Bolognese. A Family Affair.

Some recipes are found in cookbooks, some in magazines and some you can jot down while watching a cooking show. However, some of the best recipes often come from an Aunt, a friend, or a grandmother who can't really remember where she learned it. Frequently, they include directions such as, a dash of this or a handful of that. Which leads to frequent head scratching and one thinking to themselves, this couldn't possibly be right. However, it usually takes just one bite to realize that all your doubts were quite foolish.

That's where this bolognese recipe comes in, it was taught me to my dad who learned it from his mom. Who most likely learned it from her mother, however, I'm not really sure where she picked it up. It is such a simple meat sauce, but yet utterly delicious. It does take time, about 2-3 hours, but it is largely unattended. The mantra of Italian cooking is to use fresh ingredients and allow the natural flavors of those ingredients to make your dish shine. That technique is most definitely employed here. The crushed tomatoes are reduced down about by about half to concentrate their flavor rendering them simply mouthwatering. The diced onion is quickly sauteed to provide a flavor base that will eventually meld into the dish allowing multiple flavors to build on top. In this case the garlic and spice mixture do an excellent job of providing those necessary levels of flavor, as well, as complementing the natural beefiness of the ground meat.

Today I used the bolognese to make lasagna that I served for my parents and uncle who came over to celebrate the holidays. It reminded me how much I enjoy cooking for others. I love seeing their joy as they bite into something delicious that I prepared. It really makes the time and effort put in the kitchen worthwhile. When you make a dish you don't know one-hundred percent that it's going to come out. You have your ingredients, your recipe and a general idea of what you're going to do. Then you go into battle. When you are finished and all the flavors come together perfectly and it looks beautiful out on the table that feeling is truly indescribable. It's like nailing a triple axel or finishing a beautiful painting. Every ounce of effort you put in is rewarded, right in front of you. All that's left to do is dig in.

This sauce is my favorite thing in the world to prepare. Growing up my dad would always cook it Sundays during football season and we would eat it at halftime of Philadelphia Eagles games almost religiously. It was the first thing I ever learned to cook by myself and I loved every second of it. I've never been a fan of the phrase comfort food, but that's what this was to my family. No matter what was going on in life we always had pasta on Sunday to comfort us. It was something we could always fall back on and something to help prepare us for the week that lay ahead. My biggest hope is that others can share this dish with their loved ones and it can do for them and their families what it did for mine. It truly is comfort food at it's finest.

Bolognese

-Adapted from my Dad

-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

-1 small onion, diced

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-1 teaspoon dried oregano

-1 teaspoon dried parsley

-1 teaspoon dried basil

-1/2 teaspoon onion powder

-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

-1 lb. ground meat (85% lean)

-2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

-28 oz. water

-1 6 oz. can tomato paste

-2 teaspoons granulated sugar

-2 bay leafs

1. Over medium heat, heat the oil in a 5-qt stockpot until it beings to shimmer, about 2 minutes.

2. Then add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for additional 3o seconds. Add the salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, onion powder, garlic power and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for another minute.

3. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground meat. Breaking up any big clumps as the meat cooks. Continue to cook until meat is throughly browned, about 5 minutes.

4. When the meat is browned, add the crushed tomatoes, water, tomato paste, granulated sugar and bay leafs.

5. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until it reduces by about half and greatly thickens. This takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.