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Neapolitan Red Sauce and Meatballs.

(This is such a lot of work, I make enough for 20 - 25 servings and freeze them).
Ingredients:
3 lbs gr. beef, 11/2 lbs. gr. veal and 11/2 lbs. gr. pork. 2 lbs. beef short ribs and 2 lbs. pork ribs. 196 oz. peeled tomatoes, 24 oz. tom. paste, 24 oz. tom. sauce. 15 slices, fresh, white bread; 2 bunches fresh parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, two wedges Romano cheese, 3 eggs, 8 medium onions, 1 large garlic bulb, (at least 18 cloves), salt, pepper, Wesson oil and freezer bags and/or containers. Preparation: A food processor is a blessing. Mix up the 6 lbs. of ground meat in separate pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon Basil, 1 teasp. Sage, 1/2 teasp. Rosemary, 1/2 teasp. Thyme, 11/2 cups chopped parsley, 3 medium onions, minced fine, 15 slices of white bread grated into breadcrumbs, (ball up and run through food processor or cheese grater), 1 cup grated cheese, 3 eggs, 7 cloves minced garlic, 1/4th cup water, pepper well and salt to taste. Mix real well and form into meatballs, then stick in refrigerator. In large pot, pour in olive oil to about 1/8th inch thick. On medium high heat, sear ribs. After they're browned, take out of pot and put aside. Drop heat to "Low". Mince 3 medium onions and sauté in the oil the ribs were in. After 4 or 5 minutes, put in balance of minced garlic for 4 or 5 minutes more. Add tomato paste, a cup of finely chopped parsley and stir together for 5 min. In separate pot, put in all the peeled tomatoes and crush by hand, then dump it all into first pot and put tomato sauce in. Add 2 cans water and put burner on high. Add 1/2 tablespoon Basil, 1 tblsp. Rosemary, 11/2 tblsp. Sage, 11/2 tblsp. Thyme, pepper to blanket top. Add 3/4 cup gr. cheese, 3/4 cup chopped parsley, salt to taste and bring to a boil, stirring often. As soon as soft boil is reached, throw in about half the meatballs and cook for 25 min., stirring carefully. After all meatballs done, take out and throw in ribs under medium to low heat for an hour or two. After the ribs are falling off the bone and you're ready for supper, skim off the oil slick on top and put the water on for the pasta. Throw in the meatballs you'll be eating that night just 5 minutes before your pasta is ready. Turn the heat off while you eat and after the sauce has cooled down a little, you'll have plenty of spaghetti sauce, meatballs and side meats to freeze into meal-sized different pouches.

Chicken Blanco (feeds 8)
Ingredients:
2 lbs. linguini, 4 sticks butter, 3 medium green peppers, 2 small boxes fresh mushrooms, 2 cans pitted black olives, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 cups dry white wine, 4 pigs skinless chicken cutlets. Chop peppers, (not too tiny), quarter mushrooms, cut olives in half, cut chicken into bite size. Sauté chicken in butter, low heat, stir, for 20 min. Put in peppers and mushrooms, simmer, 15 min. more. 5 minutes before they're done, boil water for the pasta. Put in cheese and olives, 5 minutes, then add the wine. let it all cook until linguini is ready. Serves 8.

Florentine T-Bone Steak, with beans and stuffed tomatoes

Ingredients:

T-BONE STEAK: 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tblspn chopped fresh Sage, 1tblspn chopped fresh Rosemary, 1 tblspn chopped Thyme, 4 lemon slices, 1 small onion, sliced, 1 bay leaf, 2 10 oz. T-Bone steaks, salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. STUFFED TOMATOES: 2 ripe medium to large tomatoes, 1 tblspn olive oil, 1 small onion, chopped, 1 tblspn chopped parsley, 1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs, salt to taste. CANNELLINI BEAN GARNISH: 1 tblspn extra-virgin olive oil, (plus more for drizzling), 1/8th teaspn ground dried cloves, 2 ribs celery, chopped, 1 teaspn chopped fresh Sage, 1 can, (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, 3 slices onions, separated into rings, 1 tblspn water, fresh-ground black pepper to taste.

