The question:
My daughter is cooking at school and has to cook a dish using or containing a Roux sauce. We can't find one anywhere. Could you give us any ideas or let us know us a suitable meal to make using a Roux sauce?

Chef Mom says:
A roux sauce is a sauce made with oil or fat (butter, margarine, shortening) and flour or corn flour -- such as you might have as a base for alfredo sauce or a homemade macaroni and cheese sauce. You could also use it for thickening soups, stews, sauces, etc. Depending on the use, the color of the sauce will vary from a white (use butter) to a deep brown. (The longer you cook it, the darker it will get.) One caveat: don't burn it. If you do, you have to start all over again because it will ruin the entire dish.

Here are the basic directions, using 2/3 cup fat to about 1/2 cup of flour:

Heat fat in a pan or skillet until warm. Over heat, add the flour, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thick or the roux has reached the desired color.

For some more recipes, check out the Fabulous Foods site or Food TV.

Good luck!