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Apparently, when the first book came out, regular Flour customers were disappointed that it didn't include the recipe for Cinnamon-Cream Brioche. At the bakery, the small quantity made each day sells out quickly, and everyone wanted to try making them at home. So, the recipe was included in Flour, Too. A rich brioche dough was made, and you can either make half the recipe provided or just make the whole amount as I did and bake one loaf of brioche with the extra dough. The other half of that dough was divided into eight portions which were stretched into little round pizza shapes with a thicker edge and thinner middle. Pastry cream, which can be made in advance and kept chilled, was spooned into the center of each dough round. The pastry cream was topped by creme fraiche. The pastries were then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before going into the oven for about 30 minutes. The pastry cream and creme fraiche did spread and run over the brioche edges, but it's no cause for concern. There was still plenty of delicious cinnamon-sugared cream in each pastry. They're delightful all by themselves, but since we had fresh, local berries on hand, I used them for garnish.
Kurt would love it if my next stop in the book is the Boston Cream Pie with its four layers of sponge cake brushed with coffee syrup and stacked with thick layers of diplomat cream. I'd like to try the Cantaloupe-Mint Seltzer, Scallion Pancakes, and Summer Three-Bean and Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs. I'll eventually get to all of that and more. Just don't tell my other cookbooks about that "special" category I mentioned.
Cinnamon–Cream Brioche
Recipes reprinted with publisher's permission from Flour, Too.
We only make a few of these each morning, and as soon as they come out of the oven, they are snatched up by waiting customers. When the first Flour book came out, there was an outcry from these loyal cinnamon-cream devotees because the recipe was not included. It wasn't an intentional omission; in my mind, this pastry was something we kind of threw together each morning and thus it didn't really need a recipe. Clearly I was wrong. We were inspired by a recipe for a similar pastry in Nancy Silverton's book, Pastries from the La Brea Bakery, called Viennese Cream Brioche, which she describes as being so sublime that it made Julia Child cry. With that description, how could we resist trying our hand at making them? The recipe uses ingredients that we always have in our fridge—brioche dough, pastry cream, crème fraîche—and puts them together in a way that makes quite an addictive treat. Be generous with the cinnamon-sugar that is showered on top; it's what makes these so crunchy and irresistible.
Makes 8 pastries
1/2 batch Basic Brioche dough (see separate recipe)
1 cup/240 ml Pastry Cream (see separate recipe)
1 1/2 cups/360 ml creme fraiche
1 1/4 cups/250 g granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Special equipment: two rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and place one rack in the center and one rack in the top third of the oven. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Shape the brioche dough into a rectangle about 8 in/20 cm long, 4 in/10 cm wide, and 1 in/2.5 cm thick. Using a ruler and a knife, cut the rectangle into eight 2-in/5-cm squares by first dividing it in half horizontally and then dividing it vertically into strips 2 in/5 cm wide. Each square of dough should weigh about 3 1⁄2 oz/100 g.
3. Stretch each dough square into a circle about 5 in/12 cm in diameter as if you are making a small pizza. Stretch the inner part of the circle so that it is quite thin and shape the edge of the circle to create a rim. The center should be almost paper-thin and the finished circle should look like you are making the crust for a mini deep-dish pizza. Place the brioche circle on one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the remaining dough squares, spacing them 2 to 3 in/5 to 7.5 cm apart and using both baking sheets.
4. Using the back of a spoon, spread 2 tbsp of the pastry cream over the base of each brioche circle, spreading it evenly and leaving the rim bare. Place about 3 tbsp of the creme fraiche in the center of each brioche circle and gently spread it, again covering the base of the circle and leaving the rim untouched. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over both the creme fraiche center and the rim of each circle.
5. Bake the pastries, switching the baking sheets between the racks and rotating them back to front about halfway during baking, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are medium golden brown along the edge. (Sometimes the creme fraiche spills out over the edge of the circle. Don't fret; when the pastries come out of the oven and cool a bit, you can scoop spillover back into the center.) Let the creme fraiche set and the brioche cool on the baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Cinnamon-creams should be served the day they are made; they don't hold very well overnight because of their creamy centers.
Basic Brioche
Makes about 3 1/4 lb/1.5 kg, enough for 2 loaves
2 1/4 cups/315 g all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups/340 g bread flour
3 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, or 1 oz/30 g fresh cake yeast
1⁄3 cup plus 1 tbsp/80 g granulated sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
5 large eggs, plus 1 large egg for the egg wash if making loaves
1 cup plus 6 tbsp/310 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces
Special equipment: stand mixer with dough hook attachment, two 9-by-5-in/23-by-12-cm loaf pans if making loaves, parchment paper if making loaves (optional)
1. Using the stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, 5 eggs, and 1⁄2 cup/120 ml water and beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all of the ingredients have come together. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the flour has been incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes longer. The dough will be stiff and seem quite dry.
2. Still on low speed, add the butter, one piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. After all of the butter has been added, continue mixing on low speed, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, for about 10 minutes. It is important to mix all of the butter thoroughly into the dough. If necessary, break up the dough with your hands to help incorporate the butter.
3. Once the butter has been completely incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for another 15 minutes, or until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny. It will take some time for it to come together; it will look very shaggy and questionable at the start but in time will turn smooth and silky. When that happens, increase the speed to mediumhigh and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. (If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add 2 to 3 tbsp flour and mix until it comes together.) If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in one piece.
4. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, expand and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. (At this point the dough may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.) If you are making a brioche treat, proceed as directed in the individual recipe.
5. Line the bottom and sides of the loaf pans with parchment paper, or butter the pans liberally.
6. Divide the dough in half, and press each half into about a 9-in/23-cm square. (The dough will feel like cold, clammy Play-Doh.) Facing the square, fold down the top one-third toward you, and then fold up the bottom one-third, as if folding a business letter. Press to join the three layers. Turn the folded dough over and place it, seam-side down, into one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second piece of dough, placing it in the second prepared pan.
7. Cover the loaves lightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm (78° to 82°F/25° to 27°C) area to proof for 4 to 5 hours, or until the loaves have nearly doubled in size. They should have risen to the rim of the pan and have a rounded top. When you poke at the dough, it should feel soft, pillowy, and light, as if it were filled with air—because it is! The loaves have finished proofing and are filled with yeast air pockets. At this point, the texture of the loaves always reminds me a bit of how it feels to touch a water balloon.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and place a rack in the center of the oven.
9. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg until blended. Gently brush the tops of the loaves with the beaten egg. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tops and sides of the loaves are completely golden brown. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 30 minutes, then turn the loaves out of the pans and serve warm or continue to cool on the racks. The bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days (if it is older than 3 days, try toasting it) or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Pastry Cream
Makes about 1 3/4 cups/420 ml
1 1/4 cups/300 g milk
1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar
1/4 cup/30 g cake flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Special equipment: sieve
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until scalded; that is, until small bubbles form along the sides of the pan. While the milk is heating, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. (Mixing the flour with the sugar will prevent the flour from clumping when you add it to the egg yolks.) In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the flour mixture. The mixture will be thick and pasty.
2. Remove the milk from the heat and slowly add it to the egg-flour mixture, a little at a time, while whisking constantly. When all of the milk has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisk continuously and vigorously, for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. At first, the mixture will be very frothy and liquid; as it cooks longer, it will slowly start to thicken until the frothy bubbles disappear and it becomes more viscous. Once it thickens, stop whisking every few seconds to see if the mixture has come to a boil. If it has not, keep whisking vigorously. As soon as you see it bubbling, immediately go back to whisking for just 10 seconds, and then remove the pan from the heat. Boiling the mixture will thicken it and cook out the flour taste, but if you let it boil for longer than 10 seconds, the mixture can become grainy.
3. Pour, push, and scrape the mixture through the sieve into a small, heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla and then cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until cold, before using. The cream can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


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JAKARTA, Indonesia — Beauty queens and backstage drama may seem inevitable, but at this year's Miss World competition, something more serious than hair-pulling and name-calling has come from host country Indonesia: Muslim hardliners have threatened to hijack the competition despite major concessions from the government and organizers.
The bikinis that have been a pageant hallmark were replaced with more conservative sarongs three months ago, after a small but vocal group complained that showing too much skin would be offensive to the world's most populous Muslim country. But that only temporarily quieted protests over the event, which holds its internationally televised finale on Saturday.
The Islamic Defenders Front, known for angry protests and violent raids on bars and prostitution dens, began holding demonstrations weeks ago with thousands displaying signs that read: "Miss World is Whore Contest" and "Miss World Go to Hell." More mainstream groups, including an influential Islamic body, joined in and called for the show to be banned.
Then just three weeks ago, the government announced that the final would be moved from the outskirts of the capital, Jakarta, and instead held on the Hindu-dominated resort island of Bali where earlier rounds were taking place.