To Make Steak: In a zip-sealed bag, combine oil, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon slices, (squeeze as you add to bag), onion slices and bay leaf. Add steaks, seal and toss to marinate for an hour. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Remove steaks from bag, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill steaks until done to taste, (or cook in a preheated grill pan on top of stove). To Make Tomatoes: Meanwhile, preheat oven up to 450. Cut tops off tomatoes, remove pulp from inside, (use a grapefruit spoon with serrated edge), turn tomatoes upside down on a rack to drain. In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Sauté' onions until soft. Add reserved pulp, (crush as you add), cook over medium-high heat until most of liquid has evaporated. Add parsley, breadcrumbs and salt. heat through. Salt inside of tomatoes. (if you want to be sure tomatoes sit flat on baking pan, trim a thin slice from blossom end - do not go through into cavity). Fill with breadcrumb mixture and place on baking dish. Bake 10 min. or until heated through and tomato is soft. To Make Beans: In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add cloves, celery and sage. Sauté till celery soft. Meanwhile, place beans, onions and water in saucepan, cover and heat through over medium heat. Drain beans and onions and add to celery mixture. Stir to combine. Season with pepper. To Serve: place a steak on each plate. Place beans with onion rings and a tomato around steaks. Drizzle beans with olive oil. Makes 2 servings.

Omelet (Frittata), with Green Onions

Ingredients: 3 tblspns olive oil, chop 3 green onions, 6 eggs, 3 tblspns grated Romano cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in skillet, add onions and sauté until light brown. Mix beaten eggs, cheese and seasoning together, then add to the onion and cook over medium heat until golden brown. Turn only once and cook until other side is golden brown, too.

add 1 cup spinach to above ingredients to create Frittata di Verdura. Add right after onions are light brown and cook for 5 minutes. Then put in rest. Add diced ham or cold cuts right after onions are sautéed and cook for 5 minutes. These are just a few of the possible variations.

Cooking Pasta

It takes about 4 quarts of water to cook a pound of pasta. Bring water to a boil, add some salt and olive oil and add pasta. Stir frequently. Cook until tender, but not too soft. Check the "al dente" level by biting off a piece of pasta and checking closely the inner portion of the strand. It should be uniform. Drain into colander.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients: (see Neapolitan Red Sauce recipe), 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, 11/2 lb. ziti, Parmesan or Romano grated cheese.

Defrost and heat sauce and slice mozzarella. Cook the ziti, (or rigatoni), until "al dente". Spread some sauce, cover the bottom of a baking dish and layer the ziti and cheese. Spread more sauce on top and repeat. Finish with the ziti on top, (3d layer). Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake @ 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Home fries, (New England style)

Ingredients: 2 potatoes, (Maine "old" potatoes are best), 2 chopped onions, garlic powder, paprika, butter, pepper and salt. Boil potatoes the night before and put in refrigerator.

To cook: chop onions, peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized chunks. In skillet on medium heat, put in 1/4th stick of butter. When it's melted, sauté onions about 1/2 done. Add potatoes, sprinkle garlic powder, paprika, pepper and salt to taste. Use wooden mixing spoon to mix it all up real well, then turn heat down to "low" until onions golden brown. Can be used to enhance many meals.

Aglio e Olio

Ingredients:1/2 cup olive oil, 3 cloves minced garlic, 6 cloves quartered garlic, 3 sticks butter, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon thyme, pepper and salt to taste, (you'll need more salt and black pepper than normal, with this dish).

Sauté all garlic in oil under medium heat till golden brown, then add all other ingredients, stir and put heat up to medium-high until you get a soft boil. Drop to "simmer" and heat the water for your pasta. When pasta is al dente, drain and pour back into pot. Add the sauce and toss. Make sure each plate gets some of the quartered garlic.

Lasagne

Ingredients: 1 lb. package lasagne noodles, 1 recipe spaghetti sauce, (see Neapolitan red sauce), 4 recipe meatballs, 3 lbs. ricotta, drained; 5 eggs, 4 or 5 sprigs parsley, finely chopped; 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced; 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated; salt and pepper. In large pot, bring 4 qts. water to a boil. Add 2 tbspns salt and 1 tblspn olive oil to keep noodles from sticking together. Add noodles and cook al-dente according to pkg. directions. Drain under cold water and carefully separate.

