Mangia!

The Garibaldi girls; Romilda, Vera, Rena,

my Grandma, Rosalie & Angie.

Here I am with my sister, cousins and Grandma in 1979.

(Notice I seem to have the same haircut as my boy cousin Ryan.)

Tonight I am having my cousin Jenny over for dinner. I love spending time with her because, like the rest of our family, she is really energetic and funny. I thought it would be appropriate to prepare some Garibaldi family recipes. Its gloomy outside and we could both use some comfort food. Tonight's menu will include pumpkin ravioli topped with our Great-Grandma's pasta sauce, and roasted brussell sprouts on the side. Oh, and for dessert? Biscotti of course. Jenny has been working insane hours lately so I decided to make extra sauce that she can take home with her for an easy weeknight dinner.

Pasta Sauce


1 lb lean beef, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium chopped onions
1 cup chopped parsley

1 cup chopped basil

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 26 oz boxes of tomato sauce

splash of red wine

1 tsp water

sprinkle nutmeg

salt and pepper

Sear the meat in olive oil. Remove meat. Saute onions, then add herbs, mushrooms, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add meat and simmer for 1 hour or more (more is better) on a very low flame. Keep it thin enough by adding a little water (or wine) as needed. Season with salt and pepper. **Disclaimer to fellow family members: This recipe includes a few alterations to the original that my my mom makes, and now a few of my own minor changes. Thats part of the fun of family recipes, as each generation gets to put their own mark on it! :)

Biscotti

This recipe comes from my Grandma, via my Great-Aunt Romilda. There are no words that describe how sentimental I feel when I bite into one of these cookies. Its the same feeling you get from smelling a lost loved one's perfume or trying on your grandmother's wedding band. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

3 cups flour, sifted

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp sweet anise (scant)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

3 (rounded) tsp baking powder

1 cup slivered almonds

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and remaining ingredients. Knead lightly on floured board. Form into long narrow rolls and place on greased baking pan. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, or until brown. Remove from pan and slice rolls about 1/2 inch thick. Place slices on cookie sheet and return to oven till browned (about 10 minutes). As Grandma would say, "Mangia, mangia!!"