Quiche

I was surprised to find that I had never posted quiche. I make it fairly often, but probably never the same quiche twice. So this will just be a general instructions kind of recipe. Quiche Lorraine is of course the most common, a great starting off point. This is a picture of Maria Teresa of Habsburg Lorraine. I believe Marie Antoinette had the same title, maybe the two are the same person. I'll have to look into that.


Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 stick cold butter, diced up
2 Tbls shortening (to keep the crust in line)
2 - 3 Tbls iced water

Filling:
this is the whatever you like and have on hand
for example:
- onion
- leeks
- zucchini
- cherry tomatoes
- yellow squash
- mushrooms
- ham
- bacon
- shrimp
- whatever

plus cheese - whatever kind is in the regrigerator
- my favorites are Gruyère or Swiss or Cheddar or Monteray Jack
- or you name it.

Then you need the custard:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk, whole milk is good, or you can make part of this cream (the less fat, the more likely the quiche will curdle just a bit, this is okay, but not the most desirable)
pinch of salt
some nutmeg if you like
some herbs in you like, not too much

Begin by making the dough for the crust. See Pie Crust for instructions.
Put the wrapped dough into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Start organizing what you want to put into the quiche.
You will want to fry up the onions or leeks and of course the bacon if you have selected it.
The veggies need to be cooked just a wee bit.
Shred the cheese or cheeses that you have chosen, maybe about a cup.
I put the prepared ingredients into separate places, but then that's just me.

Then roll out the pie crust and put into a quiche dish, pushing the sides down gently to make sure that the crust will not shrink unnecessarily. Then cut off the excess using the rolling pin - just roll it over the dish.
Dot the base of the shell with a fork and put the empty shell in the oven while you mix up the custard.
When all the ingredients are ready take out the shell and start adding the ingredients. I begin with the onions, then the veggies and meat or fish, then I sprinkle on the cheese.
Then carefully pour the custard all over everything. If you like you may add a sprinkling of Parmesan or something like that.
Put into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check it every once in a while. When done it wants to be golden and not all jiggly, Let cool for just a bit before serving. I like to serve this with a green salad or yummy green vegetable and French bread.


You can make quiches in all kinds of sizes you like. My quiches (or tart) dishes go from 5 inches to 11 inches. You just have to adjust the cooking time.

Tarragon Chicken for two

Cooking for two is a bit of a challenge for me. I began life cooking for 10.

1 chicken breast, in two halves
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
a good pinch of sea salt, or any salt you have
some freshly ground black pepper
fresh tarragon, or in my case I used several dashes of a Parisian seasoning mix which contained tarragon (Parisien Bonnes Herbes from Penzeys)

Turn the oven to 375 degrees.
Fry the chicken pieces in the butter and olive oil for about five minutes.
Place the pieces into a small baking dish and put into the oven for 15 minutes.
Keep the pan just as it is still on the stove, waiting for later use.

When the chicken is done, take out of oven and pour the liquids in the dish into the pan that you had fried the chicken in. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until reduced to about half. Pour the sauce over the chicken to serve.

Austrian Bangers and Mash

This is traditionally an English meal. But I learned to make it from my first husband, who was 100% German in his ancestry. The differences are slight, but key. But then, my Germanic heritage is Austrian, so I'll go with that.

sausages, like banger or bratwurst, or any fat sausage you like that does need to be cooked.
mashed potatoes
corn
sauerkraut
good mustards
butter

Preheat oven to about 350 degrees.
To cook the sausages I put a big piece of tin foil into a baking dish big enough to hold the sausages into. Put in the sausages and add about a 1/2 cup of water and seal up the tin foil gently and put in oven. After about 15 or 20 minutes check on the sausages and maybe turn them. At this point you probably don't need to seal them back up again, as you want them to brown. The reason for the tin foil is to prevent the dish from becoming very hard to clean. The sausages should cook for maybe 25-30 minutes. I confess, I've never given the time any thought. You just want cooked sausages.

In the mean time, peel and boil your potatoes. I like to use one medium potato per sausage. I'm assuming most people know how to boil potatoes. When they're done and ready to mash, you want them to be a nice smooth mashed potato. Add butter and hot milk and salt and pepper as desired.

Right towards the end, maybe just before mashing the potatoes, cook up the corn.
Serve it all with the good mustards (I always put on at least two kinds), sauerkraut, and butter. Actually, put a nice dollop of butter onto the corn in it's serving dish.

It's the corn and sauerkraut, and possibly German mustard that makes this a German meal. The English would serve it with peas.

