During the month of December I did a lot of entertaining. Not just at my home but at other people’s and found it interesting that people always gravitate in the kitchen no matter the size.
My home is small, perfect for me and my kittens. However, add nine more people and it is crowded. Same goes for my friend, LeAnn’s place. Her home’s floor space is much larger, which made it easy to invite more people. In spite of all the roaming room, people still gravitated to the kitchen. So, what’s up with that? My own thoughts could lean toward the “if the food is being made here; maybe I’ll get some samples” theory, but I believe it’s more than that.
People want warmth and comfort. They want to connect with someone else on a real, personal level, even in this high tech world of Blackberrys, iPhones, Skype, Internet Social Networking, etc. Sharing your home, food and wine with people means you love them. Simple isn’t it? The kitchen represents warmth, comfort. Quite frankly, the kitchen is the heart of the home. So, use it to your advantage, even you just invite a friend over for frozen pizza and appetizers. It’s not about being fancy; it’s about opening your heart to people.
The dinner party at my place in December was fancier than normal in terms of food. The recipe below is for the Veal Meatball “Surprises” with Red Sauce that I made. It’s a take on the Giada DeLaurentis recipe on Food Network. If you don’t want to go through the work of the meatballs – buy them and don’t tell anyone. There are good, quality beef meatballs out there. Another great idea? Have some of your guests (who congregate in the kitchen) help you roll and stuff the meatballs, if you want homemade. No matter which route you choose, I can guarantee the dinner party will be fun and festive.
Red Sauce (this is inspired by a Giada de Laurentis recipe but I changed it up a bit to serve my wants… feel free to change it to suit you and your guests’ tastes):
3 – 4 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from now on…EVOO, I can’t help it…I’ve been Rachel Ray-ized)
3/4 lb Pancetta, thinly sliced and diced
1/2 lb Proscuitto, thinly sliced
32 oz can Fire Roasted, Diced tomatoes (I used Glen Muir brand)
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 – 2/3 c. Dry Red Wine (I used a French Red Wine that had passed it’s prime a bit and was sitting in my refrigerator. Some professional chefs disagree with this approach and say you should ONLY use wine that you enjoy drinking. Well, I enjoyed drinking the wine I used earlier the previous week…I just didn’t get it all drunk)
1/2 large yellow onion, diced fine
6 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 Tblsp Dried Oregano
2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tblsp Thyme
1 large pinch Marjoram
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
3/4 c. Pecorino OR Asiago Cheese, grated
1 lb. Linguine (prepared to pkg instructions)
Instructions:
In a large skillet with high side the heat EVOO over medium-high heat until oil almost shimmers. Add pancetta and proscuitto. Cook for 5 -7 min. You do NOT want this to to be crispy, you just want to render out flavor. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 min or until onion is translucent and softened. Pour in tomatoes. Add your spices, including another generous pinch or two of salt and a couple small pinches of black pepper. Let simmer for approximately 10 – 15 min. After the sauce has simmered, taste it…Grab a spoon and take a taste. If you think the dish needs more seasonings, then add them at this time in tiny amounts. Next, add red wine and let simmer again for another 7 – 10 min. Add asiago or pecorino cheese. Taste the sauce again for seasoning. Add meatballs to sauce AFTER the meatballs are done cooking. Garnish with some chopped flat leaf parsley.
Veal Meatballs (Taken from Giada de Laurentis’ recipe: Bucatini All’ Amatriciana):
1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean ground beef, I wanted the fat content to help brown)
1 lb ground veal
1/4 medium onion grated (I used my food processor)
1 1/2 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese (Important – use a good quality one, not the stuff from the green can)
2/3 c. Italian Bread Crumbs (I used a store brand kind from Whole Foods)
2 eggs
1 good squeeze of ketchup (approx 1 1/2 Tblsp)
3 garlic cloves, minced fine
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 oz. smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Spray 2 cookie sheets with Pam Olive Oil to prevent sticking.
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients with the exception of the mozzarella gently. Make sure, however, you do not have “clumps” of seasonings or food anywhere. Roll into 24 meatballs (about 2 – 2 1/2 in). Create a hole in the meatball and stuff a cube of mozzarella in the middle, close the hole and place on cookie sheet. Bake meatballs for approximately 25 – 30 minutes.
Again, once the sauce is about ready to go, add meatballs to sauce.
Drain the pasta thoroughly and serve separately from the sauce and meatballs. That allows your guests to take what they want in pasta to meat/sauce ratio. (Personally, I prefer less pasta and meat but want more sauce) Serve this homestyle.
Wines:
Basically, this dish SINGS for a dry red wine. We had several to choose from, as that is what I asked guests to bring, amongst my favorites:
- Chianti Classio Reserva
- Cabernet Sauvingon (a lighter styled one…not one with a lot of oak)
- Southern French Rhone
I hope your taste buds sing after this meal as well as your heart and soul.
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