minimizes the mixing of enzymes and targets, so cells stay relatively intact, and relatively little green aroma develops Then there’s the traditional Italian preparation called estratto, which begins with fresh tomatoes cooked down to some extent, and then mixes them with some olive oil and spreads the paste on boards to dry down further in the sun This is often described as a relatively “gentle” process compared to cooking, and it probably does spare some damage to the pectin molecules But in fact it subjects a number of sensitive molecules — including the antioxidant tomato pigment lycopene and unsaturated fatty acids in the olive oil — to powerful and damaging ultraviolet light, which gives estratto a distinctively strong, cooked flavor Nuts and Spices as Thickeners Among seeds and other dry plant materials, only oily nuts can be made into a sauce base on their own When such nuts are ground into “butters,” the oil provides the fluid continuous phase that lubricates the particles of cell walls and proteins But most of the time, nuts are mixed with other ingredients, including liquids, so they become part of a complex suspension and help thicken both with their dry particles and with their oil, which becomes emulsified into tiny droplets Almonds have long served this purpose in the Middle East and Mediterranean in such sauces as romesco (with red peppers, tomatoes, and olive oil) and picada (garlic, parsley, oil), and the coconut in tropical Asia, where it’s pounded along with spices and herbs to become part of the sauce for cooked meats, fish, and vegetables Nuts and other finely ground seeds and spices help thicken liquid sauces thanks to their very dryness, which allows their particles to absorb water from the sauce and ... Almonds have long served this purpose in the Middle East and Mediterranean in such sauces as romesco (with red peppers, tomatoes, and olive oil) and picada (garlic, parsley, oil), and the coconut in tropical Asia, where it’s... and proteins But most of the time, nuts are mixed with other ingredients, including liquids, so they become part of a complex suspension and help thicken both with their dry particles and with their oil, which...only oily nuts can be made into a sauce base on their own When such nuts are ground into “butters,” the oil provides the fluid continuous phase that lubricates the particles of cell walls and proteins