An Offer You Shouldn't Refuse

            You can ask my friend Mark, all my life I have wanted to be a gangster. I know that it will never come to be as I have no taste for violence and everyone I know has refused offers I have made. That being said I love the movies and books dealing all things mafia. I taught myself how to make the spaghetti sauce from the Godfather because you never know when you are going to have to feed like 20 guys. I am also enamoured with the love for food that is shown in those movies, and even the stories I have heard about the making of them. Catherine Scorsese, Martin’s mom cooked all of the food for the cast while they were filming Goodfellas. That is freaking awesome. So here is a recipe that is inspired by all of my nights sitting up and watching gangster movies. I hope you dig it.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce to the tune of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. How could you not

1 lb lean ground beef

½ lb lean ground pork

1 egg

¼ cup bread crumbs

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp good olive oil

1 large can crushed tomatoes

¾ cup red wine

1 onion finely diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp oregano

Chopped basil: as much as you like in tour tomato sauce

-In a mixing bowl combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper. Form into balls. Heat half the oil in a good sized pot over high heat. Add your meatballs and brown them. Remove from the pot.

-Return the pot to the heat and add your onion and garlic, lower heat to medium and sweat until translucent. Add in the rest of your ingredients and combine. Shove in your meatballs and simmer over low heat for about an hour or so until the sauce thickens up. And that’s my trick.

            You can serve this as a pasta course or if you are anything like me you can make yourself a meatball sub. We are all aware of my love for the sandwich. Give it a shot and I hope that you enjoy.