The organizers were left bewildered and panicked, having just three weeks to rearrange an event that had been three years in the making. Hundreds of hotel rooms and 6,000 plane tickets had to be cancelled and rebooked, and a new venue secured.
And even now, concern remains that Muslim extremists may try to disrupt the event. The British, Australian and U.S. embassies have issued warnings to citizens planning trips to Bali during the competition, saying there could be large-scale protests or even attacks.
Haidar Al-Hamid, who heads the East Java branch of the Islamic Defenders Front, said that despite tight security aimed in part at keeping protesters out of Bali, he plans to rally against the Miss World contest and has ordered all members to find a way to reach the nearby island.
Miss World is the latest controversy in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country of 240 million where most Muslims follow a moderate form of the religion. After emerging from decades of dictatorship 15 years ago, it has been hailed by the international community as a place where Islam and democracy can work successfully side-by-side.
Young people flock to popular nightclubs, and it's common to see women in the capital wearing miniskirts and halter tops alongside those dressed in colorful headscarves and skinny jeans. Earlier this month, as it hosted the Islamic Solidarity Games, Indonesia resisted calls from other participating countries to ban female athletes from wearing two-piece sports bikinis.
Many Indonesians say they are proud that the next Miss World will win her crown and sash in their country.
"It's good for Indonesia to host such a pageant. We can tell the world what our country is like. They can see the hospitality of our people … for me, this is a positive thing for Indonesia," said Tony, 38, who works at a private bank in Jakarta and uses only one name like many Indonesians. "Everyone is now free to voice their opinions more openly. Although we do not agree with (the protesters), we cannot ban them."
At the same time, a small extremist fringe has become louder and more violent in recent years, attacking Christians and other religious minorities, along with anyone else deemed immoral.
The Islamic Defenders Front, known as FPI, is a moral defender group that forbids such things as drinking, gambling, prostitution and pornography. And while the government has recently condemned the group's violent acts, Jakarta is hesitant to push too hard a year ahead of presidential elections.
The hardliners forced Lady Gaga to cancel a sold-out show last year after they branded her a "devil worshipper." Aerosmith also abruptly pulled the plug on a May concert, citing security concerns, days after a bomb plot against the Myanmar Embassy was revealed. Jennifer Lopez performed in the capital, but the sexy singer covered up and toned down her racy dance moves.
Hary Tanoesoedibjo, head of Miss World sponsor MNC media group, said the government's decision to move the pageant venue is a mistake that creates a negative impression for the 131 countries represented in the pageant.
"The decision was changed so quickly just because of pressure from a certain group," the billionaire said at a news conference. "We are worried this will create the perception that we are a weak nation."
He said the forced move could tarnish Indonesia's reputation and perhaps even affect foreign investment. The country is already struggling with rampant graft, poor infrastructure, high inflation and a weak local currency.
Bali will be in the spotlight not only for Miss World, but for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that will be held there a week later. World leaders, including President Barack Obama, and thousands of delegates are scheduled to attend. Any hiccups involving Miss World will likely raise doubts about Indonesia's ability to oversee the meeting's security.
"There's a very real potential for violence at either event," said Damien Kingsbury, an Indonesia expert at Deakin University in Australia. "Having the Indonesians focusing on two events is going to divide their resources in ways which I think probably aren't going to be entirely helpful."
Bali also was the site of the 2002 suicide bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Since then, the government has aggressively pursued militant groups, which in recent years have committed much smaller-scale attacks mainly focused on security personnel.
This is not the first time the British-based Miss World, which started as a bikini contest in 1951, has faced opposition from Muslims. In 2002, contestants were forced to leave Nigeria after religious riots trigged by the contest exploded inside the country, leaving some 100 people dead and hundreds injured. The competition was instead held in London.
But Indonesia does not want to come across as totally anti-pageant. Last week, Jakarta hosted the third annual World Muslimah contest, an Islamic alternative to Western-influenced international beauty pageants.
It was broadcast live and showcased women from six countries reciting the Quran and saying prayers. Contestants wore high heels, long shapeless frocks in bright colors and matching headscarves — mandatory to participate — adorned with shimmering sequins and accessories.
The candidates marched through the streets of Jakarta ahead of the event in their sashes without harassment from the same groups who claim that parading women on stage goes against Islamic teachings. The finalists, chosen for being smart, pious and stylish, competed for $2,200 plus a trip to Mecca.
Miss Nigeria won. And in a moment universal to pageants, she cried and shook as the glittering tiara was placed atop her head.

subset: commoncrawl


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5 Hilarious Calls Made to the Butterball Turkey Hotline
We aren't all master chefs accustomed to cooking huge meals for dozens people, so the kind folks at Butterball have been answering all our Thanksgiving-turkey-cooking-related questions for years. And during that time, they've had some funny calls.
Here are just a few of the most hilarious questions that have been posed to the 1-800-Butterball experts:
It's All in the Thaw
One of the slowest and most underestimated parts of the turkey-prep process is thawing the big, frozen bird. Home cooks have forever been attempting to speed up the process. For example, the firefighters who needed to thaw 12 turkeys at once. The hotline expert suggested they put the birds in a large bin and use a fire hose to hose them down. Or the callers who have asked if you can thaw a frozen turkey using a hair dryer, an electric blanket, in an aquarium with tropical fish, or in the tub while the kids are having their bath. And, in case you think you have a creative plan for thawing your turkey, don't. The best way to thaw it fast is in the kitchen sink. You'll need 30 minutes for each pound of bird and you should change the water every half hour.
The Snowbound Bird
Speaking of thawing, one hotline expert was answering a woman's call about thawing her turkey. At some point, the caller proudly told the turkey helper that her bird was actually staying frozen in the snow, rather than taking up space in the freezer. There had been a recent snowstorm and the big drifts were the perfect place to store the main course. That was until the caller realized that she now could not remember where she had put the turkey. So, the next time you want to keep your turkey frozen in the snow, make sure you draw a treasure map.
Free Parking on Holidays
It's always an entertaining experience to let the kids help out in the kitchen during the holidays. It can also be a new experience to let the kids play in the kitchen. This was a lessen learned by one woman who called the hotline with a sad turkey story. The kids were playing in the kitchen with their toy cars and parking was scarce (you know how it gets with parking on the holidays). But they were able to find nice covered parking for their prized vehicles. It wasn't until hours later when the caller discovered where the cars were parked: firmly inside the bird. You'll have to imagine for yourself whether she found the cars after pulling the turkey from the oven, or if they were uncovered during carving, but suffice it to say that there was a special new kind of garnish baked inside the bird.
The Barks Are Coming From Inside the Turkey
Toys aren't the only things that will fit inside a turkey. You know you're fully initiated into hotline history when a caller calls to get help getting a dog out of their Thanksgiving turkey. The owner of a Chihuahua called when their dog climbed inside the raw turkey. The poor pooch wasn't able to get out of the opening through which it had just squeezed. The Butterball expert explained how the owner could make the opening larger without injuring the dog. Interestingly, the hotline has also fielded calls from owners of small rodents and house cats. When pets and kids are around, you really can't turn away for a second.
Did You Really Have to Ask?
And finally, here is a short list of some other questions that we're a little sad people even had to ask:
- "Should I remove the plastic wrap before I cook my turkey?"
- "I don't want to touch the giblets. Can I fish them out with a coat hanger?"
- "The turkey in my freezer is 23 years old. Is it safe to eat?"
- "I don't want to cook the whole turkey, so I cut it in half with a chainsaw. How do I get the chainsaw oil out of the turkey?"
- "I scrubbed my raw turkey with a toothbrush dipped in bleach for three hours. Is that enough to kill the harmful bacteria?"
- "Can I cook the turkey on the engine block of my semi while I'm driving? If I drive faster, will it cook faster?"


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-Mesh Print Fabric -Mock Neck -Long Sleeves Bodysuit -Made in USA95% Poly, 5% Spandex
Our extended HOLIDAY RETURN PERIOD is from November through December, holiday returns must be initiated by January 15th. Items must meet return criteria below:
We accept returns for online and in store purchases. We are available by email to help you along the way! We do not recommend contacting us on social media as we receive a lot of spam messages and may not see your message in a timely manner.
1. As of 8/1/22, we no longer need you to email us to begin a return. To begin your return please visit our online portal within 14 days of your order being delivered to you. (https://www.buckaroobandits.com/a/return). Please note if you purchased in-store, please email us for a return. firstname.lastname@example.com
2. Item is in ORIGINAL condition. Items must be able to be resold, therefore makeup on clothing from trying it on, odors (including perfume, cigarettes, animals, etc.) cannot be accepted and will be returned to sender.
4. At this time we do not offer refunds on shipping costs. If an error was made on our end, you are NOT responsible for any shipping charges. If you changed your mind on the item, we cannot refund initial/return shipping charges.
