Dave Smith wrote:
>
> Nancy Young wrote:

> > Here's something to consider. I think many of us here don't make
> > pies very often, if ever. It's rather difficult to become
> > proficient in something if you might try it maybe once a year.
> >
> > I'm lucky to live near places that make pie professionally every
> > day of the year, of course including the crust. I'm pretty happy
> > with Mrs. Smith rather than making my own pumpkin pie. If I want
> > quiche, I buy the red box crust. Not everyone is a baker.
> >
> > Now, if someone talks about buying premade meatballs, we'll be
> > having a different conversation.
> >
>
> Well there you go. I consider meatballs to be way more work than pie pastry. You have
> to soak the bread, get out all the ingredients, mix it altogether and then the tedious
> chore of making all those little meat balls.

I use breadcrumbs, I can't stand bread cubes in my meatballs or
meatloaf. And, hmmmm ... where are you from that you make little
meatballs, huh huh huh?

> Maybe all you need is a quick lesson in pastry making. There are only a few
> ingredients, flour salt, shortening water ( optional and preferred) egg and vinegar.
> The single most important factor is not to overwork it. Don't cut up the shortening too
> fine. Don't handle the dough too much and roll it out gently from inside out rotating
> the direction of roll to get an approximate circle.

I'm certain it's far easier if you have the interest in pie. I don't
mean that in any rude way whatsoever. I just don't eat pie.

Having said that, I don't make ravioli or other pasta either. This
place near me, it's all homemade and excellent.

Only time I drag out the flour is for fried chicken or beef stew or
chicken piccata, like that. Christmas cookies. (laugh) I have to
struggle to even reach the flour.

To me it's so messy.

> Meatballs on the other hand, I find to be a tedious chore. There are more ingredients,
> it takes more time and more work to get them all thoroughly combines, and then you have
> to form all those little balls. And then they usually need some sort of sauce, more
> ingredients, more work.

To a lot of people that's a great day's work. Very relaxing. Chop
the onion, chop the garlic, get out the oregano, blah blah blah.
Brown the sausage, make the meatballs.

> FWIW.... I finally got to use one of my new kitchen gadgets the other day. Last summer
> I was in a nice little kitchen accessory store and picked up a little meatball former
> gizmo, like a pair of scissors but with two little round cups instead of blades.

That is blasphemy.

> Useless little gizmo if I ever saw one. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but half of
> them stuck in one side or the other, and some on both sides, making two half balls.

Just grab a golfball sized amount, rub it into rounds and plop it
into the frying pan. But, if you still want to use it, maybe
spraying the thing with Pam might help? Or rubbing it with oil?

nancy