Dear Anthony,
I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing your recipes for spaghetti sauce and meatballs. It is very close to what I grew up with. I’m Italian-American. My mom use to put out an Italian Christmas Dinner that caused everyone we knew to be envious. Unfortunately, through the years recipes got lost and memories faded. I needed a refresher course, I guess. I feel that your recipes have done that for me. I do, however, have a couple of more questions for you that I hope you can help me out with. I plan on making stuffed manicotti with sausage and meatballs for my Christmas Dinner. Please note that I have a lot at stake because my future in-laws are going to be in attendance. This is a VERY important dinner, impression as well as presentation. I think you can understand that. ALL the cooking from start to finish is resting on my little shoulders!!! My questions are this: Do you know of any bread dipping oil recipes that they can munch on before the main course? I know that sometimes there is an olive oil based dip that has several other ingredients in it and you serve it with warm bread and dip away. I’m just not sure of the exact ingredients. Also, do you have any recipes for what I call Italian Wedding Soup?? In reference to your spaghetti sauce, is the wine necessary or optional? Do you always use the diced tomatoes?? Well, that’s about it, I hope you can help me with my current dilemma. I hope to hear back from you as soon as humanly possible, with good or bad news. Thank you for your help. Merry Christmas!
Sincerely Bonnie Sacco
Bonnie,
Hi! Oh yes, Christmas dinner is EXTREMELY important, taste, presentation, aroma... EVERYTHING must be perfect! Very importanto. Manicottis? Oh man! Can I come over? That's one of my favorites and you just reminded me that I don't have that recipe on the site! I must do this soon. My Sicilian mother in-law makes a wonderful manicotti, just wonderful! She makes the manicotti wraps like a crape, very thing and delicate and the filling.. Oh momma mia! You have gone and made me hungry and longing for manicotti now. I might just have to make this for Christmas as well. Will help me get it up on the site. ~ Dipping Oil, I wish I had a good recipe for this. I have tried this a couple times, what I do is just get a small plate, sprinkle on the middle of the plate, oregano, (finely chopped garlic that has been sautéed in a small pan with just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, heated until you start to see bubble on the edge), basil and fresh ground pepper then pour some really nice extra virgin olive oil in the middle of it and mix it up right there in the plate and to spice things up just a bit I put in about 1/2 tsp. of Jalapeño juice from a jar of jalapeño peppers. After it's all been mixed up good I like to sprinkle some finely chopped fresh parsley on top for presentation and added flavor. Hot bread is important with this too. You really have got me hungry now! I don't have the wedding soup recipe. The wine is not a must but does add a nice robust flavor to the sauce. I always use diced tomatoes. Well that should cover it! I hope you have a fantastic Christmas event with the future in-laws. May it all go exceptionally well! Let me know hot it all turns out. Merry Christmas.
Ciao,
~8-) Anthony
Dear Anthony,
Thank you so much for your response to my e-mail. So many times you go to websites with contact information and you never hear back from them. I definitely will let you know how things turn out and I hope with your busy schedule you can put your grandmother's recipe up before Christmas so that I can compare it to mine as well as get some extra tips. Do your best with that ok? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Much Appreciation
Bonnie
Bonnie,
Well, here it is New Yeas Eve, and still no Annisette cookie recipe.... arg! Soon, I promise, soon. Happy New Year!
~8-) Anthony
Click here for more follow-up email about Bonnie's cooking experience. Bonnie's very important dinner turned out to be a big success! :-)
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