Chicken Pot Pies

makes about 8

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 14 ounce can of chicken stock
3 cups (about) of homemade chicken stock that has been reduced and defatted *
3 cups (about) of diced left-over chicken*
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced rather small
6 white mushrooms, sliced up rather thin
1/2 cup frozen peas
French herb mix, about 1 teaspoon
salt and pepper
1 package puff pastry, cut into 8 squares big enough to top the chosen baking dishes
1 egg + 1 tsp water for egg wash

8 8-10 ounce ramekins or other appropriately sized dishes that can go into the oven

* The chicken and chicken stock

The other day I made roast chicken for dinner. I had stuffed it with chopped carrots and onion. The vegies didn't cook, but after dinner, I pulled all the left-over meat off the chicken, then I put the carcus and vegies into a pot and added a bunch of water, not enough to quite cover the chicken. I put on the lid and cooked for a while. Then I took off the lid and smushed down the chicken into the water, and cooked the whole lot for a while more. When it all looked quite cooked, with the bones all falling apart, I put the whole thing through a strainer - the cone shaped kind. I put the strained liquid back into the pot and cooked it a while longer to reduce it. Then I put it into a bowl and then into the refrigerator. When it was all cooled down the chicken fat was nice and solid on the top, and I scooped it off - saving it, as it was lovely rendered chicken fat. It was this remainder that I used in the pot pies - it was probably about 3 cups, but I didn't measure it.

making the filling

So for the filling for the pies I got a large saucier, melted the stick of butter and added the onions. I cooked those for a while, until the onions seemed tender, and then I added the flour, and cooked that for about 2 minutes. Then I quickly whisked in the chicken broths, stirring vigorously to make sure there were no lumps. I then added the carrots. With hind sight, I think that I would have put the carrots in a bowl with a bit of water, cover them with plastic wrap, and cooked them for a couple minutes in the microwave, as it took them a while before they were cooked. So when the carrots seemed well on their way to being cooked, I added the potatoes. These I then cooked for about 10 minutes. then I added the chicken, mushrooms and peas and simmer the whole thing for about 5 minutes.

assembly

I had preheated my gas oven to 400 degrees. The filling that I made would probably fill 8 pies, but I only made 4. I used 10 oz. soufflé dishes. These are big enough for a dinner for a man. I did not eat all of mine, and I think maybe a 6 oz dish would have been enough. But anyway, I filled the dishes. Got my puff pastry squares cut to size and brushed then with egg wash, and press them down onto the dishes. Then I baked them for 20 minutes.



For more on this recipe, go to Molly Loves Paris.

Molly's Tuna Fish Sandwiches

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White Albacore Tuna, drained
Sweet Pickle Relish, a little more than you think you want
Red Onion, minced, as much as you like, I like a lot
Mayonnaise thinned with buttermilk, just enough to make it all hang together,

Mix this all up with a fork, making sure not to mash things.
Put onto a piece of bread and top with another.
Cut in half or quarters.


Some actual measurements for those who need it.
This requires the use of a scale.

1 6 oz can of albacore tuna
1 ounce minced red onion
2 ounces sweet pickle relish
1 ounce mayonnaise

French Bean Casserole

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It's been a joke with me that I can't stand the classic holiday bean casserole. The one that uses Campbell's soup and canned onion rings. But then I came across this recipe in a British magazine and it didn't use pre-prepared items and I thought I would try it. It was a really big hit. But last Thanksgiving we had the whole family over and I made this and I forgot to serve it! It's a big recipe and it needs eaters. I wrote a smaller version below. But for now you need a very big casserole dish. Also, you can use frozen beans but it won't taste nearly as good. Très ordinaire as a matter of fact.

½ stick butter
1 small onion, diced
¾ lb button mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper

3 level Tbls flour
1 ½ cups hot milk
grated nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 lb fresh French beans, cut in half, blanched, and drained
3 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls breadcrumbs


In advance: can be made two days in advance.

Heat 1 Tbl butter in pan and cook diced onions until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms. Season and cook about 6-8 minutes.

Melt remaining butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Whisk until glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Combine the beans, onions and mushrooms, and white sauce. Butter a casserole dish and put in half the bean mixture. Sprinkle on half the parmesan and top with the rest on the beans. Combine the remaining Parmesan with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
This big version serves at least 12 people.