5. We do not provide return pre-paid labels at this time.
6. The item(s) MUST be in transit to us within 14 days of return/exchange authorization. (14 days to begin return PLUS additional 14 days to ship it back.) We monitor incoming packages by the tracking number. We highly recommend having the package scanned into USPS to immediate start tracking, as well as keeping a receipt from USPS for your own tracking. We understand delays in transit due to COVID and that sometimes it can take more than 14 days to be delivered to us.
Refund: Once the item(s) is received by us, you will receive an email of the refund confirmation. Refunds are processed within 1-2 business days after the item(s) is received by us. Depending on your bank and payment method, it may take up to 5 days to be credited to your account. Unfortunately, we have no way of speeding this up and it will vary on your bank.
Exchanges: Once the item(s) is received by us, custom orders (made to order) may take up to 10 business days to ship. Other item(s) will be shipped within 2 business days. You will receive an email confirmation with new tracking.


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NVIDIA drivers can be downloaded from the NVIDIA website (http://www.nvidia.com).
The NVIDIA driver follows a Unified Architecture Model in which a single graphics driver is used for all supported NVIDIA GPU products (see Appendix A, Supported NVIDIA GPU Products for a list of supported GPUs). The burden of selecting the correct driver is removed from the user, and the graphics driver is downloaded as a single file named
The package suffix (-pkg#
) is used
to distinguish between packages containing the same driver, but
with different precompiled kernel interfaces. The file with the
highest package number is suitable for most installations.
Support for "legacy" GPUs has been removed from the unified driver. These legacy GPUs will continue to be maintained through special legacy GPU driver releases. See Appendix A, Supported NVIDIA GPU Products for a list of legacy GPUs.
The downloaded file is a self-extracting installer, and you may place it anywhere on your system.


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Ever go through a phase where you feel like every day is a Monday? You wake up, you hit snooze. Then you hit snooze again and you just don't feel it? Yes, I know that negative emotions can eat away at my productivity, creativity, decision-making skills. And yet, I have to admit that sometimes it's really difficult to reverse the course of a slump.
The unfortunate superpower of the negative is that it has a stronger impact than the positive. In fact, negative impact of setbacks in your work is three times as powerful in affecting motivation than positive progress. It's just easier to remember the bad stuff that's happened to you during the day than the good.
So why is it that our brains have a such a negativity bias? The reason is quite simple: They're actually wired to pay more attention to negative experiences. It's a self-protective characteristic. We're scanning for threats from when we used to be hunters and gatherers. But such vigilance for negative information can cause a narrowing, downward spiral and a negative feedback loop that doesn't reflect reality.
Fortunately, we aren't doomed by our natural disposition towards negativity. What's amazing is that we have the ability to break out of that negative feedback loop and we can actually rewire our brains to think positively. Understanding how the brain can refashion its own connections is the key to unlocking the durable power of positive thinking.
And that's exactly what this post is all about. Let's dive in.
The Tetris Effect: What it Tells Us About How We Learn New Things
Anyone who's ever played the classic game of Tetris will know this. Whether on a clunky computer or gameboy or the latest mobile device, we all know the game's surreal ability to spill into real life. After you shut off the game, you still see those Tetris blocks falling in your mind's eye. You're grocery shopping and find yourself thinking about rearranging items on grocery shelves and the carts in the parking lot. Somehow your mind continues to play the game, even when you're physically not.
Robert Stickgold, Harvard professor of psychiatry, noticed something similar after a day hiking a mountain in Vermont. That night, he dreamt that he was still going through the motions of mountain hiking, clinging to rocks. Curious about this dream replay he tried something: Stickgold got a group of college students of varying skill levels to play Tetris and sleep in the Harvard sleep lab.
Over 60% of the study participants (including, surprisingly, those who suffered from amnesia) reported dreams of images of Tetris pieces falling, rotating, and fitting together. Interestingly, half the Tetris expert participants reported such Tetris dreams while 75% of the novices did. The mind was continuing to work on making sense of the game during sleep.
A more recent study from 2009 found that playing Tetris can grow your brain and make it more efficient. Adolescent girls played the game for an average of 1.5 hours a week over three months. The cerebral cortex—or the gray matter—of the girls grew thicker, while brain activity in other areas decreased compared to when they'd started. Richard Haier, who had previously found in a 1992 study that there was a "Tetris learning effect" in which the brain consumed less energy as mastery of the game rose, concluded:
We think the brain is learning which areas not to use... As you learn the game, it becomes more automatic.
Haier's 2009 study demonstrated how Tetris affected the brain's plasticity, or the brain's ability to change structurally, as the girls practiced and learned how to play the game. Neurons, or nerve cells, in your brain make connections, communicating through synapses. When you learn something, you change those neural connections. Every time you reactivate a circuit, synaptic efficiency increases, and connections become more durable and easier to reactivate. Stickgold's study and subsequent research that sleep plays a role in this memory process.
So to sum up, whenever you do specific tasks over and over again, they take up less of your brain power over time. And that's pretty amazing, as this will be the basis for a huge opportunity to change our behavior for the better:
So How Can We Combat Our Negativity Bias? The Positive Tetris Effect
Indeed, it's quite simple: We can harness the brain's plasticity by training our brain to make positive patterns more automatic. When we practice looking for and being more aware of positive aspects of life, we fight off the brain's natural tendency to scan for and spot the negatives. Naturally we bring ourselves into better balance.
Shawn Achor frames this rewiring as "The Positive Tetris Effect" in The Happiness Advantage, drawing from the way Tetris impresses our brain so that we end up parsing the world in terms of the game. According to Achor, with the positive Tetris Effect:
We can retrain the brain to scan for the good things in life-to help us see more possibility, to feel more energy, and to succeed at higher levels.
Yes, so something as trivial as the game of Tetris can have a scientifically measurable effect on people's brains and invade their dreams. If that's the case, the impact of practicing and retaining a more positive thinking pattern, especially on our wellbeing and happiness, can be even more powerful. We're basically trying to find an undiscovered path that if walked once, makes us happy—the path being the synaptic connections in our brain. And then, because we enjoy it, we go along that path, hundreds and hundreds of times. Slowly a track forms and becomes very clear and easier to walk every time.
Here is an example of a synapse, which represents the path we want to go over and over again, to make it a strong, easy to recognize pattern for our brains:
The best thing about such a practice is its long-term effects. In one study, people who did a "three good things" exercise for a week felt happier and less depressed after one month. The study then did the three-month and six-month follow-ups. Not surprisingly, the happiest participants were the ones who had continued the practice throughout.
What this tells me right of the bat is this: There's hope for us all! (Even for a curmudgeon like me who reacts to the idea of spending time trying to accentuate the positive with a growl.) So I think a good way to see the positive Tetris Effect like learning a foreign language. It will be the most difficult and unnatural-feeling at the beginning. And yet, the rewards will make you feel unbelievably happier if you stick with it.
4 Ways to Change Your Life to Be More Lastingly Positive
Ok, now that we've been through the background it's time to get our hands dirty. How can we put all of this into practice? At the core, the Tetris Effect is about building a habit that becomes more automatic and therefore longer lasting. In turn, this will sustainably boost your productivity and creativity. As Achor notes:
Happiness is a work ethic... It's something that requires our brains to train just like an athlete has to train.
So with that in mind here are some of the top ways that Achor and others identified to rewire your brain for positivity:
Scan for the 3 daily positives. At the end of each day, make a list of three specific good things that happened that day and reflect on what caused them to happen. The good things could be anything—bumping into an old friend, a positive remark from someone at work, a pretty sunset. Celebrating small wins also has a proven effect of powering motivation and igniting joy. As you record your good things daily, the better you will get and feel.
Give one shout-out to someone (daily). I love this technique. Take the positive things you're getting better at recognizing and let people know you've noticed! Take a minute to say thanks or recognize someone for their efforts, from friends and family to people at work. A great way to go about this is by sending 1 daily email to someone. It can be your old school teacher, who's advice you are now appreciating every day. A co-worker or someone you've only met. Show courage and say thanks, I love doing this and just checking in with a nice note.
Do something nice. Acts of kindness boost happiness levels. Something as small and simple as making someone smile works. Pausing to do something thoughtful has the power to get you out of that negativity loop. Do something nice that is small and concrete like buying someone a coffee. You can try and have that even on your to do list—have you done anything nice for someone today? I love this technique and it's one of the most amazing ways to feel happier.
Mind your mind. Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Opening our awareness beyond the narrowness of negativity can help bring back more balance and positivity into the picture. The regular practice of mindfulness meditation has also been shown to affect the brain's plasticity, increasing gray matter in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for learning, memory, and emotion, and reducing gray matter in the amygdala, an area of the brain associated with stress and anxiety. Take a look at these tips on mindfulness and meditation to get started.
