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