RAGU ALLA BOLOGNESE

Ragu or meat sauce is always a welcome addition to a meal. Bologna- a city north of my region in Italy- is the home of this tasty sauce.

INGREDIENTS

Ground meat- 1/2 kg ( 1 lb) each of veal, beef and pork. Less or more depending of the amount you want. It's a 3 meat sauce.

1 onion-chopped.

3 garlic buds-diced.

Parsley- few sprigs. Fresh is better. Chopped.

1 can of plum tomatoes.

2 bottles of Pomodoro/ tomato Passata.

Olive Oil.

Salt, pepper.

Optional-tomato paste.

DIRECTIONS

Add olive oil to a large pot.

Saute the chopped onion for about 4-5 minutes adding the garlic buds diced..

Add the meat- salt and pepper to taste.

Brown thoroughly.

Add the chopped parsley.

Add a can of plum tomatoes crushed.

Add 2 bottle of tomato passata.

Salt and pepper again to taste.

Some  cooks may want to add 1/2 can of tomato paste.

Simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

This sauce is best on homemade fettucine. Penne and ziti are other dry pasta that work well with this sauce.

For an easy meal, this sauce  on pasta can serve as the meat portion. Served with a  salad, it is a complete meal. For the busy cooks- make a large portion so it can be used for more than one meal during the week. I usually make enough to give a portion to my two working daughters to help with their meal planning in their busy work weeks. My second cousin- Roberta, who lives in Cassino loves this dish. During her birthday on a Canadian visit in 2009, it was her request for this sauce so it was a big part of her celebration.
#ragubolognese#3meat#Cassinocooking#eatingwellItalianstyle#penne#ziti#homemadesauce#helpingthetwoworkingdaughters

GRANPA COOKS AND DADS CAN TOO!

Today is Father's Day here in Canada. A celebration of being a Dad and now a Granpa! Back in Italy we had thriving businesses, then life made us come to Canada when I was 9. My father-padre died when I was 24 from ALS-Lou Gherig's disease.  My mother had worked and at the same time cared for him for years.

The picture is me when I was young with my father at one of his companies in Cassino Italy. He loved my mother's cooking. I was a different Dad. I am a different Granpa than others from my area. Guys cook for the women in your lives when you can! Change with the times and the women that you love!So another recipe next week, today I am enjoying my day!

ROSMARINO-ROSEMARY- THAT WONDERFUL LITTLE MEDITERRANEAN HERB

Rosemary is a wonderful herb I learnt to use in my cooking from my mother. It can be added to many dishes. Now I grow fresh rosemary in my garden but it can be bought dried in any store food section that sells spices and herbs.
With a little internet research, I discovered some history of the herb. Apparently when the Virgin Mary spread her blue cloak over a white rosemary bush, the flowers turned to blue so from that time it became known as the "Rose of Mary". It is supposed to have some medicinal purposes. For me, I just like the taste on my food.
It brings back memories of my childhood in Italy- Cassino area. We used to grow it all along our driveway.

I use it on a variety of meat.

Lamb with potatoes roasted in the oven is a popular dish for our family. That little Ciociaria lady keeps popping up everywhere!

One of our Sunday favourites growing up, was chicken and potatoes with rosemary cooked in the oven. It is an easy dish- chicken legs and thighs or breasts with potoato wedges covered in rosemary- bake in 400 F about one hour and check when ready.
A small pork roast will benefit from additions of rosemary. Barb tells me she just loves the aroma in the house when any food is being cooked with rosemary!

Pan Fried potatoe slices- the way I like them or you can make wedges cooked in vegetable oil  with garlic and rosemary in a pan on the stove. It is another welcome addition to any meal. I make this dish with a summer barbecue. It can be greasy so I like to dab the oil off the potatoes before eating.

ITALIAN FOOD IS SIMPLE

The Italian dishes I make come from the Lazio region, province of Frosinone. The area is known as Ciociaria. The slang for the people who live there- ciociari. If from Rome- romani. Naples- napolitano. So I was ciociaro originally but really Canadian now.
Italian food is very simple- basic really. It varies from region to region. Whatever is abundant or in season is used in the cooking!  
My home town was Cassino. It is between Rome and Naples in Central Italy. Famous during World War Two for the battles for the Monastery on MonteCassino.  I wish I could say there is a Cassino dish. Ma non e vero! But there is not one.
So I am going to explore and present some of the dishes from this region as well as food I have adapted in my new home in Canada.

Just to let you my wife Barbara is always taking pictures when I cook. Annoying but will be helpful with this blog.

At age 9, just before our family left for Canada. July 1959
#italiancooking#lazio#cassinolazio#ciociaria#Ialianfoodissimple#lovetoeat#granplovestoeat#whatisgreataboutitaliancooking