“No
old boyfriends to check out?”
Fleeting
thoughts of a dark haired boy whose smile turned her legs to limp noodles
flashed through her mind. She turned and stirred the spaghetti sauce simmering
on the six burner stove, the newest acquisition in her ongoing kitchen remodel.
The smell of basil and oregano made her stomach growl. With care, she wiped a
spot of sauce off the gleaming surface. “Not a one. I was the new girl in town
and painfully shy. The boys didn’t know I existed.”
Josh
slung his arm over her shoulders and sniffed deeply. “They didn’t know what
they were missing. You’re an awesome cook and not bad looking for an old lady.
Hey!” he said, jumping back after she poked him in the ribs.
“I’m
not that old.”
“Forty-three
in August. I hate to break it to you, Mom, but that’s ancient.”
“I
suppose it is. I certainly feel ancient at times.”
He
stared at her, his eyes narrowing. “Maybe you’ll meet someone at the reunion.
You really should make an effort to date more. How many months has it been
since the last time you went out?”
Enjoy my personal recipe for spaghetti and Cesar salad, perfect for a chilly fall day!
Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes (cut up) with juice
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine (Cab or Merlot)
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp sugar
Brown ground beef in large pot, draining any fat. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until onion is wilted. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Herb measurements are approximate, as I am one of those cooks who never measures anything. Fresh herbs can be substituted for dried ones if you have them on hand.
Recipe will generously feed 12 people and freezes well. For my family of 4, I divide the sauce into 3 portions and freeze 2 containers for future use. Serve over spaghetti noodles with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.
Caesar Salad
Romaine lettuce washed and torn into pieces
Croutons
Freshly Grated Parmesan
Caesar Dressing
In a blender combine:
1 egg
juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves chopped
3 heaping Tbsp Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
While blender is running slowly add:
1 cup canola oil
Combine desired amount of dressing with salad ingredients. Remaining dressing will keep refrigerated for several days.
I got this recipe from my late mother-in-law, and it is a family favorite!
Buy links for Lonely Road to You and my other books can be found on my website, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Have a great day.
11 comments:
Jannine - My first husband was Italian and his mother taught me how to make sauce the old fashioned way. I miss that smell in my kitchen, and taking tasters with a chunk of bread. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the memory.
Cheers,
JG
Both recipes sound delicious. Good idea to make extra and freeze. There really is nothing better than homemade. Thanks for sharing. Margo
Jena, hope you'll enjoy these.
Yep, Margo, 3 dinners for the work of 1. You can't beat that!
I could smell it as I read the ingredients. Hmmm...let me go check my pantry.
Vonnie, there's nothing like walking into a house that smells of tomatoes and herbs...
As any Italian knows, we don't go to Italian restaurants, we make it better at home!!! Mmmmm
I'm not Italian, but I had three friends, all guys, in college who were. The spaghetti recipe originated with one of them, and I added my own tweaks over the years. Thanks for stopping by, Mary.
Should I confess I've never made homemade sauce. My poor children always got Ragu. I'll have to try it.
LOL, they probably survived it, Jerri, but homemade isn't that time consuming. You can write while it cooks!
Very cool cover!
Thanks, Lisa. That was one of the few covers where the artist actually took my suggestion!
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