How to Rewire Your Brain for Positivity and Happiness | Buffer
Walter Chen is the co-founder of iDoneThis, a simple way to preserve and celebrate progress at work, every day, that amazing companies like Zappos, Shopify, and reddit use. He'd love to hear from you on Twitter at @smalter.
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text:
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tomato Sauce – Your Wish is Eventually My Command
First, I always thought I would eventually put all my most requested, unpublished recipes on a DVD, and totally get rich. That scheme has been thwarted since, over the course of the last couple years, I filmed and posted just about every recipe that fits that description.
Second, tomato sauce recipes are so personal that what I may think is a perfect all-purpose sauce, you may taste and think is the worse one you ever had. I remember going out to eat as a kid and listening to my mom and aunts talk about how the sauce we were eating was an abomination compared to "our" sauce.
Anyway, those issues aside, this is my basic, all-purpose tomato sauce. I trust you'll taste and adjust the seasoning as you see fit, and be relatively gentle when comparing it to your grandmother's clearly superior version.
One thing I hope you do not change is the tomato. There is little debate among tomato sauce aficionados regarding the advantages using the magnificent San Marzano tomato. This long, intensely red, plum tomato variety imported from Italy can be found in any good Italian market, and most of the larger high-end grocery chains.
Any sauce recipe is only as good as the tomatoes, and unless you're going to use a basket of sugar-sweet, vine-ripened tomatoes in the middle of summer, these are your best option. I hope you find some and give this sauce recipe a try.
The other ingredient that may give you pause is the hint of anchovy paste. Use it. No one will taste it, and while I can't prove any of this, it really does "something." Enjoy!
2 cans (28-oz) whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 rib celery, fine dice
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
water as needed
110 comments:
FINALLY - March 18, 2010 at 4:01 PM
what the hell? no basil? other than that... great sauce! do you store it in the fridge until you need it as ingredient or are you always making fresh sauces?
- March 18, 2010 at 4:53 PM
- Chef John said...
usually make it when i need it, but you can keep in the fridge for a week or so.
- March 18, 2010 at 4:55 PM
I wholeheartedly agree with the inclusion of anchovy (though I prefer whole to paste). Anchovy has been called "Italian MSG" for good reason. One question: is there a reason that you do not put (red)wine in your sauce?
- March 18, 2010 at 4:59 PM
Isn't anchovy a natural source of glutamate (I assume you either know what that is or you're smart enough to find out what it is :P).
So then it will do "something" to the taste. The same as adding mushrooms or soy sauce, which are natural sources as well. Maybe that's what my sauces need... some soy sauce ... hmm - March 18, 2010 at 5:17 PM
- Norellys said...
It`s a wonderful recipe.
Thanks Chef John.
Norellys - March 18, 2010 at 5:23 PM
- Joe LaGreca said...
I thought you weren't supposed to add your spices (basil, mint, etc) until the last 30 minutes, so you don't loose their flavor.
Looked good though! Thanks. - March 18, 2010 at 5:23 PM
- Chef John said...
Many people think that, which is completely wrong. There is no one perfect time to add fresh herbs. It all depends on what flavor you want. basil cooked for hours in a tomato sauce recipe tastes completely different than basil added at the last second to a Thai curry. If you watch my videos you'll see me add at the beginning and end (and sometimes both) depending. Generally fresh sweet herbs like basil, tarragon, etc. are most commonly added at the end, but it depends. the parsley here is more mellow if cooked in.
- March 18, 2010 at 6:29 PM
You were just using a metal ladle...
Thanks heaps for this recipe. I went looking on your site for a tomato sauce recipe a few weeks back, hoping to find something to use with the sauce tomatoes we bought.
Do you think this could be put in jars like a pasata? - March 18, 2010 at 6:59 PM
Chef John my man...this is awesome!!!! I feel like I know you, I have been tuning into to ur blog for at least 3 years. I always yell friends and family about your videos, but could never post comments cause my old computer sucked (haha...could hardly load half ur video categories. but I must say I have always wanted this recipe, so pumped for the weekend so I can try this.. just wanna say thank you for staying so committed with this, You"ve really sparked a excitement for cooking and food without the stress or confusion....Good job.
- March 18, 2010 at 7:34 PM
- Travis said...
Would you recommend making a big batch of this and freezing it in individual serving sizes so you can always have tasty homemade tomato sauce on the ready?
Or is freezing it a bad idea? - March 18, 2010 at 8:12 PM
- Connie T. said...
I will have to look for those tomatoes.
- March 18, 2010 at 9:54 PM
- Chef John said...
you can jar this sauce or freeze it no problem. btw, was kidding, non-reactive metal is fine! but wooden spoon best!
- March 18, 2010 at 11:10 PM
It's almost 4am and I just finished making your tomato sauce. Why? Because I woke up at 3am and couldn't sleep. I cook when I can't sleep. Doesn't everyone?
In deference to chefs kind enough to share their personal recipes, I always make them exactly as given before tweaking them to my own tastes. Chef John, I won't be tweaking this one at all. Ever. Not even the anchovy paste (which, along with okra, I still believe God created as a joke to see if people would really eat it).
My grandmother couldn't make this sauce on her best day. Then again, the women in my family can't cook. Did you know I was 18 years old before I realized hamburger wasn't supposed to be crunchy? As for me, if I have tomatoes, lemon and garlic, I have groceries.
Thank you whole-heartedly for a tomato sauce recipe that doesn't taste generic, sets itself apart and is sure to win friends and influence politicians and bosses.
FYI, the fussy 'blueberry muffins or die' crowd at work requested your lemon poppyseed muffins again. It's 4am so, naturally, I'm going to make them. (Another of your recipes I don't tweak, by the way.) - March 19, 2010 at 5:05 AM
Jack, that was a super nice post! Chef John ROCKS, and I just knew someday he'd share his recipe for tomato sauce. It was worth waiting for!
- March 19, 2010 at 9:26 PM
Chef John is the fo-teezy ya know? Elevata material gotta see me.
- March 20, 2010 at 8:51 AM
- Mike said...
@ Robert Lewis
What? - March 20, 2010 at 2:42 PM
@ Robert Lewis
I double that "what?" - March 20, 2010 at 5:44 PM
- Unknown said...
Could you elaborate on the "italian herbs"?
I don't have any italian blend available where I live, so any details on these would be appreciated! - March 21, 2010 at 3:57 AM
- Chef John said...
It's usually equal parts dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage
- March 21, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- dave said...
Chef John, What do you pay for the ItalBrand San Marzano tomatoes? Of course, I can't find any of them where I live (San Diego), and checking online, a case runs about $60, plus shipping. Just trying to figure out what I should be willing to pay for these...
- March 21, 2010 at 7:37 PM
- Chef John said...
not sure maybe 4 bucks a can? Trust me, there are San Marzano tomatoes in SD somewhere. Don't you have Whole Foods? Or any Italian stores? I know some chefs must be using theme, call a restaurant supply store.
- March 21, 2010 at 7:48 PM
- dave said...
Thanks. We do have a Whole Foods. I'm sure there is an Italian store somewhere, although my Google Mapping and searching only reveals deli's, with limited store items (I called). Hopefully the Whole Foods has them.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM
- Middlebury Stay Informed said...
Hey Chef John.
Can you tell me how long the anchovy paste will last in the frig after it has been opened? Also, since I am at it, can you tell me how long the tomato paste in the tube will last once it is opened as well?
Jim - March 27, 2010 at 11:42 PM
- Middlebury Stay Informed said...
Hey Chef John,
Can you tell me how long the anchovy paste in the tube will last, once it is opened? Also can you also tell me how long tomato paste in the tube will also last, once it is opened.
Thank you. :-)
Jim - March 27, 2010 at 11:45 PM
- Chef John said...
both last months
- March 27, 2010 at 11:50 PM
- dave said...
argh, Whole Foods does not have these tomatoes. I can't find them anywhere in San Diego County.
- April 16, 2010 at 9:35 PM
- Chef John said...
road trip!
- April 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM
- satchmo said...
Well, apart from destroying this recipe by using normal tomatoes, I'm curious if by halfing the ingredients called for I could more or less get similar results with a smaller batch. thoughts? Please be gentle!
zack - April 22, 2010 at 2:50 PM
- Chef John said...
half works!!
- April 22, 2010 at 3:53 PM
I made this sauce last night, 4/26, and it was bueno! I made it for the Ricotta meatballs and Homemade tortellini which were deliciuos. I couldn't believe how easy making sauce is... I have to say no more Ragu* for me :) I love to cook, but I do have a fear as well, and homemade tomato sauce is up there. We will know how coregeous I am when I decide to make your blueberry muffins :)
- April 27, 2010 at 8:10 AM
- PhillyBear said...
chef, i had my doubts about this. carrots in tomato sauce, i dared not tell my grandmom. but, i tried it and it knocked my socks off. i've been singing your praises and even got my 83 year old grandmother to try a new sauce recipe. and she loves it. thanks a million!
