Cosi si mangia!

A meal is always best enjoyed with some friends, so last night we had a few of our favorite folks over for a hardy meal. On the menu:

~Meatballs with a simple tomato sauce~

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. hot Italian sausage (out of the casing)

2 cups crusty bread soaked in chicken broth, then the liquid squeezed out

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

3/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

salt and pepper to taste

~For the sauce~

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 small yellow onion, chopped

5-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Form meat mixture into balls a bit bigger than golf ball size and saute in one cup of olive oil over medium heat. In a separate pan, caramelize onions in about 3 tbsps hot olive oil, then add garlic. Cook for about a minute, then add can of tomatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes or until reduced by about a third and season as desired. Place meatballs on a serving platter and ladle sauce over each meatball. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, a sprinkle of grated parmigiano, and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

~Stuffed bell peppers~

6 bell peppers of varying colors, cored and seeded, keeping the pepper intact (top/stem removed)

5 oz prosciutto, diced

1/3 loaf crusty Italian bread, cut into chunks and pulsed into crumbs in a food processor

10-12 oz diced bacon

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 small onion, any kind, chopped

5-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano

Roast bell peppers on your range top (gas stove) or under the broiler in your oven until skin is charred. Remove charred skin and set aside. Cook bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Strain off some of the bacon fat then add the fennel, onion, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until tender. Season with freshly cracked pepper. In a bowl, mix the contents of the pan with the bread crumbs (reserving about 1/2 cup), parmigiano, and prosciutto, then fill each pepper with the mixture. Top with remaining bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Before serving, lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with a few pinches of freshly chopped parsley.

~Pasta with fresh greens~

1 package spaghetti

1 small onion, any kind, chopped

10-12 oz. diced bacon

5-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 to 1 cup freshly chopped parsley

1 head endive, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup grated parmigiano

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Boil at least 1 gallon of aggressively salted water and cook your pasta in it according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp then remove most of the fat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together cooked pasta with the contents of your skillet, endive, parsley, parmigiano, and olive oil.

We served all of this with Francis Ford Coppola's "Rosso" table wine.

A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Rosso exhibited ripe fruit flavors and a touch of spice. Very easy finish.

Bon appetito,

Tony

Veni, Vidi, Vino!

Welcome to Tastings with Tony, where I hope to explore the wonderful worlds of food, wine, and cocktails. Here we'll speak freely, avoiding pretentious stuffiness, while discussing the virtues of three of my favorite things in life! Won't you join me?

To begin the adventure, try this wonderful California Cabernet Sauvignon from Sausel.


It's one of my favorite Cabernets and exhibits luscious black fruits and a long, smooth finish. Perfect with a grilled rib eye!

Or, if you prefer, this simple cocktail:

1 1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc

1/2 oz. Triple Sec

1/2 oz. fresh sour (equal parts lime juice and simple syrup or bar syrup)

1/2 tsp Campari

Shake Lillet, Triple Sec, and sour with ice then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Pour Campari in slowly so that it sinks to the bottom of the glass. Cheers!

Tony