master gardener, brought fresh basil and her own homemade sourdough bread to the event. With the group assembled, Bonifacio began teaching from the front on the room.
The first step to making a good sauce, as taught at the workshop, was to slice, dice, and chop the onions. A tip to not cry during this process is to put a matchstick in your mouth with the red sulfur tip facing out, she said. Other ideas like putting a piece of bread in your mouth or chewing gum can also help. Next, was to add the right amount of olive oil. Groups of three tables at the event began adding the onions and olive oil to the large pot. Any type of tomato will technically work for sauce. Today, the group was using Roma tomatoes. Coring and peeling the tomatoes was next on the chopping block. Stirring in the seasonings, herbs and finally fresh garlic rounded out the first steps to making the sauce.
What wasn’t on the ingredients list was how the group interacted. Talking to each other and dividing the workload isn’t listed in the recipe. Three large tables with eight people at a table may seem like too many chefs in the kitchen, but it’s not. People began to laugh, to talk about their own experience with cooking before, all while still making the sauce together. Only once or twice were people on their cell phones and it was to snap a quick photo or video.
The idea of making the sauce, and memories, came together. It’s an idea more families and friends are trying to get back to doing.
To learn more about Bridge Events or future classes, please visit: gobridgeevents.com
Classes will be split between Ocean County and Middlesex County in the future.
