How To Crack an Egg

There has been a general lack of cooking around my apartment for the past couple of weeks (hence the lack of new blog entries), but no scarcity of good meals.

Labor Day weekend we were in Milwaukee for a wedding, and at the reception we dined on succulent filet mignon and shrimp with béarnaise sauce and buttery mashed potatoes. There was no shortage of good wine, and as the dance party was winding down and the guests started to feel hungry again (really, I don’t think it was possible) – out came sliders and cones of french fries. Never had french fries been so well received.

I don’t shop before long weekends because invariably all the food rots and I can’t stand the guilt of tossing putrified vegetables and moldy cheese when I know there are less fortunate people in the world who don’t have the luxury of buying food just to throw it out two weeks later.

I don’t shop after I get back because I’ve missed my window of Sunday grocery shopping and figure I’ll wait another week to stock up on more produce to rot in the fridge.

Last night, however, it was time to get back to business. Yesterday was one of those slightly dreary days where the air is thick and everything is a bit gray and your day is just off and you don’t know why. Andy came home in a cranky mood, and I knew exactly how to salvage the day – with spaghetti and meatballs.

Most recipes for spaghetti and meatballs want you to simmer the sauce for at least an hour (if not three) and tack on another 30 minutes to simmer the meatballs. When you get home at 8:30 pm, this will just not do. So we cooked from a Rachael Ray 30-minute-meals recipe off the Food Network site.

As much as I can’t stand the smiling face of Rachael Ray beaming down at me from every box on the cracker aisle, she does have some excellent meatball recipes, both of the Italian and Swedish variety. Andy and I still reminisce over the amazing Swedish meatball soup my sister served us one night, courtesy of Rachael Ray.

More than anything, I wanted Andy to have the satisfaction of blending the meatball mixture together with his bare hands and “connecting” with his food. To me this is almost as satisfying as kneading bread, if not for the raw meat factor.

I didn’t realize that Andy didn’t know how to crack an egg until he hesitated for a moment over the bowl, but his instincts kicked in and he cracked it perfectly. He informed me later that he could have made the entire recipe without my supervision, and except for cracking the egg I don’t doubt that.

The meatballs were straightforward – egg and breadcrumb to bind the meat; garlic, salt, worchestire sauce and parmesan cheese for flavoring. We baked the meatballs for 10 minutes before finishing them off in the simmering sauce that was greatly aided by crushed red pepper, four cloves of garlic and fresh basil from my backyard. I realize baking is not the traditional method, but it was a great way to cook the extra grease off the meat without it fattening up the sauce, and cut our cooking time in half.

I even convinced Andy to eat multigrain pasta with the argument that while not as tasty as the regular white pasta, it was certainly not as bad as the whole wheat pasta next to it on the shelf. He conceded.

I have to say that these meatballs were to die for. Andy and I kept exchanging wide-eyed grins of disbeliefs as we MMMMMED! our way through dinner. I think there was even a congratulatory high five or two about the success of our amazing spaghetti and meatballs. Monday was saved, and Andy learned how to crack an egg. Thank you, Rachael Ray!

Rachael Ray's Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 pound spaghetti
Salt, for pasta water
Meatballs:
1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for passing at table
Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese.