Meatballs

I don't know about you, but I LOVE meatballs!  Since the time I began living on my own, I've been searching for the perfect meatball recipe.  I don't recall my dad ever making them.  That job was reserved for my grandma!  I don't mind admitting that they were AWESOME!  They were so big, they'd take up half of my plate!  I have yet to find a recipe that comes close to Grandma Millie's, but I did find one that I think I can live with.  This recipe comes from Lidia's Italian American Kitchen cookbook!

Here is the recipe as it appears in Lidia's book, however, I changed it up a bit according to the ingredients that I had on hand.

The recipe called for 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground pork.  I didn't have any ground pork so I just used beef.  Forget the extra lean stuff as you really need some fat in the meat for flavor and to help keep it moist.  Try not to over mix as this will make your meatballs tough. 

I also didn't have any Italian parsley, but I did have some fresh basil so I used that instead.  My breadcrumbs were not fresh, they were the seasoned kind from a can.  The recipe calls for one cup of the breadcrumbs, but I only used about 1/2 of a cup.  If you use too much of the seasoned crumbs from the can, the meatballs can become too dense and too mealy. 

This may seem strange to you, but, I weigh my meatballs.  I like all of them to be the same size.  I use my Weight Watchers scale...it works great.  These wonderful meat morsels are 1.2 oz each.  The last one was slightly more.

Lidia's recipe calls for a light dusting of flour, just enough to allow a slight crust when frying them up!  The last time I made these, I skipped this step and was sorry later on.  Trust me on this one!

Browning these little guys can be time consuming.  But they are so worth it.  Take your time.  Keep the burner on medium.  Once a crust has formed, gently turn them over.  Continue turning them until they are browned on all sides.  Drain them for a couple of minutes on paper towels before adding them to the sauce.



I know I've mentioned before about how much I LOVE San Marzano tomatoes, so I won't spend a lot of time talking about it again, BUT, if you can buy them (they are also sold under the brand name Cento), please use them, it makes all the difference in the world!

Since these are whole, I pour the tomatoes into a bowl and squish them by hand.  Then, I simply add the meatballs, the tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of red wine to a sauce pan and cover.  I bring it to a boil and then lower it to a simmer for about 35 minutes.  Stir it every few minutes so nothing sticks.

Amelia and Olivia had a friend over for a play date today.  She stayed for dinner and had TWO helpings!

I don't often make these during the week because of the time they take, but I really enjoy doing it for our Sunday dinners!  It reminds me of when I was young.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cacciatore!

Have you ever been to Italy?  Dan and I visited Rome in 2007 for our 10 year wedding anniversary.  There were many things about that city that I fell in love with.  As a Catholic, being inside the walls of the Vatican is a spiritually invigorating experience.  To me, it was almost beyond words.  It didn't hurt that my very dear friend, Monsignor Steven J. Lopes lives and works there.  But my love for Italy goes beyond Catholicism and beyond friendship....it's part of who I am.

I knew that the food would be good.  How could it not be....it was ROME!  But it was more than just good.  I  think those were the very best meals I've ever had.  For a long time, I couldn't figure out why.  After all, my father was an awesome cook!  He used recipes that had been handed down for generations.  We always had the freshest ingredients.  The thought of using a jarred sauce or processed cheese was quite foreign in our household.  So why was the food so much better in Italy?  I think part of it was just simply the "atmosphere". I mean, I was in ITALY and don't you just automatically assume that the food will be good?

In Italy, eating is not just for physical nourishment.  Food is to be enjoyed.  The table is a place where meals are to be shared with family and friends.  Most Italians don't go grocery shopping the way we do here.  Those that live in the city shop daily for ingredients that are fresh, local and in season.  For those that live further out, they have their own gardens and farms.  Cooking is a labor of love...beginning in it's earliest stages as a seed and progressing until it is awaiting consumption at your table.  Meals are to be enjoyed...lingered over....savored.  We're always in such a darn hurry here in the U.S....it's no wonder we are overweight and over stressed.  We could take a few lessons from the Europeans!

I share all of this with you to tell you that I think I have figured out how to make my Italian dishes taste more authentically Italian......are you ready for me to tell you???  Are you ready?????  Wait for it....wait for it.....San Marzano Tomatoes!  Yep.  These make ALL the difference in the world!  Trust me on this one!

Once you have tried them, you will NEVER buy another brand of canned tomatoes!