- June 22, 2010 at 8:49 AM
All I can say is yum! yum! yum! I have a zillion tomato sauce recipes... and this one is tops. I didn't have the anchovy paste, but made it anyway. I have a lot of fresh herbs in the garden right now so I used fresh instead of the "italian herbs". I also have a boatload of Marzano tomatoes canned from last season that need to be used before this years crop ripens. I do love that tomato!
This is a GREAT sauce :) Thank you... I love your blog. Makes me inspired to cook at the end of the day - even when I am tired.
Your generosity in sharing this special recipe is appreciated.
Did I mention - YUM? - June 27, 2010 at 5:33 PM
- Chef John said...
Thanks!! My pleasure!
- June 27, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Very Vegetarian for, thanks so much. Again I would like to ask more Vegetarian and Vegan recipes, we have to eat too :D
What a delicious way to make sauce, I was the one in the group of 30 or 50 minutes boiling a sauce, now I know better.
You are great. Blessings! - September 16, 2010 at 12:59 AM
I'll be making this sauce any day now, but there is a question that's on my mind for some time now. Isn't tomato paste just just concentrated tomatoes? Instead of adding it, can;t i just use a bit more tomatoes? Or does the paste add some distinct flavouring?
BTW I'm a great fan of your blog. Your recipes have saved my ass like a dozen of times already. - November 23, 2010 at 7:08 PM
- Zahra said...
"Be careful not to splash your camera." Hahahahahhaha!!!!@!#@$
Lovvveee the look of this, like almost everything else on the website! - December 12, 2010 at 6:03 AM
Turned out to be the best sauce I've ever made! I've never even purchased anchovy paste before, but anticipate using it in lots of recipes. I had the sauce simmering for well over an hour and was basking in the aroma of my little Italian kitchen. The best!
- December 29, 2010 at 3:22 PM
Ok, as much as I'd love to have these San Marzano tomatoes, it's just not possible for me.
I know you love your San Marzano's but I thought fresh was better than canned?
*If I used fresh Roma tomatoes would that be a good substitute for your Marzano's? Although, sometimes I can't even find Roma's so I usually end up using regular slicing (salad?) tomatoes which doesn't make as good of a sauce as yours I'm sure! :) - January 28, 2011 at 7:17 PM
Also, I forgot...celery and sugar in tomato sauce? I've not heard of this before. Is there a reason or is this just your preference? Thanks for your videos, I'm learning a lot! :)
- January 28, 2011 at 7:21 PM
- Chef John said...
celery and sugar are classic ingredients as far as I know. Also, if you can find real, sweet vine-riped tomatoes, of course they work great, BUT I've NEVER seen a ripe tomato in a supermarket (red doesn't mean ripe, they are reddened with a gas). So, high quality canned are always better tasting to me than fresh tasteless ones.
- January 28, 2011 at 7:52 PM
This tastes absolutely great, but I don't understand the effect of the vinegar when it is just meant to evaporate anyway? I have asked several chefs, but nobody has heard of this method. Could you please explain? Thanks, greetings from Norway, Scandinavia!
- May 4, 2011 at 4:19 PM
- Chef John said...
The water in the vinegar evaporates, NOT the acid and the flavor of the vinegar.
- May 4, 2011 at 5:04 PM
- K.T. said...
could i use red wine vinegar for this recipe?
is there a major difference - May 7, 2011 at 7:25 AM
- K.T. said...
great recipe as always
could i use red wine vinegar instead?
is there like a maajor difference - May 7, 2011 at 7:26 AM
- Chef John said...
Yes u can.
- May 7, 2011 at 10:37 AM
- Diamond said...
I was wondering if it's ok to use white or red wine instead of the vinegar - that's all I have at home, not kidding :-)
Thanks! - May 29, 2011 at 4:09 PM
- Chef John said...
Sure, or leave it out!
- May 29, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Great recipe indeed! However, may I ask: Why is the vinegar added at all - why add acid (vinegar) to acid (tomatoes)...? And then you compensate with sugar because of all the acid...? Thank you very much Chef John.
- June 6, 2011 at 6:52 AM
- Foodie said...
Greetings! I just happened to come across your recipes on Youtube, and I am already a fan. Thank you for the quick and easy videos to follow. I have a question about the tomato sauce. From the comments above, anchovy paste can be omitted. Can the celery be omitted? I dont get it where I live and how much carrot to use if that is available?
- June 21, 2011 at 10:47 AM
- Chef John said...
Anything can be omitted, it will just taste different. Im not a fan of carrot, but you could add a 1/2 cup I guess. Relax, it's just sauce :-)
- June 21, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Chef John,
Best cooking site ever! Question tho. Thats a 7.5 quart Dutch oven you use isn't it. I just got one, an early xmas gift so can't complain but its the 6 qt and i was happy until I ran across your Braised Short Rib recipe and u revealed what size that dutch oven was lol.
Keep doing what your doing, this site beats out....wont say what the "network" name is but this site totally kicks its butt. Thanks. - December 8, 2011 at 5:59 PM
I was told to never cook anything with vinegar in aluminium pots/pans nor use aluminium utensils as it the vinegar & aluminium unites to set off a chemical reaction which is poisonous when ingested. Don't know how true this is but I never want to find out therefore I always use wooden spoons to cook.
- January 24, 2012 at 9:14 PM
- Razors Edge said...
If I added some dried italian herbs.. how much should I add?
- March 14, 2012 at 8:28 AM
- Chef John said...
can't give amounts for this stuff, just add to your taste!
- March 14, 2012 at 1:57 PM
I make my sauce about the same, I have to try celery and anchovy and those tomatoes.
Does simmering that long make that much of a difference in taste?
Because I'm pretty happy with my "30-Minute-Sauce" and as a student I most likely don't have that much time ;)
I'm guessing that it would bring out the flavours because the water evaporates, but wouldn't adding water destroy the effect? - March 21, 2012 at 5:21 AM
Hi chef, really love this site. I've tried some of your recipe and they are great! However, just intended to make this one for i just found the tomatoes.
Question: what is the name of the pot you are using? I guess we cant't use metal one?
Thanks! - May 26, 2012 at 11:14 AM
I know you hate these questions but...can you use anchovies instead of the paste and if so how many???
- September 24, 2012 at 3:20 PM
- Chef John said...
of course!! depends how big they are, but don't worry about amounts! just add to taste
- September 24, 2012 at 7:09 PM
- Anna said...
Chef John how many days can we maintain this sause? Does it have to be in the fridge or could we also put this in mayonaise jars and keep it in a dry place?
- October 11, 2012 at 4:07 PM
- Chef John said...
you should refrigerate. it will start to ferment. Not sure of max shelf life, but at least a week
- October 12, 2012 at 9:59 AM
- Lacey92122 said...
I will never make my sauce with anything but the San Marzano tomatoes again. Made this yesterday, almost exactly as written,which is rare for me, I almost always tinker with a recipe right off the bat, but I've learned to trust Chef John. The only thing I did differently was to use a little more garlic, cuz I know my hubby and I like more garlic in just about everything. I simmered for the hour and a half then refrigerated for about 6 hours and then heated it up and put some of your fabulous Italian Meatballs in. Hubby says it was better than our favorite Italian restaurant. I can't wait to have it again tonight. Someone said they couldn't find the tomatoes in San Diego, but I went to Filippi's Restaurant in Little Italy, they have a store there.
- February 19, 2013 at 1:46 PM
- gateman said...
Dear Chef John
Regarding your Basic tomato sauce, I prepared it with San Marzano tomatoes and it is the BEST I ever made after 40 years of cooking and searching for a decent marinara sauce. It is obvious the town or city of San Marzano pays you big bucks to "spread the word". I do not feel betrayed, just disappointed that it took me so long to discover how good they can be. I then used your recipe again, but with Tuttorosa tomatoes, and to tell the truth they were about 8.5 while San Marzanos were 10. What it all comes down to is this: you are a genius for creating the recipe and for sharing it with us. So I'm offering you my hand in marriage, never mind I'm a man with 5 grandchildren and straight, so far. Our love will find a way. I discovered your website about 2 months ago and I've gained about 5 lbs. since then. Please stop me before I cook again!
- February 27, 2013 at 8:01 PM
- Chef John said...
Ha! Thanks!!
- February 27, 2013 at 8:05 PM
- gateman said...
I cooked again, but this time I made it in a pressure cooker with identical ingredients with very good results. My grandson is home on Spring break and I didn't have time to cook it the long way. Thanks Chef John.
- March 13, 2013 at 2:48 PM
- Unknown said...
Just found the San Marzano tomatoes at Walmart of all places, only $3.48 a can. Even got the anchovy paste there.
