Ina and Jeffrey and a match made in heaven~

One day..babysitting our darling grandsons..I watched an episode of The Barefoot Contessa that my daughter had taped... ..It was their 40th anniversary I think~

She made him Italian Wedding Soup~



How could I not try and make it?
I love that couple.. They are believably happy..and still have that sparkle in their eyes for each other~

OK.. Both my husband and I cannot even imagine liking ground turkey or chicken..we have tried..Blahhhhnd for us:(I don't know what it is w/ our in sync taste buds..but it has never been appetizing to us..

Ground pork..on the other hand.. is..
So I modified..Ground pork .. chili peppers.. our seasoned home made bread crumbs.. fresh basil.. etc etc..No dill.. he's not crazy about it in soups..some minor tweakings for individual tastebuds.

But the whole idea and taste.. even modified~

Was bon!!!!!!



I watched a show last night that was rating Ina's Back to Basics..they gave it a thumbs up..

the soup ..not being their favorite though..I learned from their mistakes..

More seasoning..only add the spinach in the last minutes:)

I used pearl pasta..so cute....

I made the base.. the meatballs etc..early one AM before work.. saying to my husband who was feeling poorly..this will cure your malaise..



Unfortunately..he was still malaised....and it did not improve until now..almost one week later..Could the soup have taken one week to work it's magic? Or was it the Magic Pumpkin Pie? Or warm baths and earlier than normal bedtimes and later than usual rise times?
Keep this recipe..just in case...You already saw the pie:)

La Recette~
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken(ground pork here)
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed(Italian)
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs~ I used Jacque's ..seasoned croûtons.. pulverized-
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper I added chili peppers
For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil(I used a treasure of an olive oil my neighbor brought me back from Italy this month~)
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars..I used pearls:)
1/4 cup minced fresh dill..I used basil and parsley and sage..and rosemary:)
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed..I used less..for tonight..will add more on the second helpings..)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

I have tried a few recipes from this book now..and it's on my list~It was nowhere to be found where I went lately..
I just splurged though on another though..coming in one month or 2:)Recommended by Hélène..Of Cannes..Even if you do not speak French..her photos speak a universal language~I find myself going back over and over again:)

You will see the Fairytale cookbook..yes..that's the one I have on order~:)

Today..I just want to share something I think is special..yesterday I drove my husband to an appointment and waited in the car for him..I had brought a book and he a magazine..

One of the articles in his magazine caught my eye..It was about Judith Jones.. ..I read the whole article w/ interest and remembered her blog site "par coeur"..by heart..by memory..I typed in it so quickly this evening and was thrilled it popped up..:)

Go see..An inspiration..

I have to make that soufflé!

On a sadder note..after years of abstinence..I subscribed to Gourmet last month..thinking it would be nice to pass on to my daughters..

I was shocked to read of it's impending demise yesterday..