What does that ridiculous title mean?  Well, it borders on the Yogi Berraisms, and like Yogi,
it makes much sense.  I'll bet that most of you out there have never heard or had your
tomato sauce for macaroni with peas in it.  It's a bit of a Sicilian-American Little Italy dish
that was a signature dish of my paternal Grandmother.  Feb. 16 (today) is my late father's
birthday.  So to honor his memory, what better way than to say it with food.  Make a dish or
two that remind me of him, dishes he grew up on. 
This is his Navy Portrait from when he served during World War II, 1944. The picture was taken in San Diego before he shipped out to Wake Is, New Caledonia (Vanuatu) and the New Hebrides...far flung corners of the Pacific, far from the streets of Staten Island.  Simply put, a Sicilian Sauce is made with double the amount of
tomato paste...Dice one onion finely and saute' in olive oil for 8 mintues, then add salt, pepper, a tsp. of
oregano rubbed between your hands, then two cans of tomato paste.  Let this saute' together for a good 5
minutes.  You'll love the oily orange-red color it takes on. Now add 2 cans of crushed Italian tomatoes.
Blend well and add 1 can of water to the sauce.  Add one peeled potato to the sauce. This is something
my Grandmother would do and Dad used to say he would fight with his other 7 siblings for a piece of
that treat!

  Make your favorite meatballs recipe, but make sure you
have plenty of PECORINO ROMANO in it, a touch of garlic, FRESH PARSLEY ---let's digress a moment
here...if you have a jar of dried parsley...throw it out, the Cold War is over...no need to hold onto any
survivorist foods.  Flat leaf Italian parsley is available year round in any supermarket or farm market.  
Soaked cubes of Italian Bread, or slices of white bread, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil, just a pinch
of salt, and ground beef and pork, 2 beaten eggs.  Simple. Add 2 tbs. of bread crumbs and your done.
 
Mix well, and roll into as many balls as you can make.  For 1 lb. of meat, use 1 -1/2 cloves of garlic, any
more than that, you are making a garlic bomb.  And mince it finely, don't coarse or rough chop it.  Fry
them up in some olive oil (fry them, not bake them) and when brown and crusty on both sides, add to
the simmering sauce.  Let the whole thing cook for 1 hr.  20 minutes before you are finished add 1 cup
of green peas.    Serve this with the pasta of your choice.


The next dish is simply taking a Sicilian appetizer classic, Caponata, letting it come to room
temperature, and tossing it with hot pasta for a great piquant dish with some of Sicily's signature
ingredients.  My Caponata (or Gabunadeen) consists of sauteeing up eggplants, onions,
tomato paste, frying peppers, red peppers, pignoli, raisins, olives, celery, red wine vinegar and
honey, and squash.  The dish simmers slowly and it served on antipasto tables.  You can take
this dish and by making sure it is at  room temp., adding to the pasta of your choice,my choice
was Gemelli.  The heat from the cooked pasta tossed with the caponata was a great taste
treat, and tribute to my Sicilian-American Dad's memory today.  Top it off with a proper grated
caciocavallo or a pecorino, garnish it with fresh chopped Italian parsley and fresh chopped
fennel fronds, chile flakes, and some slices of smoked mozzarella.  Really great flavors together.
Next time you are shopping, pick up a knob of fresh fennel...the stalks are refreshing and the
fronds on top are great flavoring agents.


Two dishes that do my Dad proud...Happy Birthday Dad!!