Smaller Version

1 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, diced
4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper

1 level Tbls flour
½ cups hot milk
grated nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 lb fresh green beans, thin ones, cut in half, blanched, and drained
1 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbls breadcrumbs

Heat 1 Tbl butter in pan and cook diced onions until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms. Season and cook about 6-8 minutes.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Whisk until glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Combine the beans, onions and mushrooms, and white sauce. Butter a casserole dish and put in half the bean mixture. Sprinkle on half the parmesan and top with the rest on the beans. Combine the remaining Parmesan with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Tamale Pie

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This is a what to do with left-over chili recipe. Now I'm not one to use pre-made mixes except this one. It is pretty much as if you made it from scratch. But if you don't want to use the mix just use a half recipe for corn bread.

left-over chili
1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to about 350 degrees.
In an appropriately sized casserole dish or pie plate put the chili. At this point you could warm the chili up a bit in the microwave. That helps in the cooking.
Mix up the Jiffy cornbread and spread it over the chili.
Top with a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Just be careful not to burn it.
Can be topped with sour cream and salsa.

Molly's Chili

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This is cooked in a large pot like a Dutch oven.

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 - 1 large onion, chopped or diced
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon more or less of chili powder (not all chili powders are the same, so go for the amount of heat you want)
salt and pepper
a dash of cayenne pepper if more heat is desired
1 - 1 1/2 cup(s) red wine, any kind you like or have
2 - 6 tablespoons brown sugar (sugar cuts heat if you find you made it too spicy)
3 - 5 tablespoons dried basil
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 can of tomato puree (if you put it all in add some water)
1 large can of red kidney beans, drained somewhat
1 can of black beans, drained somewhat
1 cup frozen or canned corn.

Fry up the onions in the olive oil until nice and soft. Add the garlic and the beef and cook.
Add salt and pepper and chili powder and cook a minute of two.
Add the wine and cook maybe five minutes. Until the strong wine smell is gone and the mixture is brownish.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook for a while, being very careful not to burn the beans.

I serve this over rice, topped with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and salsa if desired.

Left-over chili can be turned into a lovely chili soup using tomatoes pulverized in the blender and anything else you like.

Molly's Spaghetti Sauce

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I always serve the spaghetti sauce in a large bowl separate from the noodles when we're having spaghetti for dinner. I also use this sauce for other things.

1/2 big onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped fine (optional)
1 celery stalk, chopped fine (very optional)
olive oil for frying

4 little cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon good chili powder (more or less)

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 - 3/4 pound Italian sausage (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, more as needed
a nice big lot of freshly ground pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but this adds a great kick)

1-2 cup(s) red wine - any kind you like
35 oz. can of real Italian tomatoes (San Marzano) or 3 cans of regular tomatoes of some sort, mushed in blender (children hate chunks of tomato)
6 oz. can of tomato paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar, more if needed
2-3 tablespoons dried basil (more if desired)
1 teaspoon freshly mortared Italian seasonings

In a Dutch oven (5 quart pot) fry up the onion, carrots, and celery.

In a frying pan put a tablespoon of olive oil and cook up the meat. Add the salt, pepper, and desired spices after it's fried up some and you've removed excess fat. Using a slotted spoon add the meat to the veggies, then add the garlic and chili powder and cayenne and fried for a minute. Add the wine, brown sugar and herbs.

When the wine is no longer red add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Heat up and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed. If too thick add some water. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes.  

Hard Boiled Eggs

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My grandmother, Nana, taught me how to make perfect hard boiled eggs, and it has worked every time. You take a pan just big enough to gently hold the amount of eggs that you want to cook and carefully place the eggs into the empty pan. Cover the eggs to just above the eggs with cold water. Place on the stove on a hot element and bring the water to a boil. As soon as the water boils turn off the heat and cover the pot with a tight lid and let sit for 25 minutes. When the time is up carefully pour off most of the water and run cold water over the eggs. Leave the eggs to cool down a bit, then transfer out of the water to whatever you want to put them in. The eggs will store nicely for several days.

What to do with hard boiled eggs

For Easter I like to dye eggs solid colors, especially blue, or an array of colors. I don’t worry if the eggs are cracked when dying them because the dyed bits of egg look terrific in egg salad sandwiches. To make the egg salad mixture I use the egg slicer to cut up the eggs. Put the egg in the slicer, slice the egg, lift up the handle, carefully turn the egg 90 degrees, then slice one more time. This gives more substance to the mixture. I then salt and pepper the eggs, and for the best eggs of all, peel and slice them while warm and moisten the mixture with butter. Otherwise, stir in a little mayonnaise, sour cream, and some Dijon mustard. 

The same two approaches can be used in making stuffed eggs. Though of course after peeling the egg you just cut it in half.  I don’t know why everyone insists upon calling them deviled eggs. I like to keep mine simple, and with the egg yolk as the main stuffing ingredient. And they don’t need to be dressed up, people like them simple.  But then, that's just how I do it.  I have been known to pipe the egg yolk filling into the egg white shells.  It makes it go faster, but it takes quite a bit of effort to clean the piping bag afterwards.

