Io sono Wumpan!!

I spent the whole day with my mom-in-law today. She taught me how to cook some really good Italian food and even how to speak Italian!! Molto bene!!

She taught me how to cook tomato sauce. I don't like tomato sauce. All the pasta I make is in garlic and oil because I don't like tomato sauce. However, I love her sauce. It has to be good if someone who doesn't like tomato sauce likes it. And I love it!!



frying onion and garlic



She first sautes some onion in generous amount of olive oil, then adds some garlic after a few minutes. She then put 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, 2 cans of tomato paste and some water. She cooks it for at least 1 hour, then adds basil, some olive oil, salt and pepper to your liking. Since we made some turkey meatballs, we put them in the sauce and cooked it for a while.

This is the secret to juicy meatballs!!

For the turkey meatball, she mixes parsley, ground turkey, cheese (romano), eggs, grated garlic, bread crumbs, wet bread pieces, salt and pepper. She soaks old and hard bread in a bowl of water. She rings it, breaks it in pieces and adds it in the mixture.

After mixing it well, she makes this into meatballs which are just about the size of a ping pong ball. She fries them in oil (vegitable/corn oil...something light). If you don't like tomto sauce or are too hungry to make some, you can just eat them like this. I love them crunchy on the outside, but you can fry them however you like. They are perfect just as they are, in a sandwich with some cheese or just with a glass of beer or wine!! She put some of the meatsballs in the tomato sauce. This is so good with the whole wheat spaghetti. If you read my blog, you know that every pasta I make is regular pasta. I would rather not eat pasta if I have to eat that whole wheat crap. But when my mom puts her magic in it, whole wheat spaghetti becomes my favorite pasta. I am telling you, I am NOT kissing her ass because she is my mom-in-law. It just really really is so good!! Since she had some eggs left, she made me some fritata. Fritata is an Italian fried omlet and you can put pretty much anything. Italian ladies are really smart and don't like to have anything go to waste, Fritata is a wonderful way to get rid of things that are left in your fridge! She put some parsley, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. She used the same oil she fried the meatballs in. After a minute or so on each side, and tada!!



Lastly, she made me some ice cream with almond on the cone!! I had such a wonderful time with you. I love you, mom, and thank you!!