Classic home cooking

There is nothing better than home cooked comfort food.  Recently I went with some friends to a place called The Meatball Shop which is located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  Along enjoying spending time with friends the food was awesome!  As the name suggests they make meatballs, but not just any meatballs, they make the BEST meatballs and sauces that are just divine. 

My friend opted for the classic dish which is four good sized beef "balls" with classic marinara sauce and a side of greens.  Her BF ordered the special which was, get this, RUEBEN style "balls" yes my friends, it was pork, corned beef and sauerkraut with Russian dressing on top, UNBELIEVABLE, I have to learn to make this dish.  As for me, the indecisive one, I went for the meatball sliders so I could sample different sauces and ball styles (gosh that sounds wrong....haha).  I ordered the spicy pork, chicken and classic balls along with the Parmesan cream sauce, pesto sauce and classic marinara sauce.  Now I don't have an absolute favorite but the spicy pork definitely stands out in my mind and on my pallet.  I had a side of creamy home made pollenta, quite nice but the meatballs were the star of this meal.

Since the place also makes their own ice cream and cookies we had to try them too, we split an espresso ice cream and chocolate cookie sammie, it was delightful but again I say it was really a meatball kind of meal.  

With this meal still fresh in my mind i decided to make a pot of sauce and some good down home classic meatballs.  I don't have a set recipe and like to switch things up here and there, the basic idea remains the same though.

Here is what i did for the sauce, whenever i have fresh ingredients I always opt for that:

Couple of cans of diced tomatoes (I use fresh when i have them on hand)
Small can tomato paste
Oregano
Parsley
Basil (I had fresh on hand so I minced and used that)
Garlic (don't be shy about this)
To cut the acidity you can add a carrot and pull it out when the cooking is done
Opt A. Splash of balsamic vinegar
Opt B. splash of red wine

Cook slow and low until the desired thickness and flavor is acquired.


Here is the basic meatball recipe I used.
1 lb. ground sirloin (90% lean)
1/2 C seasoned bread crumbs
oregano
parsley
basil (again fresh minced)
1-2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
this recipe also recommended onions but i took them out because they made the balls too lumpy.

Mix and ball the meat up.  Here's the twist that a lot of people are afraid to do and end up affecting the finished product.  Put the uncooked balls DIRECTLY INTO THE SAUCE!!!  It will not kill you, but browning those balls either stove top or in the oven first will kill the flavor of the balls.  The sauce gets hot like boiling water and will kill any possible bacteria that the meat may have.  Give it a try, you will notice such a delicious difference.

I have lots of ideas for other meatball recipes after being at the Meatball shop so stay tuned for more delicious ideas on this finest of comfort foods.

Ta ta
~CM

From city mouse to country mouse?

Church Street Market Place, Burlington, VT

So this little mousey family is moving out of Brooklyn in 2 days.  Where are we going you might be asking?  We are moving to the great wild north of Burlington Vermont.  We found a great place right on the main drag and also have the convenience of being in the middle of the countryside within minutes, completely a win win for us! 

I have decided that I do not like packing and hope to only have to do it once or twice more in my LIFETIME!  Our life is currently in shambles with boxes, furniture and crap strewn about, we are quickly running out of room to do even simple things like sit down and watch a little tele.  Two more days, just two more days and we are blowing this popsicle stand!  Good bye Brooklyn, good bye over abundance of dust, good bye to moving the car every day to avoid getting a ticket, good bye strange, unhappy and just plain crazy people.  Good bye to it all.

Do I regret moving here?  Not at all, this place has taught me many life lessons which I will always hold close to my heart.  While here I got engaged and married to the man of my dreams, I started a company which I am deeply passionate about and am enjoying watching it grow as if it were a child. I enhanced my current career and feel that I can take it even further with my new found perspective.  Outside of the working world I found a love for writing, cooking and farmers markets which I doubt I would have found elsewhere.  My husband has become an exceptional cook and inspires me to compete with him which is fun and stretches my creative abilities as well as my pallet. 

All in all it's been a fun ride, but I am ready to get off this roller coaster and enjoy life at a bit of a slower pace for while.  Burlington will be an exciting new adventure which will take me to new heights in life that I cannot wait to experience. 

Until next time my friends
~Country Mouse