When I was a kid, and my Mom made lots of eggs for the eight of us to find, and each one of us assumed that we had rightful possession of the eggs we found. We didn’t expect the eggs to get turned into anything. What you did was peal the egg, cut it in half, salt and pepper the egg, and eat it. Well actually, I don't think my brothers bothered with "the cut it in half" part.

Potato Salad

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2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, or russets, diced
4 tablespoons dill pickle juice
4 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles
4 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 or 2 chopped green onions
1 - 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Put the potatoes in a steamer and cook until tender. Put potatoes in to a large bowl add the juice from the dill pickles, the chopped pickles, parsley, onions, celery, and green onions.
In a separate small bowl, mix mayonnaise with sour cream, sugar, pickle juice, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the dressing with the potato mixture. Add the hard boiled eggs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Now potato salad is a pretty loose thing. One can do as one likes. You can add more of this and less of that. Maybe you don’t want any eggs at all. Maybe you want bacon, or red peppers, or jalapeños. Or how about pepperocini.

"This is like deja vu all over again." Yogi Berra

Venezuelan Hot Dogs

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8 hot dog buns
8 hot dogs
1 onion
1/4 head cabbage
1 regular bag of potato chips
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Ketchup

Using a pot with a steamer basket, put the hot dogs in boiling water and set the buns in the steamer. Cook long enough to get the dogs hot and the buns nice and warm. This will take maybe 5 minutes. Be careful not to let the rolls get soggy.

While the dogs are cooking, finely chop the onion and cabbage. Crush the potato chips into very fine pieces.

On the steamed bun place the hot dog, chopped onion and cabbage, crushed potato chips, and the squirt of mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

Lita’s Plain Fried Rice

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Before Lita taught me how to make fried rice I was clueless.

You use the cold left-over rice - do not use fresh hot rice. In a saute pan, appropriate for the amount of rice to be fried, add oil to lightly cover the bottom, a tablespoon or two. Heat the oil just until you get that hint of a rainbow in the oil, but the oil is not smoking. Add the rice and smash it about a bit with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Keep pushing the rice around gently, turning down the heat if needed, until you get the consistency of crispiness that you want. While cooking, add salt and pepper. I should note that I do not put salt in the rice when I cook it the first time.  Lita told me not to salt it, so I don't.  It doesn't seem to need it the first time round.  Fried rice can take quite a bit of salt, which is the key flavor ingredient. It’s a bit like making hash-browns. You want that element of crispiness, which are known as rice crackers.

Adding to the Fried Rice

If you want to add things to the friend rice you do so after it has been fried up. I like to get the add-in ready ahead of time.

1. egg - depending on how much friend rice you have, you simply add to the finished fried rice a scrambled egg or two. The eggs are fried in a separate pan, and then kept ready to add in a small dish.

2. green onions - have then all sliced up and add to the finished fried rice. It's a pleasing thing to cut the green part on the diagonal.

3. peas &/or corn - just put some into the friend rice and they will warm up quickly. I'm talking of frozen of course.

4. leftover meat - I dice up the meat and have it ready to throw into the friend rice. If you like you can fry up the meat a bit in a separate pan, the one the egg was scrambled in for example.

5. You can put in anything you want, just make sure that when you put it into the fried rice it's pretty much already to eat.

6. Seasonings - If I'm adding extra ingredients to the fried rice then I also add seasonings like soy sauce, or sambal, or sesame oil, or you name it. Just don't be heavy handed. You want to sneak up on it, tasting as you go.

Lita’s Steamed Rice

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How to Make Lita’s Steamed Rice

The modern easy way to make steamed rice is by using the rice cooker, which I think all households should have. But it is actually easy to make rice on the stove. I learned my method from my Filipino amah, Lita. Cooked rice is about three times as much as uncooked rice.

Take a saucepan that has a lid, and put rice in to it, let’s say a cup or two. My rice of choice is Jasmine. Run water over the rice, stir a bit with your fingers, pour off the water, being careful not to dump out the rice. Do this until the water is not all cloudy, but relatively clear. Then add just enough water so that when you stick you index finger straight down into the water so as to just barely touch the rice, the water will come to the first joint on your finger. Now this is not a precise science, but you don’t want to be too sloppy. Place the saucepan on the stove and a high heat. Bring the water (with the rice in it) to a boil. As soon as it boils give the rice a stir to make sure the little rices are not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Now turn the heat down to medium and do not stir the rice again. When the water level is just to the top of the rice turn the heat down to low. When the water has evaporated - there will be a little ticking noise, and when you look straight down you see no water - turn the heat off and cover the pan. Let sit covered until dinner is ready to be serve.

