| The recipe of all Italian recipes that was | | | | aromas and instructions like a piece of bread |
| the most called for from my mother's kitchen | | | | soaking up gravy. For one thing, I learned |
| was her lasagna. I'm not sure, maybe it was | | | | not to squeeze the meatball mixture together, |
| the area of Italy her family was from, but | | | | but to make the balls by rolling them around |
| her lasagna didn't consist of just tomato | | | | between my palms. My mother told me she |
| sauce, pasta and ricotta cheese mixture. It | | | | didn't follow everyone else's Italian recipes |
| began as always with tomato sauce on the | | | | for meatballs. First, they were baked and |
| bottom and amid lasagna noodles, of course. | | | | then added to the "gravy", the tomato sauce |
| But between the lasagna noodles were layered | | | | was called. Most people making meatballs use |
| sliced meatballs, sliced sausage, slice | | | | a mixture of pork, beef and veal. My mother |
| hard-boiled eggs (yes, you read it right), | | | | and grandmother used just ground chuck, and |
| sliced mozzarella cheese, and then the final | | | | their meatballs were considered unequaled. |
| layer of the ricotta cheese mixture which | | | | Some of the dishes my mother prepared in her |
| consisted of ricotta, grated parmesan, | | | | kitchen were undoubtedly Italian recipes |
| chopped Italian parsley, chopped garlic and | | | | handed down from her ancestors. However, I |
| beaten egg yolks. This was the Italian recipe | | | | believe she also cooked dishes using her own |
| for lasagna in our house and it is still mine | | | | store of knowledge about what kind of food |
| today. My mother was Italian-American. Both | | | | items go well together for an Italian |
| her parents immigrated to the United States | | | | household. Her household budget also probably |
| from a small hill village about an hour's | | | | called for some belt-tightening at times, |
| train ride south of Naples. As the oldest | | | | especially during the early days of her |
| daughter of ten children, she was required to | | | | marriage. And sometimes it was because she |
| help her own mother with the housekeeping | | | | knew my father liked certain Italian recipes |
| chores, especially purchasing the ingredients | | | | that had been made for him by his own mother |
| needed for the Italian recipes they created | | | | before she passed away. For instance, boiled, |
| and cooking the meals. Most of the dishes | | | | sliced potatoes sautéed with onions in a |
| they prepared were from Italian recipes | | | | little olive oil until browned and then |
| handed down over the years from mothers to | | | | covered with beaten eggs, served with crusty |
| daughters. Therefore, my mother was | | | | Italian bread. Yum. Thin veal or pork chops, |
| influential in my having quite a store of | | | | browned in olive oil, with onions and garlic, |
| Italian recipes in my own collection. As a | | | | with cooked baby peas added to the pot until |
| child, I would sit at the large kitchen table | | | | heated through. Cooked thin spaghetti cut |
| while my mother and grandmother would roll | | | | into smaller pieces, mixed with beaten egg, |
| out dough for raviolis. My job was first to | | | | fresh chopped Italian parsley and garlic, |
| take an upside down water glass and, with it, | | | | sautéed in a frying pan like an omelet |
| cut small rounds of dough, then spoon a | | | | until crusty on both sides. Mom called it |
| little lump of the ricotta mixture filling | | | | spaghetti pie. It was a great use for |
| onto each rounded piece of dough and place | | | | leftover spaghetti. |
| another piece of rounded dough over the top. | | | | |
| Then I would take a fork and press the tops | | | | For some other Italian Recipes, I recommend |
| and bottoms together carefully so they | | | | you visiting the VideoJug website. It has |
| wouldn't come apart in the cooking process. | | | | loads of great recipes for you to try and |
| Growing up, I took in all the wonderful | | | | perfect. |