Muddled mystery solved by meatballs
Okay, you made the New Year’s resolution to always know what you’re having for supper by 6 a.m.! For some time you have known your husband, children, Aunt Wilma, (and even your mother-in-law) look up to you. They are heavily influenced by your judgment and feisty twirl of the kitchen whisk. For an entire year you have dodged answering their daily question, “What’s for supper?” by simply responding, “It’s a surprise.” Truth be told, it was even a surprise to you most days. If this shrewdness is to continue, you could jeopardize your chances of being nominated for mother of the year. If Aunt Wilma knew your daily menus were in the fog and you were simply getting by with the luck of a good simmer, there would not be a hint of inheriting her Sons of Norway pin with the imitation sapphire. So shape up!
Let me illustrate by helping you roll your New Year’s resolution into reality. Meatballs! Yes, meatballs are the secret to the age old question-“What’s for supper?” We are going transform your daily menu’s existence merely by changing how we think of meatballs!
Back in 1969, Mom had overstayed an afternoon coffee party. Rightful so-after all, she was showing off the purse she made from Hi-lex bottles! As her white sandal touched the back step, the fruit cocktail clock had the hour hand resting on pineapple (that meant 5 p.m.) and the minute hand was getting very cozy with 30! She slapped two pounds of hamburger in my hands with the instructions to get rolling! By the time Dad strolled into the house at 6 p.m., supper was looking good!
My association with meatballs has been as regular as daily blinking. At summer camp, whoever scored low in archery ended up helping making meatballs! Every camp has one. Mr. Perfect Bulls eye. You know, the very smartie camper who is really just a rotten kid. Yet he had wonderful archery skills. In fact, he bragged about them relentlessly! Well, enough of that. I grabbed the Tabasco sauce and ratcheted up a plate of blistering meatballs! After all, too much bragging needs a bit of punishment! To my surprise, he actually liked them. Plus it made him overlook my depraved aim on archery. Trust your instincts-a hotshot archery player naturally wants a meal that sizzles like an arrow.
While working at the VFW Caf in Underwood, we catered meatball dinners to large tour buses. While at photography school, I did occasional banquet work. Wouldn’t you know the first thing I had to do was roll meatballs! If I had a penny for every meatball that my hands have shaped, it would make the dealings of Bernie Madoff look like petty cash!
Just recently I made 150 meatballs for the Repnow Christmas celebration. They were
not only held snowbound by the frost in our freezer, but by our stormy weather conditions. We are still planning to have Christmas when folks can gather and meatballs can cruise the highway with ease. Until that moment, my surplus is resting well in the freezer and “what’s for supper?” is not a problem. I share with you my mighty meatball victory tips.
1. I prefer to bake my meatballs on broiler pans. They brown evenly and the grease drips below. This takes between 18-20 minutes. . 2. Before baking meatballs, roll them in seasoned flour for added thickening, if you wish.
3. When shaping meatballs, keep you hands wet with water and rolling will be a breeze.
4. Be creative when adding ingredients. Try adding shredded potatoes, cabbage, rice and even sweet potatoes. When adding potatoes, I prefer to use potatoes which have been baked. Earn even more points by adding raw carrots, or diced peppers.
5. When adding stretchers such as oats, bread crumbs, wheat germ, or crackers, experiment each time by adding 1/4 cup of your desire or even blend a couple together.
6. Embark on the fact that meatballs can be customized to your taste. Many folks prefer very simple, and mainly meat-containing meatballs which are often softened by the gravy. Blend pork with beef and veal with pork-they love getting together.
7. Meatballs can be used in soup, they can be sliced on sandwiches, they can be married with spaghetti, they can be diced to create hamburger gravy, and a favorite in our home-meatballs with ravioli. You now know why I can easily answer the question, “What’s for supper?” with a cast of 123 round chums resting in our freezer just waiting to hit the stage!
8. Know in your heart that meatballs are not peasant food; by filling your freezer with a variety of loyal meatballs you will be prepared and outfitted, so go ahead and order that crochet pattern for the wall-size hanging of the Last Supper-you will now have time to complete it.
Repnow is a Rugby
resident.