The following recipe was adapted from the one I found on Lidia Biastanich website 

Ingredients:

2 broiler chickens, (about 1 1/2 lbs each, preferably free range) **I used a package of thighs**

salt

freshly ground pepper

all-purpose flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped **I also chopped 2 large cloves of garlic**

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes including the liquid (you will need to crush them by hand)

1 tsp dried oregano

2 cups white or shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 8 oz)

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

Directions:

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour lightly.  Shake off any excess flour.  In a wide braising pan, heat the vegetable oil.  Add as many pieces of the chicken to the pan that will fit without touching.  Do not crowd the chicken.  Brown in batches if you have to.  Remove chicken from the pan when done.  Add the onions and garlic to the pan.  Saute for about 5 minutes.

Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half...about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Tuck the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil and cover the pan.  Cook, stirring a few times...about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and peppers.  Toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy...about 8 minutes.  Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the pan.  Cook, covered, until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.  Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.  There should be enough liquid to barely cover the chicken.  If necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the liquid as the chicken cooks.

I served this with regular spaghetti and garlic bread.  This was SO GOOD!  I'm not kidding you about the San Marzano tomatoes.  They totally are the reason this dish is so good!

Doesn't this look like something your Italian grandmother would have made???

Please, please try this recipe!  You'll love it!

Pork Chop Dilemma

I never really know what to do with pork chops.  You have to be really careful or they will end up really dry and unappetizing.  I prefer to brown them first and then cook them in liquid, or, I like to put them in the crock pot so they remain moist.

Last night, I took the easy way out and just browned and baked them.  Here's the recipe (I made it up as I went along):

Olive oil
5-6 bone in pork chops
Soul Seasoning
1/2 cup white wine
1 small onion
1 package brown gravy mix
1 package onion gravy mix
2 cups water

Sprinkle chops liberally with Soul Seasoning.  Brown in olive oil.  Place browned chops in a 9x13 baking dish.  Drain excess oil/grease but make sure to leave enough to saute the onion.  Slice onion and saute in hot pan making sure to scrape brown bits from bottom of pan.  When onions are soft, add white wine, gravy mix and water.  Use whisk to stir until thickened (the mixture should come to a boil).  Pour over chops and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

I served this with steamed broccoli that I tossed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese and some white rice.  I marinated the tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and dried basil (I didn't have any fresh).


The good news is that the kids ate pretty well and the pork chops were tender.  Still, this recipe did not excite me.  I'm looking for something new and different.  I will be experimenting with pork chops more in the coming weeks.  Winn Dixie has had them on sale a lot lately...the buy one get one free sale!   Stay tuned for more on pork chops!

Now you see them....



Now you don't!



Welcome!

Welcome to my new cooking blog!  Cooking is in my blood!  My father was the oldest son of Italian Immigrants.  My mother was born and raised in the southern United States...Georgia, to be exact.  I've lived the best of both worlds!  Both of my parents were wonderful cooks!  This blog will be the place I come to talk about my Italian/Southern upbringing and all the wonderful culinary treats that I've been blessed to enjoy.

I must tell you right up front..I'm not that great at cooking.  However, it's in my blood and the more I practice...the more I am able to use cooking as a creative outlet...the better I will become.

My father was an Italian and Catholic!  That might not mean much to you, but to me, this says everything!  For one thing, family meals, holiday meals and church meals were what made my dad tick!  He would plan a menu for days and days.  He never made a small meal.  He died when I was 17.  At that age, I wasn't interested in cooking and I didn't realize what a treasure I had lost by not writing down recipes and techniques.  Even today, I try so very hard to remember ingredients and cooking times for various dishes.
One of the first things I remember watching my dad make was fried zucchini flowers and polenta!  My mouth waters as I type.  My father's favorite word was..."MANGIA"!

My mother's nickname was "Georgia Peach"!  She was the wizard of all things fried...chicken, corn, okra, cabbage, pork chops, etc.  You name it, she fried it!    I grew up eating grits for breakfast, collard greens and corn bread for lunch, and smothered pork chops for supper along with the an occasional tomato sandwich as a snack.  My mom died in 2006, however, years earlier she wrote down her recipe for Brunswick Stew!  I'm so blessed to have that in her very own handwriting!  Her favorite word was..."FIDDLESTICKS"!

This blog will be a place to share my cooking successes...and my failures.  My goal is to post a picture with every entry.  Let's see how this goes!