I can't wait to make your sauce this weekend, it looks delicious! - March 19, 2013 at 4:47 PM
I don't think San Marzanos are a must. I got mine at Whole Foods for 5 bucks a can and it was more juice than tomato. I tasted some with my finger and still don't see what the big deal is. I've made this recipe with Whole Foods Italian Roma tomatoes (3 bucks a can) and it tastes the same. Food for thought for those on a budget.
If you're making John's Italian meatballs to go along with this sauce, cut that recipe in half and you'll have the right amount. - April 15, 2013 at 6:26 PM
- Pat said...
Hi Chef John!
Great recipe and "merci beaucoup!" from Montréal! I was wondering if it is at the very end that you might add meat to this sauce. Would it be safe to add uncooked sausage meat (removed from the casing) to the sauce once it has been brought up to a simmer? I think the meat would probably cook in an hour or so, would it not? If not, do you have any other suggestions? Thanks in advance! - May 15, 2013 at 4:06 PM
- Chef John said...
Yes you can cook meat in the sauce. Sausage would be great.
- May 15, 2013 at 8:27 PM
- CaptChris said...
The last comment by Pat answered my first question. I want to add fresh mushrooms, at what point should I do that...I was thinking an hour into the simmering? Thank you!
- June 21, 2013 at 8:13 PM
- CaptChris said...
Also...I must have not used enough onion and celery, or too much oil and I have this "oily surface" can I do anything about that? This is a new hobby for me as a bachelor and I love your website and have made so many of your dishes and love it! Thank you for bringing out my inner "chef" it really is a fun and creative process!
- June 21, 2013 at 8:17 PM
- Chef John said...
I'd saute mushrooms at beginning to get meatier flavor. You can always skim off oil!
- June 21, 2013 at 8:23 PM
- CaptChris said...
Wow...Chef John I didn't expect such a quick answer, thank you! It's on the stove now so I guess I'll saute and add now, better late than never I hope. You are welcome anytime to the wild jungle of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula! I have a beautiful air conditioned beachfront bungalow at my hotel and a kitchen waiting for celebrity a Chef...Pura Vida!
- June 21, 2013 at 9:21 PM
- Valerie said...
Because my San Marzano tomato plants are loaded this year, I was wondering:
1) can I use fresh tomatoes for this sauce? if so, how many lbs = one can?
2) I would like to make a large batch of this sauce to can many pints for winter. How many times could I multiply recipe and keep integrity?
Thanks SO much for your sharing! - July 27, 2013 at 9:57 AM
- Chef John said...
There's 28 oz in each can, so there's your weight. Divide by 16 for pounds of course. You can make as large a batch as you want! Enjoy!
- July 27, 2013 at 2:03 PM
- Louis C. said...
Love your videos and recipes. You should create a donation tab to paypal.
- August 22, 2013 at 10:40 AM
- joanne said...
He doesn't have a donation tab but you can buy his Kindle ebook of recipes on Amazon.com to support him. That's what I did! :D
- October 23, 2013 at 1:56 AM
- Chef John said...
Thanks, but to be clear, I don't get any money from the ebooks. Those are done by Allrecipes. :)
- October 23, 2013 at 11:46 AM
- Unknown said...
Chef John: You are my food God! and families! I make your roasted tomato sauce and one day my 22 yr old son said "Mom, you should patent this sauce, it's so perfect!" I told that I thought Chef John wouldn't like that very much! LOL
My question about your tomato sauce recipe: Can this be made and then frozen?
Barb - January 21, 2014 at 10:16 AM
- Chef John said...
Yes, you can freeze! Thanks!
- January 21, 2014 at 11:59 AM
- Unknown said...
Hi Chef John.Is there any substitute for ItalBrand San Marzano tomatoes?Because in my region you cant find such a thing!Or atleast give me the recipe of it and I will somehow manage it.
- October 4, 2014 at 9:54 AM
- Unknown said...
Hello Chef John, Derek here.
I was curious what type of onion you would use for this. I have Yellow (Sweet Onion) but bought a few White Onions (Cooking Onion) because I noticed you ONLY used them for the Pizza Sauce.
Which is a better Onion to use for Red Sauces? Thank you! - March 4, 2015 at 3:04 PM
- Chef John said...
Any onion will work!
- March 4, 2015 at 5:20 PM
- Unknown said...
Thank you sir. :)
- March 4, 2015 at 8:12 PM
- Unknown said...
Derek from Canada.
I made this last week with the your Italian Meatballs. It took me 3 hours all together to do both for the first time ever.
I was going to make my own pasta as well, but just was too spent and copped out using dried store bought. :(
Let me just say, I should have made more of BOTH!! This sauce using those tomatoes and your recipe was AMZAING!! Everyone loved it, so sweet and tangy, no heart burn. The meatballs? Let's just say I had none to freeze. .. Obviously they were good.
Next time I do this I'm getting my huge pot out and making a triple to quadruple batch to portion, vacuum seal and freeze. Same goes for the meat balls.
Thank you Chef John! :) - March 13, 2015 at 1:04 PM
- Peas&Carrots said...
Always Always a hit with everything I make from your blog posts. Simple fresh ingredients to make the most amazing sauce I have tasted in a long time. Thank you.
- December 13, 2015 at 8:12 PM
- Unknown said...
Is there anyway to adapt this to a pressure cooker? Just got one and am anxious to use it and need some sauce, but dont want an inferior outcome. anyone?
- January 6, 2016 at 7:33 PM
Chef John, my son and I absolutely LOVE watching your videos! You inspire him to cook becuase he thinks you are hilarious and you make it fun for him, so first of all, thank you. Secondly, is it possible to make large batches of this and can it to be used at different and later times? I have RA and other physical issues and sometimes its hard to just get dinner ON the table, and having to use a store bought sauce ... Well its just criminal. If it is, can you recommend the best method? Thanks for sharing your cooking brilliance!
- January 14, 2016 at 8:41 PM
- Chef John said...
That's so cool! Yes, you can double or triple the recipe no problem, and then can the sauce using a hot water bath, or simply freeze in zip top bags and use whenever!
- January 15, 2016 at 11:11 AM
- MamaM said...
Hi Chef John. Thank you for making cooking fun and so funny. you make my son laugh and want to cook with me. Is it possible to can your sauce for shelf life and future use? Have you tried that? Or do you suggest freezing instead? I have RA and cooking fresh isnt always an option with the pain, so I would love to take this and your homemade pasta and learn to store it for future use, ideas or suggestions?
- January 19, 2016 at 2:20 PM
- Chef John said...
You can freeze or can the sauce! Both work great!
- January 19, 2016 at 6:51 PM
- Unknown said...
Hey Chef John you are by far my favorite YouTube chef. I do have one question. The recipe calls for 1 rib of celery. Is it one limb you pull off or is it the entire stalk? In your video it seems to be multiple ribs.
- April 3, 2016 at 10:40 AM
- Unknown said...
Hey John the Chef. How would you suggest adding rabbit to this tomato sauce?
- April 9, 2016 at 8:51 PM
- FSB said...
I just set in down to simmer for the PRESCRIBED 1 1/2 hours. A sample taste proves what I've suspected all along: as good as I thought Safeway's Marinara sauce (horrors!) has been over the years, I have been converted. Thank you.
- May 8, 2016 at 3:40 PM
- Unknown said...
From experience, can people tell me how much better San Marzano tomatoes are compared to say solo polmodoro tomatoes which is all I can find where I live in SE Asia?
- July 12, 2016 at 1:58 AM
- Derek said...
I have never even heard of solo polmodoro tomatoes before, let alone tried them so I can't possible give a comparison. However, I can tell you what is so special about San Marzano tomatoes (which I am currently growing 6 tomato plants this year in my garden up here in Canada).
San Marzano tomatoes have a much higher sugar content, very low acidic content along with more meat and less seeds making them perfect for tomato sauces/pizza sauces so you don't end up with heartburn afterwards or having to add alot of sugar to your sauces.
Don't even bother searching for "fresh" San Marzano tomatoes as their is no such thing in a grocery store, it will have been weeks since they were picked no matter what grocery store you go to. Unless you picked them from your garden ripe, the best thing you can possible get is CANNED San Marzano tomatoes. Canned tomatoes take less than 24 hours from being picked to being canned and are always picked at the ripest. I've never had any complaints with my sauces using quality canned tomatoes. :) - July 23, 2016 at 11:50 AM
- Cath said...
Riffed this for my tried and true method, and it was excellent. Personal changes: Balsamic after sauce has simmered to flavour instead of white vinegar, pinch or two of sugar on taste test instead of fixed measure at start (though I see why you'd want to get the caramel going with the sweating). Pureed the batch to use for a pork ragu.
You rock, Chef John. - October 27, 2016 at 9:15 PM
- Unknown said...
