Mirepoix

The combination of chopped onion, carrots and celery that is the base for sauces, soups, stews and stocks; sometimes referred to as aromatics. The heavenly smell that gets the senses flowing as it sautees in butter or olive oil.

In Cajun cooking onion, bell pepper and celery are known as the Holy Trinity.

A lot of the time in home cooking, the bases are forgotten. This is a base to never be forgotten. I use it to make every soup and stock, I even use it for marinara sauce and will puree it after it has cooked to make a nice thick texture. I usually do a rough chop of the vegetables, making sure that they are about the same size, but not pretty. The calculation is 50% onion, 25% carrot and 25% celery. So 1 medium onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs.

Butter can be omitted and olive can be used or bacon fat or ham. Just remember this combination used in your cooking can make all the difference. More often than not, it will be whats missing when you make something and find that its just 'off'. So wash your hands, sharpen your knife and turn on the stove...and your home will smell amazing!