Sunday is a special day for me. I love to watch my Nascar race and cook something special for early afternoon dinner. Today I decided on Spaghetti. My first step is to make the french bread to go with. Now I know you can by a baguette at almost any grocery store but the smell of homemade french bread and spaghetti sauce cooking just can't be beat. So, first step is to get the bread rising. I just make one loaf so it is fast and easy. Dump one pkg yeast into 1 1/4 cup really warm water, stir, add 1/2 Tblsp salt and 1/2 Tblsp olive oil. Stir in about 3 cups of flour, start mushing the dough with your hands........should be a little sticky. Turn out onto counter and knead just for a min.......put in greased bowl and let raise for an hour. When has doubled in size.....poke it down and turn out on lightly floured surface. Roll into a nice rectangle. Starting at the long end roll it up jelly roll style, put the seam side down, tuck in the ends and place on a cookie sheet that you have sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. Cover with a towel and when has doubled again, cut 4 slashes in the top with a razor blade and put in the oven at 450 for 25 min. After its cooked 25 min. and looks done........if you tap with the butt of a table knife and it sounds hollow........its done. Remove, and brush all over with an egg white that you have beaten slightly with a little water. Put back in oven for 5 min.......and that's it!
Now, back to the spaghetti sauce. Please don't ever buy those bottled spaghetti sauces.........they are so expensive and just not that good. Saute some chopped up onion in some olive oil in a small pot. Then add some chopped garlic........always remember garlic burns quickly and there is no correcting once burned.....just dump and start again. I like to add my herbs now, to saute a bit and bring out flavor. I add some oregano (always use dried) and fresh thyme if you have it, if not, its okay. I grow my own rosemary in a pot that I bring in in the winter and back out in the summer. I cut off a few sprigs and chop up and throw in. Now add any kind of tomato's you have on hand, canned tomato's, a can of tomato sauce or fresh tomato's........whatever. Today I added a can of tomato sauce and water. Salt and pepper. The sauce will be very thin but don't worry about it, we're not through. Oh, don't forget a dash of cayenne, just for a little zip. Let that simmer for as long as you want. There is also a rule that you must have a bottle of red wine on the counter while cooking.........for the ambiance. I then took a roll of Italian sausage that I had, put in a bowl and added 1 egg, tiny pieces of torn up bread (remember this makes your meatballs light and fluffy) salt and pepper and a tiny chopped rosemary. Mush all this up with your hands and form into about 3" in diameter meat balls. Brown them on all sides in olive oil. After browned place them into the sauce and continue to simmer. If you have some fresh mushrooms add those. Just before time to serve.......remove the meatballs and stir in 1/2 can of tomato paste.......this thickens your sauce to just right. Add the meatballs back in. Now cook your spaghetti, drain, dump in a nice dish with the sauce and meatballs on top, sprinkle with lots of Parmesan cheese and there it is! Serve with a nice salad and your wonderful french bread.
This morning Bob mowed our front half acre of grass. He was exausted after he had eaten, of course he hit the recliner. I had to listen to him cuss Dale Earnhardt for not driving right and then Kyle Bush for being in the lead. This went on for about 20 minutes and then it was silent. I watched the last 2 to 3 hours of the race in quiet. He opened his eyes about 10 minutes before the finish and pretended he had watched the entire race! I just smiled. It was a nice Sunday.
Sounds great!
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