I'm not sure if my post was sent the first time, so I'm sending my post again. I'll be making this sauce for Christmas Day, but I wanted to ask how would you recommend I use the veggies I want added to the sauce? These are the added ingredients: zucchini, peppers (green, yellow, orange, and red), and maybe some mushrooms. They will all be chopped but I'm wondering if should add them add the beginning of the recipe or wait until the sauce has been cooking for awhile. Lastly, based on the amount of sauce this recipe is using, is it fair to say that if I use 1 cup of each veggie, it shouldn't overwhelm the sauce? Please advise, thanks!
- December 15, 2016 at 4:19 PM
- dndrich said...
How much does this make? The reason I ask is because I want to use it for the Chef John Lasagna recipe, and that calls for 6 cups sauce.
- December 18, 2016 at 9:17 PM
- Unknown said...
I grew San Marzano tomatoes this summer (2016) and while I do not have the volcanic soil of Italy, these tomatoes produced very well and taste fantastic cooked into sauces. I will make this sauce tonight with those tomatoes that I have frozen and serve with your chicken parmesan recipe! Thanks so much for the recipe videos!
- January 24, 2017 at 11:51 AM
- Unknown said...
About the make this again. I made it last week and it was amazing!
- April 8, 2017 at 4:09 PM
- J. Francis Lehman said...
For anyone who says they can't find the San Marzano tomatoes, Walmart has them for order online, and you can have them shipped to a store for free pickup as well. so now anyone can get them. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cento-San-Marzano-Peeled-Tomatoes-28-oz/15716659
- May 20, 2017 at 10:39 PM
- Derek said...
I have been using those for 2 years now up in Canada, the San Marzano "type" tomatoes from Walmart. They are not "true San Marzano tomatoes", because as such they need to be dot stamped and grown in volcanic soil. However, I make 8 can 4x batches of this recipe using my La Crusiet 8.4L Dutch oven pot.. sometimes 2 of those batches on one day canning 7 or 14 - 1L jars cold can style. I tastes pretty well the same as using $6/can of tomatoes, neither of us can tell the difference as we tried authentic dot cans for one batch. But these only cost $1.39/can. I do everything else the same, and use ALL FRESH ingredients. I made 360 of the Italian meatballs this Feb on a weekend, portioned into 12 per bag that is vacuum sealed using a vacuum master. We freeze them, can the sauce. Sauce in pot with 1-2 bags of meatballs, simmer them while spaghetti cooks. It's a beautiful very tasty meal in less than 25 mins. Sauce and meatballs have other uses of course if you don't want spaghetti. We do meatballs alone, reheat, they don't dry out thanks to the parmesan cheese. The spaghetti sauce works excellent as a meat sauce base.
I don find you need to pick stand out of these Walmart San Marzano tomatoes thou, and get rid of any hard cores.... but I do that anyhow with others. No blending, ONLY HANDS. 😉 - May 24, 2017 at 7:34 PM
- Unknown said...
How exactly would I double this recipe? I'm assuming it is not as simple as multiplying all the ingredients by 2. I'm looking to make this today! Thanks
- August 16, 2017 at 2:32 PM
- beemo said...
This is fun to make ... for some reason the wetness never left the onion mixture as much as in the video, but I'm sure it won't matter too much. Used some garden-grown tomatoes but now they're all gone (sigh) as winter comes on
- October 16, 2017 at 3:37 PM
- Unknown said...
Chef, this is an absolutely fantastic tomato sauce recipe. Your "secret anchovy ingredient" was the bomb.
I tweaked it by doubling the herb amounts, adding 1/2 tsp of crushed fennel seeds and a splash of red wine.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful and entertaining video recipes. - December 3, 2017 at 8:26 AM
- Unknown said...
Chef John, great sauce! I'm vegan so I substitute a teaspoon of marmite for the anchovies. Would it be appropriate to freeze some in an icecube tray and use as needed?
- February 5, 2018 at 2:40 PM
- Unknown said...
I made this exactly but then I put it in the food processor and liquified it to see if it would make a good tomato soup (I am addicted to it, but i always buy cartons). This makes the absolute best tomato soup I have ever had. Definitely need the San Marzanos and a dollop of sour cream on top.
Thank you! - October 19, 2018 at 3:33 PM
- Denny said...
Anchovy paste, whole anchovies, or (get this) FISH SAUCE! Works for me.
- February 13, 2019 at 10:50 PM
- Admin said...
great recipe as always
could I use red wine vinegar instead?
is there like a major difference? https://www.health-yogi.com/is-tomato-sauce-bad-for-you/ - August 13, 2019 at 5:50 PM


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The rules on deducting student loan interest
Published:You can claim up to $2,500 in interest paid on qualified student loans used to pay for college or vocational school.
NEW YORK (MainStreet) — You can claim up to $2,500 in interest paid on qualified student loans used to pay for post-secondary education — college or vocational school — for yourself, your spouse or your dependent as an "above the line" deduction on your 2012 Form 1040.
To claim a deduction you must be legally obligated to repay the loan and you must actually make the payments. In many cases the student, if a dependent, and the parents are both legally obligated to repay the loan. In such a case the deduction is allowable to whoever makes the payments.
READ: Tax-savvy ways to save for your kid's college expenses
If you are claimed as a dependent on the tax return or your parents or anyone else, you cannot deduct student loan interest on your return.
The amount you can deduct is phased out as your "modified" Adjusted Gross Income goes from $60,000 to $75,000 if you are single or from $125,000 to $155,000 on a joint return.You cannot claim the deduction if you are married filing separately.
Student loan interest paid is reported on Form 1098-E.
I recently had a situation where the Form 1098-E was issued in the name and Social Security number of the student. But the parents were also named on the loan and had a legal obligation to repay it, and they made all the loan payments for the year. The student could not deduct the interest on her return. But I did claim a deduction for the interest paid, subject to the $2,500 limitation (which was further reduced by the MAGI phaseout), on the parents' Form 1040.
Interest on a loan from a related party or from a qualified employer plan, such as a 401(k), are not deductible.


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2 reviews for Glamping Its Like Camping With Electricity And Wine Camping Shirt
I run a business on a tight budget, so always looking for other companies that offer the best value for money. On surveying the cost of printing a small number of tshirts, I found that Streetshirts were by far the cheapest. I was a bit tentative giving their very affordable prices, as I thought that the print quality might be the tradeoff. However, I have to say that the quality of the shirts is incredible! I was so happy when I received them, as they will help us out so much. They were also delivered very fast, and so I honestly cannot fault this company at all. In my opinion, there is no need to look any further than Streetshirts!


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As previously said best by Steve Jobs, "The broader one's understanding of the human experience, the better designs we will have." And the better the design, the more your company will thrive.
But how can we clarify some basics of User Experience for the masses? The easiest and obvious point of reference is pop culture; something to which we all can relate. My first inclination was to make this article "Five User Experience Lessons from Star Wars" since, at my core, I am a geek. But that's like wearing a "KICK ME" sign at recess, so I thought better of it. Instead, I looked to a source of some surprisingly fantastic examples: movie characters played by Tom Cruise. I know, I'm playing up to my female readers, but hey, they represent 51% of the population … so I'm simply demonstrating that understanding your customer persona is part of designing a good user experience!
Lesson #1: Social Media Ratings of User Experiences Can Be Powerful
"I get my boxer shorts at K-Mart in Cincinnati."
In the 1988 movie, Rain Main, Cruise plays an impatient, selfish young professional named Charlie Babbitt who finds out via his father's demise and subsequent will that he has an older, autistic-savant brother, Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman). Charlie quasi-leads his brother through several adventures while trying to operate fortune in his own favor, but is frequently road-blocked by Raymond's ritualistic schedule and predefined structure. Amongst these obstacles is Raymond's need for new underwear which he insists must be purchased at K-Mart. After several verbal explosions, Charlie announces into cinematic history, "I'm gonna let 'ya in on a little secret, Ray. K-Mart sucks." Later in the movie after the two characters have bonded, Raymond's primary care physician, Dr. Bronner, tries to lure Raymond away from the manipulative Charlie by asking him if he'd be "… more relaxed in [his] favorite K-Mart clothes" to which Raymond parrots the "K-Mart sucks" sentiment.
In the theatre, this seemed like a powerful emotional moment where the two brothers have connected, but in reality some have argued that it was a powerful economic moment. K-Mart has closed hundreds of stores since that time, and was eventually bought by a Blue-Light Clearance shopper named Sears Holding Corporation. This cannot be correlated to one movie quote alone and is more likely caused by competitors like WalMart creating innovative and lower-cost distribution methods, but that notorious line has not been forgotten by the American buying public. Dozens of blog entries across the Internet mention it as subscripts to news stories depicting the failing K-Mart stock or closing stores. There was even a seemingly-real news story published by The Larely Beagle, a Californian newspaper, in 2009 (eleven years after Rain Man's release!) where K-Mart supposedly sued Raymond Babbit for slander citing "… their stock and sales headed into a downward spiral" after his disparaging comments.
