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A
Tantalizing Array of Tastes
By Mary Kernan
For publication in the Lexington Minuteman
Publication Date:
August 3, 2006
Initially you’re lured in by the elegant presentation and dazzling
array of colors. You see green and
white and red, reminding you of the Italian flag (that is, if you know what the
Italian flag looks like). Neat
little crackers lined up, covered with a variety of toppings, inviting you to
try each one. Even the little kids
will nibble. And sometimes they'll
be chased away by Diane Manteca, the proprietor of Sassy River Sauces, after a
few too many tastes and no parents in sight.
The flavors will dazzle you, from a simple Basil Pesto to the more
sophisticated Moroccan Charmoula Chickpea sauce.
All are low in fat and high in taste. You
can’t help but sample your way across the table, unable to decide which you
like best.
Manteca
started
Sassy
River
as a natural extension of her own culinary career. She’s
been a chef for more than 20 years, eight of those at the helm of the Brickyard
Café in
Cambridge
. Her first love is the sauces.
As a chef,
Manteca
has always had to watch her weight and is sympathetic to the plight of dieters
staring at yet another plate of steamed vegetables or broiled chicken breast,
bored with the same flavors yet not knowing how to do anything more interesting.
The intent behind the development of these tasty sauces has been finding
ways to enhance foods without adding too many calories.
“I wanted to come up with an easy way to make things taste better,”
says
Manteca
, and a new enterprise took shape.
Manteca
decided early on that she wanted her culinary creations to put forth an
international flair. Her personal
penchant for ethnic foods is reflected in her offerings, ranging from Middle
Eastern to Asian to
Mediterranean
. Each sauce is fashioned with a
specific cuisine in mind, with the creative process leading her through many
variations before she’s finally satisfied with the results.
In particular,
Manteca
has always enjoyed Thai food, and wanted to add a peanut sauce to add to her
repertoire. “I love Thai food”,
she said, “but peanut sauces tend to be high in calories.
I needed to find some way to lower the fat content.”
Manteca
hit upon the idea of adding tofu, and even found a low fat variety to further
reduce the number of calories. She
also veered away from traditional Thai ingredients such as coconut milk, fish
sauce and chiles as she knew these bold flavors weren’t for everyone.
“Instead of a Satay sauce, I was trying to create a flavorful peanut
dipping sauce,” said
Manteca
. Initially her tasters, a handful
of willing friends and family, weren't completely wild about some of her
efforts, thus
Manteca
went back to the drawing board several times before finding recipes that work.
“You have to keep your ego in check, and remember that it’s the food
and not the chef that’s being critiqued,” said
Manteca
, who’s learned to smile sweetly when her best friends tell her they don’t
like something she’s made.
Each week,
Manteca
heads to Jamaica Plain's to Nuestra Culinary Ventures, a commercial kitchen
available to small food service businesses.
Her production plan is carefully coordinated with her scheduled time in
the kitchen, as well as commitments at
Boston
area markets and local retail stores. At
Nuestra,
Manteca
produces and packages her sauces for sale at area farmers’ markets including
Lexington
,
Belmont
and
Boston
. After a successful first year with
flavors such as Caribee Mango Lime Mustard and Provencal Olive Pesto, she’s
added Smoked Tomato Tapanade, Tuscan Spinach and Artichoke and the Thai Peanut
to her assortment of sauces. All of
these will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about three weeks – they freeze
well, too.
Manteca
is quick to point out that there are no preservatives or artificial ingredients
used; her customers frequently comment on the wonderfully fresh taste.
Using
Manteca
's sauces couldn’t be simpler. They’re
great as dips for vegetables, spreads for sandwiches or toppings for grilled
meats. “With a minimum of fuss,
you can quickly turn dinner or sandwiches into something more interesting,”
says
Manteca
. At the farmers’ markets, you can
sample them on crisp rice crackers, which
Manteca
uses because they are gluten-free. “I
get them at Trader Joe’s,” she says, “and I sometimes feel like I’m
selling as many crackers as sauces,” she adds with a chuckle.
While the farmers’ markets are a terrific vehicle for selling her goods
during the summer months,
Manteca
continues to search out retail outlets for the off season.
Because her operation is relatively small, she can’t yet produce the
volume necessary to make working with larger retailers feasible.
She currently sells through small specialty shops including La
Riviera
and Busa Farms in
Lexington
, and The Vineyard in
North Andover
. By selling at
Boston
area farmers’ markets, she hopes to catch the eye of a number of
Boston
's gourmet shops in the near future.
During the winter, you can find
Manteca
teaching cooking classes and running excursions to
Italy
for the
Boston
Center
for Adult Education. She also
thrills some very fortunate clients with her culinary creations as a personal
chef for Homemade Today on a regular basis, but her passion remains with her
sauces!
You can try any of the Sassy River Sauces at the Lexington Farmers’
Market, held every Tuesday from
2:00 – 6:30
(rain or shine) at the corner of
Massachusetts
and Fletcher Aves.
XXX
Mary Kernan is the Chef/Owner of Homemade Today Personal Chef service.
She can be reached at
mary@homemadetoday.com
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