Beat ricotta, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper together until smooth. Grease roasting pan with oil. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of pan. Layer noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, tomato sauce and sprinkling of Romano cheese on top. Add another layer of noodles and repeat process. Add a final top layer of noodles only. Mash meatballs and spread over the top with more sauce and sprinkling of Romano cheese. Cover with foil and bake 375 F for an hour. Remove from oven and let stand. After slicing portions, add some more sauce to each portion as a topping.

Linguine With White Clam Sauce

Ingredients: 1 can minced clams, (7 oz.), 1 can whole baby clams, 1 bottle, (8 oz.) clam juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine, 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspn. crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, 1 lb. linguine.

Cook the linguine according to package directions for al dente. Saute garlic in olive oil till lightly brown, add clams and cook for one minute, then add juice and seasoning. Simmer until pasta ready. Drain pasta and place on deep platter, pour clams and sauce, toss and serve. Feeds 4.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients: 2 cups cooked, white, kidney beans, 3 tbspns. olive oil, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 28 oz. peeled tomatoes, crush by hand, 2 sprigs chopped parsley, 1 teaspn. basil, 1 teaspn. thyme, salt and black pepper to taste, 1 lb. Ditalini macaroni, (or other small-cut pasta).

In pot, saute garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer 12 minutes. Add beans and a cup of the bean liquid and simmer 30 minutes. 10 minutes before soup is done, cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente. Drain and add to soup, mixing well with wooden spoon. Serves 5 or 6.

Stuffed Artichokes with Anchovies

Ingredients: 4 large artichokes, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 cloves, chopped garlic, 1 teaspn. basil, 1 teaspn. thyme, 1 teaspn, (2 sprigs) parsley, 5 chopped anchovies, 3 tblspns. grated Romano cheese, 4 tblspns. olive oil, pepper to taste.

Prepare artichokes, cut stalk evenly from base and cut about 1" from top, trim sharp ends with scissors. Place artichokes in warm, salted water for 5 minutes. Rinse and parboil for 7 minutes and drain. Combine breadcrumbs and everything else, except the salt and pepper and mix well. Use teaspn. and insert equal amounts of mixture between the leaves of the artichokes. place them upright in thick-bottomed pot. Dribble 1 tblspn. of olive oil over each artichoke. Pour about an inch of water into bottom of pot, season artichokes with pepper. Cover pot and simmer for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with liquid from bottom of pot. Test when done by pulling outer leaves. When they pull out easily they're done. Stand for 3 minutes before serving. Note: anchovies can be omitted. If omitted, salt artichokes lightly.

Fried peppers and Eggs.

Ingredients: 6 large, green peppers, 5 eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/4 teaspn. crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.

Wash peppers, cut in half and remove seeds and stems, slice lengthwise into thin strips. Heat oil in large skillet and cook over hot flame for 5 minutes, turning over and stirring often. When slightly brown, lower heat and put in garlic, cook until pepper strips tender. Beat eggs and add to the skillet, salt and pepper to taste and mix well until eggs are done.

Roasted Pork Chops and Potatoes

Ingredients: 6 to 8 pork chops, (depending on size and thickness), 6 potatoes, 3 tblspns. grated Romano cheese, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1/4 cup, chopped, fresh parsley, 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, salt and pepper.

Place chops in shallow roasting pan and place quartered, peeled potatoes around them. Salt and pepper to taste, (a little more than normal), smooth shortening over the roast and mix together cheese, garlic and parsley and sprinkle over top. Bake at 400 degrees about an hour, until meat and potatoes browned, basting during the cooking. Remove from oven and drain away all fat. Serves 5 or 6.

Veal Scaloppine

Ingredients: 11/2 lbs. thinly sliced veal, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, 2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley, 1/2 cup dry white wine, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.

