Sweet September

When September arrives I immediately think apples and apple cider. I think most of us do while looking forward to a change from the extreme heat of summer. A nice crisp apple is synonymous with the crispness of fall.
I think fall was one of my Mother's favorite times; maybe being born in September had a little to do with it. My mother would just come to life when the apple farms and cider mills went into full swing. Her great love for pork didn't hurt either, she always said that apples and pork were a match made in heaven and I would have to agree.

Apple Cider Stew

1-2 lbs. Pork shoulder (any pork with a good amount of marbling) cut into bite size pieces.
8 large carrots, chopped
6 potatoes, chopped
2 apples, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 large onion chopped
2 c. apple cider

Place carrots, potatoes, and apples in crock pot. Add meat and sprinkle with salt, thyme, and onion. Pour cider over meat and cover. Cook on low heat 10-12 hours. Thicken gravy using 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a separate bowl mixed with a little bit of the hot gravy. Put cornstarch mixture back in pot of hot stew and bring to a boil while stirring.

It's Really All About The Sandwich!

Su-Lin/Flickr

The basics of a good meat loaf seem simple at best but through the years and many a meat loaf later I can honestly say that there are some people who can take the humble meat loaf and make it taste like.....you know! Sadly my mother was one of those people, she was a really good cook with everything else but her meat loaf would make me shudder. To this day I still feel she put way too many onions in it. My mother was the queen of onions and in other recipes that was just fine but in meat loaf, not so great. My mother's meat loaf was three parts chopped onions to a little over one part ground beef. You couldn't cut a slice of this meat loaf if your life depended on it. Each slice would just fall apart; there was not enough ground beef to hold it together. I guess if she was serving some recipe called "Onion Loaf" this would have been great but when having meat loaf, I find that the meat part of the recipe should be the headliner.
I realize that I am extremely fussy when it comes to meat loaf, it is just one of those foods that I tend to be quite judgmental about. To be fair, I have even made some meat loaves that I wouldn't eat.
My mother liked topping her meat loaf with ketchup and bacon which is pretty common. I don't mind the bacon but I am not real big on the ketchup.
I actually prefer meat loaf with brown gravy or no gravy at all as long as the meat loaf is moist. I have had a couple people who have served me meat loaf and I have actually enjoyed it and gone back for seconds, my grandmother being one and the other being my dear friend Christine.
The funny thing is I could really care less about the initial meat loaf dinner, what I truly look forward to, obsess over and dream about is that meat loaf sandwich I am going to make with the leftovers! I am surprised by the number of people that feel the exact same way. I guess when it comes down to it meat loaf is less about dinner and more about the sandwich!

A Simple Loaf

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 or 4 slices bacon
3/4 c. bread crumbs or bread cubes
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. of onion powder
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients except the bacon in a bowl. Briefly blend well and form into a loaf. Place the loaf on a rack in a 10" baking pan and cover with the bacon slices. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the meat loaf is firm and the bacon browned. Let the meat loaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Canadian French Fries Hold The Ketchup!

My parents and I spent anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks a year in Canada for the first 15 years of my life. We formed many friendships while there and got to experience a wide range of food from many different provinces. While visiting areas of Quebec we noticed that everywhere we went they served an item called; "Poutine", it is a very popular snack food there. Poutine is actually a plate of French fries but don't go reaching for the ketchup, these fries are served with cheese curds and hot gravy. May not sound good, it doesn't actually look good but boy it sure tastes good and that's what matters most. The only downfall that I have found making them in the states is the cheese curds I have to use. In Canada they are known for their fresh cheese curd, which are very buttery and salty. Here I rely on the packaged brands in the dairy case which are fine just a bit bland in comparison. The curd actually adds that saltiness we like with our fries, I haven't tried this yet but I was thinking that feta cheese might also work well with this given that it too is quite salty.

Poutine

1 portion of crinkle-cut French fries (any brand)

1 cup heated chicken or beef gravy

1 small bag of curd cheese

Bake or deep fry French fries as indicated on the package.
Spread out evenly on a plate and add curd cheese (as much as desired). Once gravy is steaming hot, pour over cheese and French fries.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Photo/JoeShablotnik/Flickr

Sunday Gravy

My Great, Great Grandparents
Mama Rose and Poppy

When my great great grandparents came to America from their beloved Italy, they endured many prejudices as was the case with all people of different ethnic backgrounds and religions. They had to work very hard for very little pay. They swept floors, did other peoples laundry and ironing. Times were hard but never the less they loved this country and were willing to work hard and raise a family. Even though money was scarce the dinner table was rich with tradition and love. The love of food bridged many differences between people through the ages. I’ve always been amazed at how you can place a variety of foods from many different cultures on one table and it exudes love and togetherness. It’s too bad that placing many different cultures on one planet does not do the same.
Growing up I remember all the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen, especially on Sunday. What we all commonly called sauce would be simmering on the stove in the wee hours of the morning. The smell would drive us nuts along with the smell of the meatballs frying. It was only a matter of time before those wonderful aromas got the best of us. My great Aunt would get some fresh bread from the bakery and we would start breaking off pieces of the bread and dunking it in the pot of sauce. My grandmother would lovingly yell at us to stop dunking. She would make each of us a meatball sandwich to hopefully keep us out of the pot of sauce until dinner. Actually it really wasn’t sauce at all it was“Sunday Gravy”. This is what it is truly known as in Italy. The meat from the Sunday gravy which always consisted of;” Meatballs, pork ribs, Italian sausage and pork hocks”. Was always served on a separate platter. My grandmother told me that in Italy they really do not do Spaghetti and meatballs that is actually an American interpretation of the dish. In Italy the meatballs are more a main dish to be served with salad or potatoes.
Here is an old recipe that I dug up. Make extra and freeze it. Your house will smell like a little slice of heaven and fill your senses with love.

Italian Sunday Gravy

Ingredients:
2 large cans of tomato puree
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1 quart chicken or beef stock
2 cups of dry red wine
¼ cup olive oil
2 yellow onions peeled and minced
½ cup chopped parsley
6 garlic cloves, chopped
½ pound of fresh mushrooms, chopped
½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil or 3 times as much fresh basil
½ tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound pork neck bones (this is what truly adds that special flavor)

Directions:
In a large pot, place tomato puree, tomato paste, chicken or beef stock and the wine. Heat a frying pan and add the olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft but not too brown (or else it will taste bitter) Add to the pot along with all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a light boil and then turn to simmer. Simmer for 2 hours partly covered, stirring often. Remove the bones and discard (or save as a snack for yourself)
Skim the fat from the top and discard, store in the refrigerator or freezer

Makes 3 quarts