crucible of ennui

Me: How about I make a Chocolate Blackout Cake?

Glenn: I never really did have a hard-on for chocolate.

Catherine: I do.

Glenn: …

Catherine. Yeah. I said it.

There are bookcases everywhere in our house. The living room, office, kitchen, Cat’s room, my bathroom and of course, the master bedroom. I’ve seriously pared down my book collection. I donate a lot to libraries and periodically box up stuff once I’ve read it. But there are some books I like to have out - for reference, to re-read. These are those books. These too.

Haley - you’re free to borrow anything you’d like. Except the smut. That you can borrow when you’re 21.

Cat: Mommy, do you think we’re really real people?

Me: I’m not sure, but I think so. What do you think?

Cat: It feels real. Can I have a pop tart?

Cat: I know how to spell “duck”

Me: Go for it!

Cat: F-U-C-K

Me: Oooo - so close.

Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.
Jean-Paul Sartre

As promised - here is the recipe for the Napolitano family meatballs. I usually take a day off and get Christina to do the same and we get 10 times the amount to make a buttload at one time. Then we freeze them and have them as needed. BTW - Christina is a massive wuss and doesn’t like the feeling of meat under her nails. Call the waaaah-bulance.

1 lb Ground beef (30%)
1/4 lb Ground pork
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parm. cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 pepper
1 tbsp parsley

Let the eggs, milk and meat stand out for a bit to warm up. If you’re working with huge amounts of meat - it gets pretty freaking cold mixing everything by hand. Combine the beef, pork, milk, eggs & garlic. Use your hands to mix this up really, really well. In a different bowl mix the dry stuff together and slowly add them to the squishy meaty-milky-eggy stuff. Get to mixin’ with your hands (f’n Christina always leaves this part to me).

Okay - time to make them balls. Decide on what size you want. I make mine like an inch and a half in diameter. In a hot skillet - olive oil and then brown them on all sides. Mmmm - the broken ones can be eaten right away because they’re disfigured and would be made fun of by the rest of the whole meatballs.

Lasagna filling.

Anyone who uses cottage cheese is just wrong. If you even think of replacing the ricotta cheese with cottage cheese, don’t ever let me know as I will think really bad things about you for the rest of my life. This is enough for one pan.

1 lb ricotta cheese
1 cup grated parm. cheese
1 lb mozzarella cheese - grated
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp oregano

That’s it. Simple recipe. If you’d like something visually stunning - under the top most layer of noodles, place some thinly sliced mozzarella cheese so when you cut it and pull the piece away ooey-gooey strings of cheese will impress everyone you’re serving.

Every once in a while I’ll cut up some Italian sausage and saute it in red wine then layer that between the filling and noodles.

Again - why am I sharing this. Because I care. And because I keep losing the recipe.

It’s time for Girls’ Night. I’ve put it off for too long. I need to have my friends come over with gossip and wine. Everyone has come so far and done so much since the last one.

Beth, Christina, Angela, Bill, Lisa (if you can get away for a night) - it’s time. Details are on the way - October, booze, cackling, NSFW stories. Be there, or we’re going to talk about you.

UPDATE: OCTOBER 18 IS THE DATE.
Bill - it’s your birthday. C’mon and party like it’s your birthday. We’re having a party cause it’s your birthday. Punch and pie will be provided.

I’m willing to put my sauce recipe up against anything out there. This has been in my family for years. Why am I putting it out there? Because everyone deserves a chance at greatness. My sauce could stop a religious war. My sauce is world peace in a pot of rich red tomato-y goodness. No foolies.

Hokay. This was my Papa’s recipe. Then my dad’s. And now it’s mine. I think we all changed it in some small ways over the years. So this is how it exists today.

1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic (more if you’d like)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 huge ass cans of crushed tomatoes - like the ones at warehouse places
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp basil
1 tsp worcheshire sauce
4-6 drops Tabasco
1-2 cups red wine

If you like mushrooms, decide how much you want in your sauce, then at the very beginning add them to the oil and start browning them just before you add the onions. Remember not to over cook the onions - just till they turn translucent. So - olive oil, onions, garlic - sauté until translucent. Then add the rest of everything, stir and simmer.

If you’re looking to make a meat sauce - decide how heavy a meat sauce you want. I grew up with heavy meat sauces. The kind that held the spoon suspended upright in the pot. This is a great way to use leftover chicken or steak. Before you put your sauce pot on the stove take your meat and begin slicing it very thin with the grain. Then cut it into strips, about 1 inch long and 1/4 inch thick. Place in sauce pot with olive oil and cook until everything just gets done. Then add the rest of the oil, onions and garlic. Then the rest of the ingredients and simmer simmer simmer. Like overnight kinda simmer. I usually start this in the evening so it can become fabulous overnight.

I’ll post the meatball and lagasna filling recipe later this week.

Besides being a pajama-jammy-jam weekend, Catherine and I have been discussing our hair.

Me: Your hair is very pretty, Cat. Thick and shiny… you’re very lucky! My hair is fine…

Cat: and funky.

Thanks for that editorial. Much appreciated.

My favorite book ever, ever is Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I don’t even remember how many times I’ve read it - usually 2-3 times a year since I was 11. I have an unabridged 2nd edition, a lovely pop-up book, a battered paperback that’s my everyday copy to read. But my favorite copy is a 1st edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham. I love this book so much.

This copy from 1910 is in excellent condition. But what makes it so special are the illustrations. Don’t get me wrong, I love the original ones done by John Tenniel, but Arthur Rackham is my favorite illustrator.

The detail drives me crazy - I get caught up in all the little flourishes and color.

I love the griffin and mock turtle.  And the Dutchess. And the Caterpillar. And of course Alice, best of all.