When it comes to great food, sometimes sauce makes all the difference: Andrew Coppolino

So, I've got the meal pretty much put together. The protein is barbecued, a host of vegetables have been nicely grilled and there's rice pilaf prepared.

We're ready to sit down to eat when I realize that the plates look a little boring — there's no sauce!

While the old-school, heavy-duty French "mother" sauces can be time-consuming and technically difficult, and ketchup is a bit too simple for your steak, there are easy sauces that can be done virtually at the last minute to complete your plate.

More than just an afterthought, sauces are at the very core of humankind's history in the kitchen. The word itself derives from a centuries' old word for "salt" — those crunchy sea crystals — which ancient cooks used to season food and boost taste.

Those same cooks employed the services of ingredients essentially growing around them and others brought in from far away like peppercorns, spicy-hot peppers, sweet and sour fruits, honey, herbs and spices.

Home cooks today can similarly rely on those ingredients. In addition to the punch of flavour, sauces add texture and visual appeal to a plate of food — important because it is often said that diners eat with their eyes first.

At Ennio's Pasta House, chef Danny MacDonald suggests using simple ingredients readily available and in your larder.