Cut veal slices into bite sizes, heat olive oil in skillet and brown both sides, In same skillet, saute onion and mushrooms until golden brown, then add garlic until it browns, salt and pepper to taste, add tomatoes and cook at high temp. for two minutes, mashing tomatoes, drop to med-high, add parsley and wine and cook several minutes more. Sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes and serve with with rice. Serves 6

Veal and Peppers

Ingredients: 11/2 lbs. cubed rump veal, 4 green peppers, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 3 peeled tomatoes, 1/4 teaspn. crushed red pepper, 1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Wash peppers and remove stem and seeds, cut into 1" strips, heat olive oil in skillet and saute veal until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Take out and put on plate. Put peppers in skillet and fry until tender and slightly brown, add garlic and saute until golden. Add tomatoes and crush with fork while cooking, season with basil, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Cook medium heat for 5 minutes, put veal back in and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring and mixing. Serves 6.

Roast Leg of Lamb

Ingredients: 1 leg of lamb, (5 or 6 lbs.), 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 teaspns. rosemary, 1/2 teaspn. sage, 1/2 oregano, 1/2 thyme, salt and pepper.

Wipe leg with damp cloth, make 6 or 7 slits in meat . Mix up seasoning with just a drop or two of olive oil and insert into slits. Season with salt and pepper. Put lamb on roast pan rack, skin side down and insert thermometer. Bake at 325F for 31/2 hrs. or until thermometer shows 180F. Baste with drippings. Remove skin before serving. Serves 8.

Crawfish Etouffee, (Italian Style)

Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 lg. onion, coarsely chopped, 1 lg. green pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped, 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, 3 lbs. frozen, cleaned and cooked crayfish tails, thawed in their bags, 3/4 cup hot water and 1 tblsn. cold water, salt and cayenne pepper to taste, 6 scallions, 2 more cloves garlic, finely minced, 1 tblspn. Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, 1 tblspn. cornstarch, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 6 cups cooked rice.

Cut across tops of bags and remove crayfish tails, saving bags for later. In 6-to-8 qt., cast iron pot or non-reactive Dutch oven, heat oil in medium heat. Add onions, green peppers and sliced garlic & saute till peppers soft. Add crayfish tails. Use 1/4 cup of hot water in each bag to swirl around and remove yellowish-orange crayfish "fat" and pour into pot. Season with creole seasoning, cayenne and salt. Add 3 chopped scallions to pot, bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add minced garlic and more salt if needed. Combine cornstarch with equal amt. cold water. Stir into sauce, adding more for increased thickness, if desired. Add balance of chopped scallions and chopped parsley before serving. Serve over rice. Makes 12 servings.

Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients: 3 slabs baby-back pork ribs, barbecue rub*, vinegar sauce*, and apple juice. To prepare barbecue rub, use 1 cup firmly packed dark, brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated garlic, 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup paprika, 2 tblspns. granulated onion, 1 tblspn. dry mustard, 1 tblspn. creole seasoning, 1 tblspn. chili powder, 1 tblspn. ground red pepper, 1 tblspn ground cumin and 1 tblspn. ground black pepper. Mix all rub ingredients well in a bowl & store in airtight container, (makes 3 cups). For vinegar sauce, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup apple juice, 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, 1 tblspn kosher salt, 1/2 tblspn ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspn. gr. red pepper & 1/2 teaspn. paprika. Put all vinegar sauce ingredients in saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Chill until ready to use. Reheat, if desired. (makes 4 1/2 cups). Rinse and pat ribs dry. Remove thin membrane from back of ribs by slicing into it and pulling off. Sprinkle meat generously with barbecue rub. Massage it into meat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill 8 hours. Prepare hot fire by piling charcoal on just 1 side of grill, (or for gas grills, lighting only 1 side, but be sure to use low flame.), Place cooking grate on grill and arrange ribs over unlit side. Grill 2 hrs. with lid down, adding 5 or 6 charcoal pieces each hour and a handful of hickory chips every 20 min. Keep temp. between 225 & 250. Spritz with apple juice from squeeze-trigger sprayer every 20 min. Reposition ribs every 30 min. Grill 2 more hrs. Remove ribs from grill and place on hvy duty aluminum foil. Spritz generously with apple juice and tightly seal. Place foil-wrapped ribs back on grill and cook 2 more hrs. Remove ribs from foil, place flat on grill and baste generously with vinegar sauce. Grill 20 more min. Remove from grill and let stand 10 min. Cut ribs into 3 or 4 rib sections. Serves 6.