My grandmother and I were never very close.
I think this as I add breadcrumbs to ground meat, sprinkle in a combination of spices. No recipe in sight.
I dig my hands into the cold meat. Slowly mixing together the egg, bread crumbs and meat, making them all become one.
I know by the feeling when they are ready to be rolled into balls and placed into the hot oil.
I stir the gravy and add some basil. This too comes together on it’s own. No instructions, no measuring spoons to watch.
Just instinct and taste.
And it’s quiet in my kitchen as the toddler and the puppy nap.
And I am calm, my mind is quiet. I work slowly rounding each meatball, flipping them carefully in the oil, browning them and then adding them to the gravy.
The secret to a great gravy is always adding the meat to cook in it.
And this is mine. Even though the recipes were hers. And while we were never close I am thankful to her for this. I think that this is what she left me. This calm, this serenity, this peace that I find over a pot of gravy. The ease in which I can cook this meal.
It’s been 10 years, at least, since I’ve used the recipe, there are just some things you know in your heart. Some things you were born to do.
It was like pulling teeth to get my grandmother to write down a recipe- whereas her mother just knew them by heart. I am not so good with doing them on the fly unless they're my own.
I'm glad you've learned that from yours- meatballs are a wonderful family meal tradition!
It just seems to come naturally to me. All other recipes I need to hav ethem in front of me in order to make them.
This is so funny to me — Just yesterday I was looking at a recipe for meatballs as an appetizer and thinking how thankful I was that I could just use the frozen ones. Silly bad cook me. I don't remember my father's mother cooking much (she had a cook) and I didn't spend too much time with my Georgia grandmother. Too bad because she could have taught me some things. 🙁 After reading this post, I might have to attempt rolling that ground beef after all.
I think once you make your own you will never go back to the frozen ones.
So, in a way, even though you were never that "close" you still feel a connection and closeness to her. Pretty amazing, I think. Looks delicious!! 🙂
Yes, exactly, and they were really good.
Love it! "Gravy" reminds me of Sopranos, which is the only other time I've ever heard it referred to as such. Where I'm from, gravy is white and creamy and best on biscuits or chicken fried steak!
I love that you mention the Soprano's. My hubs calls it sauce and I call it gravy and when we watched The Soprano's I said, "see it is gravy!"
I love this. There's still an emotional connection there and I love the way you've described it. Priceless.
Thank you Greta!
You are absolutely right: You HAVE to cook the meat in the sauce. Seems so elementary, but lots of folks don't get it. Cooking can be so relaxing. Glad you had a chance to enjoy some quiet time.
Cooking is so relaxing for me.
I make biscotti too, it's so easy and delicious. I too gain a lot of peace from just baking something simple.
Biscotti are the best and making a simple meal is truly peaceful.