That's a spicy meat-a-ball!

When I was younger I dreamt of being a chef. It all goes back to spending weekends at my Grandma's, who was lucky enough to have cable before we did, where I watched countless hours of The Food Network. East Meets West, Molto Mario, the original Emeril Lagassi show The Essence of Emeril, Two Fat Ladies and countless other classics occupied my weekends. My Grandma and Mom still humor me every holiday by letting me make the antipasta, a tradition I insisted on growing up.



It makes me laugh to think that I used to make faux shopping lists and pretend to go food shopping in my parent's fridge as a kid, knowing that when I finally had my own house, my cabinets would be filled with only the best ingredients. The sad reality is that today, food shopping is just as big a chore as my mom always complained it was, and at 8:30pm, whipping up dinner is purely a method of survival. However, every so often, when the stress levels have subsided and I have a few hours to spare in the kitchen, I'm able to dabble in the hobby of my youth and cook an extra tasty dinner.



This afternoon, the cutting boards came out and I began chopping garlic and onions just the way I like before adding them to a pot of sizzling olive oil. After adding crushed tomatoes and seasonings, my sauce boiled away its frustration while I made some meatballs. My Grandma, hands down, makes the best meatballs I have ever eaten. Meatballs were always a cause of consternation for my Mom, who is never fully satisfied with her makings. I think the key to my Grams delicious meatballs, is that she uses the trifecta of ground meat - beef, pork and veal - and in addition to Italian breadcrumbs, she mixes in stale bread, which she mashes with water. The taste and textures are just right, every time. Today, my meatballs were made in the standard style of ground beef, egg, grated cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings, which after browning in a pan, were tossed into the sauce to simmer.

A few hours later, when the penne was al dente, I tossed the macaroni and sauce together and enjoyed a satisfying Sunday dinner. Mangia!