FRANK SINATRA'S SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

FRANK SINATRA’S ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

* 1-28-ounce can Italian style tomatoes

* 1-28-ounce can of tomato purée

* 1/2 of a cup of olive oil

* 1 medium onion finely diced

* 4 cloves of garlic minced

* 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley chopped

* 2 teaspoons of dried thyme

* kosher salt

* black pepper

* 1 pound of dried pasta

* Extra chopped parsley for serving

* red pepper flakes for serving, optional

* Italian grated cheese blend, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a frying pan, add the olive oil, the onion, and the four cloves garlic. Stir often over medium heat until onion is golden. Remove garlic cloves and discard.

2. Drain the Italian-style canned tomatoes, saving 1/4 of a cup of the liquid. Place the liquid from the canned Italian-style and tomato purée in the blender for about 6 seconds.

3. Add the drained tomatoes and blended tomato purée in the a sauce pot; cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

4. Season the Marinara sauce with fresh parsley, dried thyme, and kosher salt, and black pepper stir the sauce well; simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring sauce a few times.

5. Cook 1 pound of pasta according to the package directions for al dente style pasta, drain pasta once was done, rinse if desired and re-drain.

6. Pour spaghetti on the heated platter, cover with the sauce.

7. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.







FRANK SINATRA’S MEATBALL RECIPE

* 1/2 pound of ground beef

* 1/2 of a pound ground pork

* 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs

* 1/2 of a cup parmesan/ romano Italian cheese blend

* 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley

* 1 clove of garlic minced

* kosher salt to own taste

* freshly ground pepper to own taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine, ground beef, ground pork, Italian bread crumbs, parmesan/romano Italian cheese blend, chopped parsley, minced garlic, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Form meat mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball.

3. Brown the meatballs in olive oil and reserve til sauce is made.

cHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FANNIE FARMER

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour *
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

*NOTE: As a friend pointed out to me, if using all-purpose flour, you may need to use more than a cup. I would try between 1 1/8 and 1 1/3 cup.

Oven 375 F

1. Let butter and egg come to room temperature. Grease some cookie sheets!

2. Cream butter. Add sugars and beat on high until light in color and very fluffy (about 3 minutes in my stand mixer). Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. In separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients gradually, scraping down sides. Beat only until incorporated–do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop ping-pong- to plum-sized dough balls onto cookie sheet, leaving ample space between each blob. They will spread substantially. Cook 11-14 minutes until edges are browned and middles are barely set.

STATE FAIR HAM LOAF

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. cured ham, finely chopped
⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
¼ cup buttermilk
3 ½ tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. ground sage
½ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small yellow onion, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 325°. Place ham, bread crumbs, buttermilk, 2 tbsp. mustard, sage, curry, allspice, ginger, cloves, eggs, onion, and salt and pepper in a bowl, and mix until well-combined. Transfer to a parchment paper—lined 8″ x 5″ loaf pan; smooth top. Heat remaining mustard, sugar, and vinegar in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Pour half the glaze over ham loaf; bake until loaf is cooked through, about 50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan; drizzle with remaining glaze before serving.

FRESH CUCUMBER PICKLES

2 quart jars
7 cups unpeeled pickling cucumbers sliced thin (about 7 large dills)
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced red peppers
1 tbsp salt
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed

Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set a side
Put vinegar, sugar, celery seed and mustard seed in a pot and bring to a boil
Remove from heat and let cool for one hour
Pour mixture over cucumbers
Put in jars and store in refrigerator
Will keep up to 2 months

Makes 2 quart jars

MISO DRESSING

Miso Dressing


YIELD 2/3 cup
TIME5 minutes

This is a great dressing for cooked vegetable salads, spinach salads, tofu and noodle salads, and it’s also delicious with a simple bowl of rice.


1 rounded tablespoon white or yellow miso
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, or 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 small garlic press, minced or put through a press
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil or grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons plain low fat yogurt



Combine the miso and vinegar (or vinegar and lime juice) in a small bowl and whisk together. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until amalgamated. You can also mix this in a blender.
Toss with the salad of your choice.

SNICKERDOODLES

PERFECT SNICKERDOODLES



The BEST most PERFECT Snickerdoodle cookie recipe ever! Super soft and buttery, loaded with cinnamon and sugar. Plus, there's no chilling the dough necessary, so they can be made QUICK!

Serves: 20 large cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg, plus 1 yolk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2¾ cup flour
Cinnamon Sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Barilla® Pronto™ Pasta
Our New Pronto Pasta Makes Cooking Dinner Quick & Easy. Try It Today! See Barilla.com/ProntoPasta

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325°
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper, set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. With mixer on medium speed add in egg, yolk and vanilla and beat for another minute, scraping the sides as necessary.
Turn mixer to medium low and mix in baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and 1 tsp cinnamon. Mix for 30 seconds, scraping sides as necessary.
Turn mixer to low and add in flour, mixing until just combined.
In a separate small bowl make your Cinnamon Sugar by mixing together cinnamon and sugar, stirring until evenly combined.
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, measure out about 2 Tbsp of dough and roll into a ball. Then roll each cookie dough ball into the Cinnamon Sugar mixture.
Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning cookie sheet halfway through baking.
*I baked mine for exactly 10 minutes every time I make these cookies with perfect results, but I know ovens vary, so bake only until the edges are slightly golden. The tops may seem slightly undercooked, but they will firm up perfectly when they cool. If you prefer a crisper cookie, bake for 2 additional minutes.

MOUNTAIN TRAIL COOKIES

Mountain Trail Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Vamped up chocolate chips cookies with pecans, pretzel pieces and butterscotch chips.

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup broken pretzel twists

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped pecans and pretzel pieces.



Using a medium sized cookie scoop, drop dough balls onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through for even baking. Remove pans from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.