Before dismissing this as Tom Cruise alone flexing his muscles (sorry, I put that in to make sure my female readers were still listening), realize that according to a 2011 Nielsen study, social networks and blogs account for about 22.5% of time spent online. Couple that with a 2012 online advertising study by ClearSaleing where social media was presented in the Purchase Path and showed a 20-84% increase in revenue over other search patterns and it seems that enabling word-of-mouth critiques of your user experience may amplify a trend, good or bad. Trying to ensure that the Charlie Babbits of the world like your user experience before they have the chance to opine publically makes good business sense.
Lesson #2: Arrange Your User Interface around the Urgent Tasks
"Stick of gum, right? Red light, green light. Come up against a lock you can't pick, you mash them together… *boom*. Hasta lasagna, don't get any on ya. You'll have about 5 seconds…"
Ethan Hunt, played by—you guessed it—Tom Cruise, is hanging on to the caboose of a high-speed train by his fingernails toward the end of the original Mission: Impossible, while baring down on him in a helicopter is his once-mentor-turned-villain. You, the enthralled-yet-experienced moviegoer, are filled simultaneously with the anticipatory adrenaline of danger and the wisdom that, as in to most action flicks, Hunt will find some unfathomable way to escape. Nevertheless, he's apparently stuck between a hard place and a slice-you-into-roast-beef place, so this is as urgent a situation as they come.
And then it happens: he recalls his handily-accessible, explosive gum which has a simple user interface that requires him to pinch together two, large halves (one red, one green). Before you know it, the villain is a splatter painting and Hunt is propelled back to a safe and heroic ending.
Ethan and his engineer (played by Emilio Estevez) quoted above put to use Fitts's Law—a basic principle of Human Factors Engineering—which predicts the time needed to move quickly and accurately to a specific target. The algorithm boils down to a simple standard: make the user interface for an urgent task nearby and make it larger. For instance, if I were designing an emergency button for a driver that he could easily function, I should make it a big ol' button in the middle of the steering wheel rather than a small button at the far end of his mirror.
Ethan stored that destructive gum at close range (i.e. he didn't stick the gum to the bottom of his shoe), and the large target of a 3-inch stick was easily accessed, even under duress. Therein, Ethan lived to see other day and several sequels.
Lesson #3: Design Your System with a Multimodal Interface
"It's like my Daddy used to say… in the Land of the Blind, the one-eyed man is king."
Chief John Anderton (played by Tom Cruise in the 2002 flick, Minority Report) runs the elite law-enforcement squad in the Washington D.C. of 2054 called "Precrime." Here, he sorts through the mental images of "Pre-Cogs"—three psychics who see murders before they happen. Anderton's job is to understand the situation, the players (the perpetrator and the victim), the location, and the predicted time when this supposed crime will occur with the expressed goal of stopping the perpetrator before the murder occurs. The difficult part: these visions are truncated, ghostly, blurry, piecemeal, and coming from three sources, so arranging and sorting them in the short time allotted requires fantastic manipulation. In this high-action thriller, Anderton makes it happen by using a computerized interface that combines gesture swipes with a transparent display and a networked audio-visual conferencing system.
These days, systems with various methods of inputs and outputs are termed "multimodal" since they have more than one mode of interaction. Yes, traditionally there have been winning products that are unimodal (The Clapper), but there are several reasons why multimodal systems have become advantageous for user experiences:
- User Satisfaction: Providing more than one method of interaction allows the user to select the most comfortable, efficient, or timely technique as the situation dictates. For example, in a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study (Perez et al, 2011), five different navigation systems were compared with the highest user satisfaction going to the one that offered multiple modalities (touch screen plus audible Advisor). The worst (and most distracting!) was the unimodal printed directions.
- Improved Usability: Sometimes the task is quicker with one modality as the primary and a second modality as a natural compliment. For instance, a study within Health Imaging (Dec, 2007) showed medical transcription errors reduced from a 2% average for traditional transcription to 0.6% using speech recognition technology as the primary modality. Supporting that, when discoursing about that same impact via speech recognition at SpeechTek 2006, Nick van Terheyden (then the Chief Medical Officer of Philips Speech Recognition Systems) said "Speech recognition can reduce [transcription] costs by 30% to 40%."
- Heighted Accessibility: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 declares that "physical or mental disabilities in no way diminish a person's right to fully participate in all aspects of society." Herein, product developers were charged with attempting to make everyday products "accessible," which meant any consumer could engage in the user experience regardless of physical limitations. Given information from the last Census and the CDC, an accessible user interface within the United States must account for the some 25 million deaf or hard of hearing users and the 3.4 million legally blind or visually-impaired users. Not to mention, they'll additionally want to accommodate the estimated 56 million users who speak a language other than English at home.
So what Anderton's fancy Precrime interface showed us was he could efficiently access Pre-Cog's images with a primary modality (gesture), but he could still use the system if, let's say, his once-mentor-turned-villain had Anderton's eyeballs removed from their sockets. (Maybe Tom's characters should stop trusting their mentors!)
Lesson #4: You Must Design For Human Error Upfront For Usability
"That was some of the best flying I've seen to date—right up to the part where you got killed."
Lieutenant Pete Mitchell is the character's real name, but almost everyone knows him by his call sign: "Maverick." In the 1986 drama, (which will be re-released later this year in 3D), Cruise's call sign is, in fact, aptly named since his cavalier attitude has him pushing the envelope of "genius flying" and dangerous close-calls until his hubris stumbles during a training exercise. While piloting too close to another jet, the jet wash (a.k.a. turbulence that forms behind an aircraft) causes a flame out on his plane, therein causing the accidental deaths of his Radar Intercept Officer ("Goose") and his own confidence.
Regardless of the real-life dangers of in-flight jet wash—there are some who will cry that no evidence suggests such dangers exist at cruising altitudes—the movie demonstrates a simple point: human error is possible even among the best of us. (In fact, in Minority Report, Colin Farrell's character lectures Anderton by saying, "But there's a flaw. It's human. It always is."). Where Top Gun may fail on accuracy in many spots (like who brings in a PhD, non-pilot, civilian hottie to command a bunch of testosterone-fueled egomaniacs?), it is accurate on this count: a 2004 study (ISASI, Shappell et al.) found upwards of 80% of aviation accidents were attributed to, at least in part, human error.
Even if your user experience has no safety-related aspects, it is worth considering the possibility of significant operational opportunity costs when human error isn't accounted for in the user experience (e.g. incremental sales, lost recapture of customer). So the question becomes, what can you to mitigate all of this? If you adequately test your system—model it, put it on reference hardware, drive test it with users—you can learn where human error creeps in even if you are unable to predict it. In Maverick's case, a flight simulator could have predicted his "crazy" maneuvers, which should have dictated design precautions such as auto-pilot override when getting within jet wash range or emergency overrides like engine re-spark and auto-tail-spin correction during failures. Designing those features would've cost less in the long run and avoided the great balls of fire.
Lesson #5: Style Captures the Attention
"It was great the way her mind worked. No guilt, no doubts, no fear. None of my specialties. Just the shameless pursuit of immediate gratification. What a capitalist."
Few of you probably knew of Tom Cruise when he was Billy in Endless Love, and you may have gone back and seen Taps and thought, "Hey, wait, that cadet captain with the red hat. That's Tom Cruise, isn't it?!" But looking back on his early films, there is no question in your mind's eye that Joel Goodsen of Risky Business was played by Tom Cruise. Why is that? Why did that product capture the buying public's attention so clearly? The answer: style. Tom sported a pair of sunglasses still known as "Risky Business Shades" (Google it if you don't believe me), and made a very memorable and stylish entry despite wearing only a collared shirt and tighty-whities (that probably were not purchased at K-Mart).
Usability absolutely helps a product, but providing a unique style that captures the eyes of consumers also has its benefits. As noted by Bill Buxton, writing on Apple's rise in Sketching User Experiences, "The design that led to success was largely in the realm of styling, bordering on the superficial … I don't mean this in a pejorative sense. The style of these machines gave them character that clearly resonated with people, and help reshape their perception of what a computer might be for."
In many interviews, Bob Lutz (the former head of product design for General Motors as well as several other automotive companies) has stated that a key lesson GM needed to relearn in order to recover market share was that "Styling is the great differentiator." And in a Bloomsburg BusinessWeek article entitled "How to Sell More Than a Product", Carmine Gallo cites Starbucks as providing a "… true strategy for entrepreneurs: Don't sell products. Sell an 'experience'"—one which includes creating a style that matches your brand.
If you follow this as well as all of the paths set forth for you by Tom Cruise for user experience, you'll have a product your customer will love, and you won't have to scream, "Show me the money!"
Tom Cruise red carpet image courtesy Jaguar PS/Shutterstock