Before we get to this edition’s special recipes, I would like to again invite everyone who reads this column to consider sharing one of your family’s heirloom recipes. I’m sure that there are some outstanding recipes used by our residents that have been handed down from generation to generation. That’s what this column is all about. Have you got one to share? If so, please send to me at greengeezer9@comcast.net
Our special recipe is another treasure from Emma Burns of Neighborhood 33. Emma invites you readers to make use of this great soup. Thanks, Emma, for contributing to the column.
Sammy
Meatloaf or Meatballs – Serves 4
Italian cooking always came naturally for me, since my grandparents immigrated to America and brought with them “a taste of Italy.” Many of my fondest childhood memories are those around the dinner table with the Casaburri’s, my mother’s large family, or in my grandmother Emma’s (Trifiletti) small kitchen enjoying her specialty, the Sicilian Arancini, a fabulous rice ball with a center of peas and beef in tomato sauce (allrecipes.com/recipe/arancini).
The dish that Sam particularly enjoys is my meatloaf. This recipe with a slight variation works for meatballs for both the Italian Wedding Soup and for traditional meatballs in tomato sauce over pasta.
What makes the meatloaf and meatballs tastier than the traditional recipe is the mixture of beef, veal, and pork, which you can purchase at Joe Caputo and Sons, instead of the usual chopped chuck. I was introduced to this combination at the suggestion of a butcher in a Sunset Foods store in Lake Forest about 30 years ago. The trio provides a smooth texture and enhances the flavor, thus creating an unforgettable meatloaf or meatball. Another important ingredient is potato bread, instead of ordinary white bread or breadcrumbs. The potato bread adds more moisture to the mixture. Never again will you serve a tough meatball. This recipe can be used for either the meatloaf or meatballs by changing one main ingredient. For the meatloaf, use grated onion. For the meatballs, garlic is substituted. The amount of garlic is a taste preference. For added sweetness, add 2 tablespoons of ketchup to the meatloaf recipe. Here’s the complete recipe:
1.5 lbs. of meatloaf mix (or 1/2 lbs. of ground beef, veal, or pork)
3 slices of potato bread soaked in water, squeezed of excess water, crumbled
1/4 cup of dried parsley
1/2 cup of finely ground Parmesan cheese (more or less as desired)
1 medium onion, grated (substitute garlic powder to taste for meatballs)
3 eggs or 2 extra large eggs
Salt, pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of ketchup (meatloaf only)
Combine all ingredients and shape into a meatloaf. Surround meatloaf with peeled and quartered Russet and sweet potatoes that have been coated with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and a touch of paprika, two medium sized potatoes of each. Bake at 400 degrees for an hour.
The Italian Wedding Soup is traditional chicken soup (2 chicken breasts, 3 sliced carrots, 1 diced onion, 3 stalks of sliced celery, 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes simmered for 1.5 hours) and dropping about 2 dozen raw mini meatballs (only 1/4 inch in diameter) into the soup in the last 15 minutes. Add one cup of cooked orzo and serve with freshly baked Italian bread!
Enjoy!
Emma
