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Ever heard of the five French mother sauces? Originally classified by Antonin Carême in the 19th century and later updated by Auguste Escoffier in the 20th century, the sauces include béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Most other sauces find their origins in these five types, hence the term "mother." Here's a brief rundown on the ingredients of each sauce, plus common pairings:

1. Béchamel. This classic milk-based white sauce was named after Louis de Béchamel, chief steward to Louis XIV. It's composed of three main ingredients: flour, butter, and milk. The thickness of this cream sauce depends on the ratio of flour and butter to milk: the more milk, the thinner the sauce. It's usually served with eggs, fish, steamed veggies or poultry, or pastas, like macaroni and cheese.
2. Velouté. This sauce is made just like béchamel, only milk is swapped for stock. Whether it's made from chicken, veal, or fish stock, velouté is typically not flavored with extra seasonings, and it's regularly used on veal, eggs, fish, steamed vegetables, poultry, or pastas.
3. Espagnole. A brown stock-based sauce that may sound Spanish but is actually French in origin. Espagnole includes rich meat stock, browned vegetables, browned roux (a butter and flour mix), plus herbs and tomato paste. Unlike velouté, though, it's served mainly with roasted meats.
4. Hollandaise. Egg yolks and fat, usually butter, are the basic ingredients for this yellow emulsified sauce. Like mayonnaise, this rich, creamy sauce tends to top eggs, vegetables, light poultry, or fish.
5. Tomato. Whether it's made with raw, stewed tomatoes or a tomato paste, tomato-based sauce is generally used on pasta, fish, vegetables, veal, poultry, breads, and dumplings.

This list is still up for contention today, as still others believe that different sauces (like allemande, the egg-enriched velouté sauce, and vinaigrette) belong in the category of "mother sauce." How many of these have you made at home or sampled at a French restaurant?

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Burnt pancakes, undercooked pancakes, and messily flipped pancakes: do you struggle to perfect a seemingly simple American classic? If you've ever wondered what the heck went wrong with your pancakes, then read on for the top pancake troubles and how to avoid them.

1. Don't try to wing the recipe without reading it several times. Do follow the recipe exactly to avoid making careless mistakes.
2. Don't overmix the batter or else the pancakes can end up flat and dense. Do combine the wet and dry ingredients until they are just mixed. There should be some lumps.
3. Don't attempt to cook large pancakes at first, because they are harder to flip and cook thoroughly. Do stick to four- to six-inch pancakes, measuring and dolloping out the batter using a trigger ice-cream scoop.

See four more dos and don'ts of making pancakes when you keep reading.

Looking to introduce a new grain in your life? kitchenwlittleb cooks farro in a warm prosciutto and spinach salad.

This salad combines farro, a less-used but nutrient-packed grain, with salty prosciutto, savory, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach for a great, warm weeknight salad. It also makes for excellent leftovers as a cold salad.

For more — including the recipe — check out her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos in the YumSugar Community or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.