"Ophelia" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Ophelia" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>>
>>> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> "Ophelia" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "sf" > wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> On Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:20:56 -0400, jmcquown >
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> From Smithsonian Magazine
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/201
>>>>>>> 3/06/is-spaghetti-and-meatballs-italian/
>>>>>>> ?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=
>>>>>>> email&utm_campaign=20130616-Weekender
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> or (yeah, hate those long URLs):
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://tinyurl.com/n7nebyh
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Part of the text:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Meatballs-juicy goodness of meat, onions, breadcrumbs, egg, butter,
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> Parmigiano-Reggiano, soaked in red sauce over a pile of spaghetti.
>>>>>>> Nothing says comfort like a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.
>>>>>>> And,
>>>>>>> nothing says Italian food like a big bowl of spaghetti and
>>>>>>> meatballs-unless you are Italian."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Any comments? I've never been to Italy so I know I've never eaten
>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>> authentic Italian food.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I've been to Italy and meat-a-balls are not a huge part of the
>>>>>> cuisine
>>>>>> where I've eaten... in fact, I don't remember seeing them on any
>>>>>> menu.
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't like plain meat balls, so I use the same mix I use for meat
>>>>> loaf.
>>>>
>>>> I think for some reason, veal is much more common in Italy than veal.
>>>> Can
>>>> you make veal meatballs?
>>>
>>> I expect you could make meatballs with whatever want Veal is not
>>> something I use but I can't see why not.
>>>
>>> I don't remember my MIL ever making meatballs.
>>>> She often made sausage in red gravy though. Her sister did make
>>>> something
>>>> when we went to visit but now I can't remember if it was meatballs or
>>>> meatloaf. But she used a combination of beef and sausage. I do
>>>> remember
>>>> that. I liked whatever it was and I don't normally like sausage.
>>>
>>> Why don't you experiment You might be pleasantly surprised? You
>>> could always ask I suppose?
>>
>> No. I have no way to contact her now.
>
> Oh That's a shame. Could you describe them here? There is such a
> wealth of knowledge here, someone might know!

I honestly don't remember. This was many years ago and I don't even think I
was married yet. We were visiting and she had made dinner which we hadn't
expected. But she put all this food on the table and wouldn't take no for
an answer. We really were not hungry at all because all we'd done all day
was visit my now husband's relatives. And you don't visit Italians without
them trying to feed you! I just remember taking a little of what she served
and telling that I liked it and then she said there was a combination of
beef and pork in it. That's what astounded me because aside from bacon, I
have never really liked pork.

I only know that this aunt went MIA when I tried to send her a Thank You
card. I knew that she had moved. She sent us a card stating as such...I
think last summer. And when my husband moved back, he brought us Christmas
presents from her and his mom. Not sure why the delay...but perhaps they
thought he would bring them when he flew back and that didn't happen.
Anyway... The card was returned to me saying "No such address". I thought
maybe I had addressed it wrong. I have a habit of doing something stupid
like leaving off the city or some such thing. So I tried again, this time
enclosing a birthday card as well because her birthday is this month.
Again, the cards came back with the same sticker on there. I also know that
Angela had looked up the address on Google Earth because she wanted to see
what the house looked like and it said there was no such address. That was
odd. Only know from another relative that they said she had moved in with a
rich boyfriend but do not know if this is true or not.

So long story short, I called my SIL and she said the aunt had just moved in
with one of her sons. But she didn't know any more than that. Gave me his
address. I am really not in contact with many of my husband's relatives
except via snail mail and those are the elder ones. I was in touch with one
cousin for a while and then he just sort of vanished. My cousins are all
the same. I stay in touch with a few via snail mail and have one on my
Facebook. And I have a very big extended family! It's just that aside from
when I was a young child, we've not seen each other much at all. Mainly
because we are so spread out. Do have one cousin who now lives in this
state and I do see him on occasion.

My husband's family does have family recipes and I was once given a recipe
box full of them but... They were all for stewed zucchini! Whoever that
box belonged to (same aunt from above is the one who gave it to me but
wasn't sure who the former owner was) apparently didn't realize that the
recipes were all for the same thing. But the odd thing was, I was looking
for such a recipe! There is a diner called Hibernia in NJ and I loved their
stewed zucchini! The waitress had warned me not to order it, saying that it
was an acquired taste. But I loved it! And I've since not been abler to
recreate it. I tried at least a dozen recipes from that recipe box and then
gave up. None came close to tasting like what they made at that diner. And
from what I read online about that diner, it has gone downhill. Apparently
they didn't keep it up and people say the food is no longer good. Sad,
because I did love that place. Used to have a beautiful salad bar and a
menu that read like a book!