There is a French epigram which, when translated, reads, "Cooking and roasting may be taught, but it takes a genius to make a sauce." This is very true, for in no other line of cooking does the art of cooking display itself to better advantage than in the making of sauces.

Each sauce must posses a distinct flavor and character of its own, and add richness and piquancy or flavor without losing its own identity.

The excellence of many entrées depends almost entirely on the sauces which enter largely into their composition.

Most fish dishes would be insipid without an appropriate sauce. Some meat dishes and a large variety of puddings would be unpalatable without their customary sauces.

The French, perhaps, exceed all other nations in the making of sauces. One will find, in glancing over a French cook book as many as 500 and 600 recipes for sauces History tells us that long before the reign of Louis XI the "SAUCIERS" had formed themselves into a corporation. They made sauces which the people bought to flavor their ragouts.

Difference between sauces and gravy-Gravy is simply the juices of meat diluted and seasoned, but not thickened, except the slightly thickened brown gravy, which ought to really rank as a thin sauce.

Sauces are liquid seasonings.

The following liquids form the bases of most of the sauces:

1. White Stock - Nearly all the good, white, savory sauces have for their foundation white stock and milk, used in varying proportions.

2. Brown Stock - All good brown savory sauces are made from stock, more or less rich, according to the purpose for which they are intended.

3. Fish Stock - Fish sauces usually have for their foundation about equal quantities of fish stock and milk.

4. Milk - Milk forms the basis of nearly all the plain white sauces, both sweet and savory, also of bread sauce.