Meatball recipe

1 ½ pound of chuck or top sirloin chopped meat

1 egg

1 cup of Italian flavored breadcrumbs, ie. Progresso brand

½ cup of chopped fresh oregano, Italian parsley

4 cloves of finely minced garlic (pieces from a whole bulb)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl.

Form into balls of about 3 inches or so.

Heat olive oil in a frypan, about 3 or 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin Italian olive oil

When the oil is hot, place meatballs in oil and brown on all sides on low heat.

Put meatballs into the sauce and let them cook for about 30 minutes on low heat.

Serve over pasta. The sauce goes over pasta and meatballs.

Sauce

Sauté in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 3 chopped garlic cloves, when garlic is sauteed, pour in the following:

1 jar of Rao's Italian marinara sauce

1 small jar of Italian tomato paste

1 small can of Italian tomato sauce

Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

When the sauce is cooked put meatballs into the sauce. Cover pot and simmer on low heat.

Interview Summary

My grandmother Susan Sorokolit, comes from an Italian family. Sorokolit is her married name and it is Ukrainian. Vago is her maiden name. Her father, Libero, came from Northern Italy, specifically Lake Como which is the Lombard region. Her mother, Helena, came from Palermo, Sicily in Southern Italy. This meatball recipe came from the late 1800’s and it was from my Great-Great-Grandmother in Palermo. My grandmother learned this recipe from her mother and it was passed down from several generations. Cooking is the epicenter of an Italian family because eating and cooking bring the family together. Food and family are the two most important parts of any Italian family so this recipe is central to my family. This recipe means a lot to both me and my Grandmother as it brought our family together when we prepared it and ate it. This recipe is also important because my Great-Grandmother was an amazing cook (although I never got to know her). Her recipes, which she wrote down, are her living legacy to me. It is special that I can recreate her amazing food and share what she must have felt like when cooking and eating this food. I will be sharing a picture of her handwritten recipe copy. Italian breadcrumbs and eggs keep the meatballs together just like the meatballs keep the family together. Garlic and olive oil are in almost every Italian recipe because they are staples in Italy. People say that Italian olive oil is some of the best in the world. I was taught this recipe by my Grandmother as she showed me not only the written recipe but also the way it is prepared. She ends every lesson with Mangia which means Eat in Italian.