Daniel Mancini

I recently discovered this guy on Facebook, I like his no-nonsense attitude towards cooking. Here is a copy-and-paste message he posted...what say you?
Daniel Mancini
4d
·
Tomato Tip.
If your using canned tomatoes, and you should, only use whole peeled don’t use crushed, puree. When you start with whole tomatoes you know exactly what you have. Crushed and puree well that is anyone’s guess. As far as what brand to buy well I say stick with one you like when it goes on sale load up. Oh and my opinion…stay away from any even with stamps DOP etc, San Marzano I just don’t believe they are authentic. As Stanley Tucci pointed out in one of his shows when he went to the location in Italy, where they are grown, it’s impossible to supply what we see when that land is less than 400 acres. So buy a whole plum, or whole tomato.
❤️Daniel Mancini l

[Jenise]

This guy's mixing a few things up. First off, there's a variety called San Marzano in the U.S. so a can called San Marzano doesn't neccessarily have to be from San Marzano, Italy.

I agree with him that canned tomatoes are good. I also agree that there are a lot of excellent canned tomatoes. I know people who swear by the Italian brand Cento but personally I have tasted them side by side with others and not found them superior. For the money, I like Muir Glen and buy them almost exclusively.

Pureed vs. whole? Depends on your end game. His recommendation, without further qualification, doesn't make any sense.

I'm usually left with the choice of "fresh" supermarket golf ball tomatoes or canned. I go with the canned. I have had good luck with Pomi brand chopped or strained tomatoes, which come in a box. I'm especially encouraged by the ingredient list on the package. There is one ingredient: tomatoes. The DOP San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy all seem to have basil added, which isn't always appropriate for the dish I'm making.

-Paul W.

I recently discovered this guy on Facebook, I like his no-nonsense attitude towards cooking. Here is a copy-and-paste message he posted...what say you?

I think you confuse whiners with whistle-blowers.

As Jenise said, there is place named San Marzano and a cultivar of tomato named San Marzano. Anybody can grow the cultivar and call it San Marzano; only people living in San Marzano can do that AND call it DOP San Marzano. Check the label for the seal of the consorzio.

Regarding whole vs crushed, I doubt there are dozens and dozens of bad actors out there making non-tomato tomato puree. It's like the people who tell you only to buy a fish (or a roast duck, etc.) with the head still on.

Paul, about the basil: San Marzano tomatoes are specifically a sauce tomato so, yes, they're making assumptions... but not unwarranted for an Italian product, I think.

Interesting comments. I am a Muir Glen fan myself, but also buy Cento whole canned tomatoes. I use fire-roasted, diced tomatoes the most, but I also have one pull-out shelf in my second pantry for just canned tomato products. It is the only pullout shelf in that area because it is a large shelf and had to be specially braced to hold the weight of what I keep on hand.
I enjoyed reading his comments on all the fuss about cooking a turkey. It used to drive me nuts every Thanksgiving to read all the do this, not that from so many different chefs. I finally perfected my T- day dinner in 2017, and that is the last time I cooked on Thanksgiving. It is up to the younger adults in the family now. They did learn from all my notes over the years, so they have it perfected earlier than I did.

I like Cento and Sclafani though I think I reach for Tutto Rosso or Luigi Vitelli first.

I like fire-roasted toms too but I have to be careful, as His Majesty is rather sensitive to smoke flavors.

And turkeys! Indeed, never seen so much fuss over something that is just a big bird. Cooking one is not rocket science, no matter how many rocket scientists opine on the subject!