Chicken Adobo, Barbecued

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24 chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned
2 or 3 big zip-lock baggies
1 cup soya sauce
1 cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbl sugar
15 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbl freshly ground pepper

After skinning the chicken divide it between 2 or 3 baggies.
Add the rest of the ingredients proportionally to the bags.
Zip shut and turn to mix everything and cover the chicken.
Refrigerate the chicken. It is good to take it out of the refrigerator at lest a half hour before cooking time to take the chill off a bit.
After several hours, or over night cook on the barbecue for about 45 minutes.

Roasted Asparagus

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As many asparagus as you like, ends snapped off
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Drizzle some olive oil on the asparagus, and sprinkle on
the seasonings and shuffle a bit to cover.
Cook for about 12 to 14 minutes.

Roasted Potatoes

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As many potatoes as you like. Maybe 8 to 10
olive oil
1 package dried onion soup mix
or 1 package taco seasoning
or anything you want to put on it

Preheat oven to about 375 degrees.
Get a big flat pan with short sides, cover with tin foil. Slice the potatoes into 8 wedges each.
Drizzle some olive oil over the potatoes on the pan. Sprinkle the soup mix over them, or whatever else you want, and toss about.
Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes covered with tin foil.
Then remove the foil and cook until nice and crispy, about 30 to 40 minutes.

If you like these can be cooked uncovered at a much lower heat. Like 300 or 325, or whatever. This works very well for while you are at church and want them finished when you get home.

Baked Beans

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Baked beans are a significant thing in my family. My grandmother was a Morrill, which is the Morrill in the B & M baked beans, and she came from Boston. She always made baked beans on Saturday. Now I haven't carried on that tradition, but we all like baked beans a lot.

3 big cans of beans of your choice
(1 must be B&M baked beans)
1 onions, chopped
1/2 - 1 pound sausage meat (optional)
or bacon diced, cooked, drained.
1 spoonful mustard, any kind you like
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 - 4 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onions, then add the sausage and cook well and remove excess fat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste. You may need to add more pepper, or more mustard, or a dash of Tabasco sauce, or whatever. When it tastes great put into a bean pot and cook in a slow (250-325) oven for about 2 hours. This is great when made a day ahead. On the day you eat it put back in the oven to reheat.

The proportions for this recipe are entirely optional. You can make it as big or as little as you like, and you can make the seasoning more or less intense. But if you don't use mustard and Worchestershire sauce it's not the same.

Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

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This dish is a huge hit with my family. It's a British recipe, not what you'd typically expect from them, as it is very spicy. One daughter likes it so much she wants me to use it as the sauce and meat in my Christmas lasagne.

meatballs:
1 Tbl olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (4 oz, 115gr)
3 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 tps dried oregano

14 oz. Italian sausage
1.5 pounds ground veal (or beef)
1 egg, beaten
50 gr  white bread crumbs

1 tablespoons olive oil (for frying meatballs)

tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 big onion, chopped
4 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder, or red chili flakes
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 tablespoon tomato puree
3.5 pounds of canned crushed tomatoes with basil
2 Tbls dried sweet basil
1 cup red wine
3 tablespoons brown sugar

meatballs:
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and dried oregano and cook for a minute. Scoop out of the pan into a large bowl and cool.

When cool, mix in the remaining meatball ingredients, seasoning well with salt and pepper. (Fry a tiny bit to check the taste.)

Form into walnut sized meat balls. Chill in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes to help them keep their shape while cooking.

Make the sauce while waiting on the meatballs.

Fry the meatball in olive oil in batches. Add more oil as necessary. Remove done meatballs to the sauce.
Cook for a further 30 minutes.

Tomato Sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a big frying pan and cook the onions until soft but not colored. Add the garlic, the chili and cumin and cook for a further minute. Add the tomato puree and tinned tomatoes, sugar and wine and simmer for about 30 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Serve with noodles and Parmesan.

I went to an international deli and got noodles that seem to have come from Central Europe.


BIGGER VERSION  my family really eats a lot of this

meatballs:

1 Tbl olive oil

6 oz onion, chopped

3 fat cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2  tps dried oregano

10 oz. spicy Italian sausage

12 oz mild Italian sausage

2.25 pounds ground  beef

2 egg, beaten

75 gr fresh white bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying meatballs)

tomato sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 big onion, chopped

5 fat cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

5 pounds of canned tomatoes, crushed

11/2  cups red wine

5 tablespoons brown sugar