PPS: The Famous Spaghetti Sauce Recipe as Promised.

 

GG Katie's Famous Spaghetti Sauce Recipe 

     In 1960, when your Grandmother Coco was two years old and your Great Aunt Julie was a newborn, we lived in Holyoke, Massachusetts for two years.  Holyoke at that time was a mixture of Polish, Irish,  and Italian cultures, a very Catholic community, and steeped in US history. The Polish foods--the perogis and kielbasa-- along with the standard New England Boiled Dinner and corn chowder, not to mention the Irish brisket, were all brand new tastes for this Texas and Louisiana young mother, and while I lamented the fact that I couldn't find any chili powder or tortillas or filet gumbo, I loved all these new tastes. There is, of course, nothing like a New England pizza or a cheesecake, and I haven't tasted their equal since I left New England.

    When we returned to Texas, I brought those tastes back with me. I never could master Polish cooking, but I made the boiled dinner and corn chowder as the girls were growing up. Year by year, those meals fell by the wayside, giving way to our traditional Southern, Cajun, and Tex-Mex fare.

    But there is one recipe I brought back with me that has stayed in the family ever since and has been passed down to sisters and children and nieces and their children. And now it comes to you. I got the recipe from a friend, who claimed she got it from an old Italian woman, and I have every reason to believe her. 

    I have to say that, even though I'm talking about bringing the recipe back with me, it's important to know that I never wrote anything down. I just learned the sauce recipe by heart, and in later years, I wrote it down for your grandmother and great aunt. They have copies of it somewhere, so you need to know that I'm pretty sure no two copies are alike, but they'll all give you the same thick, rich sauce and plenty of it.

    I also have to say that I'm not much of a cook, so it's really funny that I that this recipe made me famous in our family, and I will always cook it when we gather. 

Famous Spaghetti

1 or 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 or 4 green and red bell peppers, finely chopped
about 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 box mushrooms (just plain old mushrooms; this recipe is before the time we had so many       choices)
Olive oil (Yes, I was using that long before we understood the health benefits)

This is how you start:

Set aside about 1/2 cup of your onions and peppers to mix in the meatballs. In a large iron skillet, using the olive oil, brown the onions and peppers, then add the mushrooms, and finally the garlic, being careful that it doesn't burn. When the onions and garlic are translucent and the mushrooms and peppers are limber, instead of stiff, transfer the mixture to a large pot, about a 4 quart pot or more. Put your burner on low heat.

Then add an assortment of tomato products.

1 can tomato paste (a must! mix it with water before adding_

2 large cans tomato sauce

2 large cans stewed tomatoes

2 cans whole tomatoes

1-2 cups water

Stir everything together and keep your burner on low.

Add spices and condiments. A sprinking of:

red wine
sugar
Parmesan cheese, grated
oregano
basil leaves
assorted Italian seasoning
salt

Note: your sauce will cook on low for about 3 hours. During that time, you should stir the mixture and add seasoning about every 30-45 minutes.  You need to taste the sauce before and after you add stuff.

If you want meatballs:

1 pound premium ground meat
1 pound Italian sausage
egg
bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
onions and peppers that you set aside
Mix all of that together into one squishy form; using your hands is the best way to get everything mixed together evenly, so be sure to wash them before and especially after.
Using that same iron skillet, and with the heat turned on low, with a little olive oil in the skillet, form your meatballs and place in the pan. Don't make them too large or they'll fall apart. You will need to turn them about 4 times, making sure they are mostly browned.

Note: You are not cooking the meatballs; you're only browning them so that they will stay together when you add them to the sauce. They will be thoroughly cooked during the hours that the sauce is simmering.

With tongs, gently place the meatballs in the sauce, add more of the condiments, and let the sauce simmer. You have plenty of time to wash up all the dishes and utensils you used, set the table, etc., while the sauce is simmering.

When it's close to time to eat, cook the spaghetti of your choice according to directions. Then people can first put the spaghetti on their plates, then the sauce, then a sprinkling of Parmesan. I like to serve with crusty bread, red wine, and a salad that I learned about on the Amalfi Coast: arugula, sliced cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, shaved Parmesan, and a balsamic dressing.

I've tried to remember everything, but be sure to ask Coco to take a look when you begin making the sauce. 

GG Katie, Mother's Day 2023

Love,

GG Katie

P.S. When I Was Three

 Dear Joanie,

    Just one more thing that I thought of. This is my world when I was three years old. I was born in October, 1939, so I turned 3 in 1942.

    In 1942, we were a family of four: Curt and Amy, my parents; Patsy (Patricia) my sister, born in 1936 and three years older than me; and me. Karol would be born in 1944. Curt worked at Stanolind Oil Company in Houston, and Amy stayed home to care for us.

    In 1942, we lived in Spring Branch, which, at that time, was on the outskirts of Houston. Spring Branch was the countryside. We lived in a house on Rollingwood Drive, such a good, descriptive name. We had chickens, turkeys, horses, and cows. Your Great Aunt Patsy and I would stand on top of the car, so that we could get on the horse named Danny. We would ride everywhere, bareback.

    The picture in my mind is of a really comfortable house and yard, lots of cool grass to play in, and shady oak trees with Spanish moss hanging from them. I remember that Mother used to milk the cow, then churn the milk into butter by hand. There was a butter paddle used for two things: one, to shape the butter and make it firm and two, to give us spankings when we misbehaved. 

    The world in 1942 was at war, including the United States. We had blackout curtains, and ration stamps for food and gas, and we grew a Victory Garden. My parents made sure that we felt safe and secure, so I know something bigger than my little family was happening, but I wasn't sure what it was. I wasn't scared. 

Love,

GG Katie

It's a Week Before Your Third Birthday

 

Dear Joanie,

       Yes, you are about to be three (3) years old in just one week. Looking back over all the pictures and the videos your mom and dad have posted, I know it's been quite a year for you.  I've seen you at your pre-school with all your classmates. I've watched you twirl in your dance class, play at the beach, play in the park, eat chocolate ice cream, make some food for your daddy, and visit your grandparents, your aunts and uncles and cousins. You grow in strength and beauty and confidence every day and you face your life head on--running, jumping, spinning. 

    It's been a lovely and mostly quiet year for your Great Grandpa Dougie and me as well. In our own lives, we enjoy our daily activities: for me, walking Shelby Poodle, dancing, reading; for Dougie, reading, play reading, and book clubs. Dougie's health is the same; he manages the blood disorders with medication, and, although he struggles a lot finding the words he want when he's talking, that condition has gotten any worse.

    We had a really cold and snowy winter in Colorado, and that was followed by rain and more rain in May.  Today, it's sunny and everyone in Boulder is outside, running, biking, skateboarding, walking, playing. Boulder is an active town!

    The world of 2022-2023 offered both hope and worries. Our COVID pandemic is officially over. Hardly anyone wears masks anymore. People are still getting COVID, but the numbers have dwindled. When the pandemic was declared over, it was announced that over one million people in the U.S. had died of COVID. Our lives are pretty much back to normal, but we won't go back to the way we lived before the pandemic. Those days are gone. Working from home, for an example, has become a way of life for many people, especially parents.  We have concerns about climate change, gun violence, and the 2024 presidential election. But we are also filled with hope for our future and, most of all, for your future. 

    In Volume 4 of letters to Joanie, I'll start telling you more about my own life--all 84 years of it. I have a lot of stories; I've lived a long time.

    Happy third birthday, Joanie. And many happy returns of the day!

Love,

GG Katie