Liquid Gold - Sauce and Meatballs recipe
Labour day is fast approaching. Nights are cooling off and kids will soon be back in school. Before having children, the return to school in September really only meant the return to heavy traffic across the GTA. Now I'm bracing myself for school lunch preparation. Containers filled with pasta always come home empty.
I recently came across a slim recipe booklet created for Unico Foods, written by my grandmother, Georgina 'Pasquale' Madott. My family will agree that my grandmother makes the absolute best sauce with meatballs. As kids we referred to it as liquid gold. Every so often we’d be the recipients of a special “meals on wheels deluxe” delivery. I've made some slight modifications to her recipe.
LIQUID GOLD (SAUCE & MEATBALLS) recipe
Meat balls:
½ lb ground beef or veal
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground turkey
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 sprig parsley, minced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4 tbsp grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
Spaghetti Sauce:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
5oz tin tomato paste
28 oz tin San Marzano DOP tomatoes
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp basil
My grandmother always fried her meatballs. I find it easiest and quickest to shape mine using an ice cream scoop and then bake them in the oven on a baking sheet lined with foil. Spray the baking sheet and the meatballs after they’ve been formed on the tray, with oil. Bake them at 425 for about 15 minutes then brown them using top broil.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the garlic and let it brown, then remove it. Fry the onions until they become translucent. Add the can of tomato paste and cook for about one minute. I only use whole San Marzano DOP tomatoes. A flavourful tomato requires little seasoning. Break up the tomatoes using a spoon. Add two cups of water and bring to a brisk boil for a few minutes. Reduce to a slow boil and add the meatballs from the oven. Cook the sauce partly covered for at least 2.5 hours. Enjoy!
-Christina Kalcevich
This is how we've always made meatballs in our family. Olivia Rose from the MyKingCook blog has done an in-depth review of the various ways that other people make their meatballs.
CLICK HERE to view her cooking tips
O-Med Smoked Olive Oil
We have just received in a new smoked oil. O-Med is small family owned olive grove and mill in southern Spain. They use only early harvested olives in their oils. The extra virgin olive oil for their smoked oil is extracted from Arbequina olives. The olive pits are then burned, and the smoke is passed over the oil. The resulting oil has a smoky flavour with hints of vanilla and caramel.
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NOW - "The Best Canadian Cheeses and Where You Can Get Them in Toronto"
We have just been listed in an article from NOW Toronto - "The Best Canadian Cheese and Where You Can Get Them in Toronto"
Click here to read the article
The Fleur de Weedon that was a prize winner of the semi soft cheese category at the 2015 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. It is a lactose-free Emmental/Swiss-type farm cheese that is made by hand. It is matured in a very controlled environment and has a taste and mild aroma of nuts and cream.
We welcome you to come to our store and experience this cheese and others from our extensive selection of cheeses.
Bacio di Luna - Verona Bed and Breakfast
When I was in Verona for Vinitaly, I was chatting with quite a few of the hostesses/guides at the show. They were translating some of the seminars, providing directions for visitors and being charming, like all Italians. One in particular, Giulia, keep in touch with me after the show. And her family has a property outside of the city.
Nestled in the hills outside of Verona, a perfect place to use as a base for exploring the north east of Italy. Venice, Vicenza, Padua, and Verona itself, easily accessible form Giulia’s Relais.
Family run, newly decorated...
make sure you check them out: www.relaisbaciodiluna.com
-Anna Marie Kalcevich
