a little more. i didn't know how to cook when we got married. didn't even know how to boil water. >> while here my mother was also inspired by the spirit of the renaissance and set out to discover the art of italian cooking. >> when we lived in florence and everyone was in school, i would learn to make different recipes. i loved it. >> my mother soon found the key that unlocks so much of italian cooking -- a simple combination of carrots, celery, and onions. fried up together it's called the soufreto. >> looking good. what do you think? >> it's good. >> the base of countless italian dishes including today's offering, a tucci family favorite called salsa maria rosa. >> put some water in it. >> it is a delicious vegetable sauce and we named it after our beloved neighbor here in florence who showed my mother how to make it all those years ago. in the fine tradition of tuscan home cooking it's cheap, nutritious, and full of tomato.