Day 20: Nonni's Sauce & Meatballs, c/o Dad

First attempt at Nonni's Sauce & Meatballs, c/o Dad

Every month or so, I'd wake up on a Saturday to the smell of onions and celery, my dad making sauce and meatballs. My Nonni was a phenomenal cook. Having grown up in a small mountain village in Italy, she learned to cook by sight at the age of 5. When I was about ten years old, my parents sat down with her while she made meatballs, sauce, homemade pasta (cut with a knife by hand), and gnocchi, and measured each ingredient. She'd throw a handful of flour on the table, my dad would scoop it into a measuring cup, and my mom would write the amount, creating a small collection of recipes. My dad made these recipes almost monthly, and as I've mentioned once or twice before, the smell of onions and celery still brings me back to those mornings.


A good friend of mine is having her baby this week (hopefully) and a few of our friends have gotten together to make dinners for her and her husband. My contribution is Nonni's sauce and meatballs, along with some gnocchi my dad whipped up last week. Like any kid growing up in a house where cooking and baking were passions, I had helped my dad before, but I have never tried these recipes on my own, until now. Today, making full use of a day off from work, I took a stab at Nonni's sauce and meatballs. 

Right now, the pot of sauce, filled with meatballs, is simmering on the stove, slowly cooking. My apartment is filled with the smell of tomatoes, onions, celery and simmering beef, bringing me back to my childhood.

I have no idea how this will turn out. It needs to simmer for another hour and a half or so, but I think it looks pretty good so far. It smells right at least. For now, I'll just relax, read a little, and keep my fingers crossed.

To see other beautiful things from this month, click here and scroll down.