Spaghetti Sauce by Giovanna for Angelina

This is a true Sicilian homemade Spaghetti Sauce, also called Gravy. I will use this sauce as the base to many of the recipes you will find on my blog in the future.

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 medium; cut into large wedges.
Garlic: 7 cloves; cut in 1/3's
Beef Bullion: 1 cube
Chicken Bullion: 1 cube
Salt: 1 tsp.
Black Pepper: 1 tbsp.
Sugar: (the use will be explained later)
Whole Milk: 1/2 cup
Oregano: 1 tbsp.
Fresh Basil: 6 leaves
Pecarino Romano Cheese: 3/4 cup
Red wine: 1/4 cup
Virgin Olive Oil: (the use will be explained later)
Crushed Tomatoes: 3 qts. of 6-in-1 brand crushed tomatoes
Tomato Paste: Small can of your choice brand
Water: (the use will be explained later)

Putting it all together:

1. Cover the bottom of pan with about 1/8 inch with the virging olive iol.
2. After oil is heated to the point where an onion sizzles when it is dropped in, add the onions and garlic to the pot.
3. Lower heat to medium. Stir occasionally until onions become transleucent.
4. Lower heat to low. Let simmer for 1 minute.
5. Take out the onions and garlic. This step is optional. The olive oil is flavored at this point already and the onions and garlic are no longer being used to enhance the flavor.
6. Add the can of tomato paste. Stir well.
7. Add 1 qt. of the crushed tomatoes. Then fill can about 1/4 of the way up with water, swirl so the excess tomatoes in the can are picked up by the water, and poor the water in the pot.
8. Repeat for the next 2 qts.
9. Turn the heat to medium-high.
10. Remember to stir frequently after the tomatoes have been added.
11. Add the beef bullion, chicken bullion, salt, pepper, milk, and oregano.
12. Give it a taste. If it's a little bitter then the sugar is necessary to counteract the bitterness. Or if you simply like your sauce a little sweeter, add a little sugar at this point. Always add the sugar to taste.
13. Cook for approximately 5 minutes; stir occassionally.
14. Add the wine and stir well.
15. Add the cheese and stir well.
16. After five minutes more of cooking, add the fresh basil. Basil should always be the last ingredient in the sauce.
17. Bring the sauce up to a boil, and let it cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.
18. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool in the pan. During cooling, stir occasionally
19. When the sauce is cooled, strain the sauce using a strainer and ladel. The chunks remaining in the strainer can be thrown out or as I like to do, first pick out the garlic and put it in the sauce then throw out the remaining material, yum yum.

P.S. Don't forget to refrigerate the sauce after it has cooled. The sauce is always better the next day anyway! The sauce will last for 5 days refrigerated or you may also can the sauce if you know how (the canning process will be posted at a future date on this blog). Also I will be doing Chicago-land restaurant reviews, so if you are a restaurant goer, check into my blog again to see the videos and read the critiques about the restaurants.

Enjoy!

A Merry Christmas Deal

Real quick, because my wife needs me in the kitchen. I'd like to pass along another great deal from my friends at restaurant.com -- Save an additional 60% off on dining certificates and more! Enter coupon code GIVE at checkout. The offer is good through Christmas day. Bon appitit and have a Merry Christmas.

Holiday Shopping Survival Tip

With the holidays upon us, who's got time for shopping? (Huh?) I'd rather be in the kitchen perfecting my someday-to-be-famous red sauce. Notice, I don't say soon-to-be-famous red sauce. That's because it just seems like there aren't enough hours in a day to make it happen right away! By the way, red sauce, for all of you non-Italians out there wondering, is simply red. I mean, you know, spaghetti sauce.

Anyhow, all of that aside for now. In this household, we like to save money and time so, thought I would pass along this holiday survival tip that can help you avoid the mall madness. Right now you can save an additional 60% at restaurant.com, where $25 dining certificates can be purchased for as little as $4. To take advantage of the instant 60% off savings, just go to restaurant.com, enter discount code 10523 and hit "recalculate total" during the purchase process.

Italian Beefy Potato Chip Dip

Here's a variation of a chip dip with an Italian spin. My friend and business associate, Chuck Anthony came up with this one between brainstorming sessions--still mapping out our website strategy, by the way. Anyhow, follow this link to the Jays Potato Chips recipe page. Just substitute the one pound of ground beef with your favorite Italian beef (shredded). You may also want to mix in a small bottle of hot giardiniera.

Oh, if you're unfamiliar with Italian beef, check out Portillo's.

No Tricks, Just Treats

Heads ups on a special promotion from Restaurant.com; they're offering a 60% off deal until the end of October. That means that their $25 restaurant certificates can now be purchased for as low as $4. Not a bad deal when you think about the high cost of dining out these days. Just go to Restaraunt.com, sign up free of charge and enjoy fine dining at a discount. Ciao!

Blogging Southern Italian and Sicilian Cuisine

From the old country to the greater Chicago area and beyond, we're introducing this blog today in advance of a full service website featuring authentic Southern Italian and Sicilian cuisine. The blog will document our progress and will also include some helpful cooking tips, restaurant reviews, recommendations and more.

Stay tuned for some tasty advice and commentary. Bon appitit!