A Little Background To My Italian Recipes

The recipe of all Italian recipes that was the mostwonderful 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 herto squeeze the meatball mixture together, but to
family was from, but her lasagna didn't consist of justmake the balls by rolling them around between my
tomato sauce, pasta and ricotta cheese mixture. Itpalms. My mother told me she didn't follow everyone
began as always with tomato sauce on the bottomelse's Italian recipes for meatballs. First, they were
and amid lasagna noodles, of course. But betweenbaked 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 itmixture of pork, beef and veal. My mother and
right), sliced mozzarella cheese, and then the finalgrandmother used just ground chuck, and their
layer of the ricotta cheese mixture which consistedmeatballs 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 theundoubtedly Italian recipes handed down from her
Italian recipe for lasagna in our house and it is stillancestors. However, I believe she also cooked dishes
mine today. My mother was Italian-American. Bothusing her own store of knowledge about what kind
her parents immigrated to the United States from aof food items go well together for an Italian
small hill village about an hour's train ride south ofhousehold. Her household budget also probably called
Naples. As the oldest daughter of ten children, shefor some belt-tightening at times, especially during
was required to help her own mother with thethe early days of her marriage. And sometimes it
housekeeping chores, especially purchasing thewas because she knew my father liked certain Italian
ingredients needed for the Italian recipes theyrecipes that had been made for him by his own
created and cooking the meals. Most of the dishesmother before she passed away. For instance, boiled,
they prepared were from Italian recipes handedsliced 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 havingeggs, 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 whilegarlic, with cooked baby peas added to the pot until
my mother and grandmother would roll out dough forheated through. Cooked thin spaghetti cut into
raviolis. My job was first to take an upside downsmaller 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 fillinglike an omelet until crusty on both sides. Mom called it
onto each rounded piece of dough and place anotherspaghetti pie. It was a great use for leftover
piece of rounded dough over the top. Then I wouldspaghetti.
take a fork and press the tops and bottomsFor some other Italian Recipes, I recommend you
together carefully so they wouldn't come apart in thevisiting the VideoJug website. It has loads of great
cooking process. Growing up, I took in all therecipes for you to try and perfect.