I love Italian sausage, the mild varieties. I'm a sausage lover from way back, I love good hot dogs and white hots (a wonderful Western New York thing via Zweigle's Meats, a German family who formed their own sausage-making business back in the mid-20th century.)
I know the current rage is for chicken sausage.
I'm not a fan. It's dry, you have to practically drown it in something to make it chewable, and it still can't match the consistency of old-fashioned pork sausages. I've tried so many delicious variations, and still... I'm a porker kind of gal!
In our local hots and hamburger joint, when someone orders a red hot, they yell "Red!"
If they order a white hot dog, they yell, "Porker!"
So an order would sound like this: "2 grounds with (meaning 2 ground round burgers with cheese), 2 red, 3 porkers and 2 orders (french fries are an "order")
So that family just bought 2 cheeseburgers, 2 red hots and 3 white hots with two sides of French fries.
:)
I love decoding the orders! Okay, back to quick sausage night....
Easy Marinara Sauce:
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
3 oz. tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped onion (or a tablespoon and a half of dry, chopped onion)
1 tablespoon parsley
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons granulated garlic or one clove crushed and sauteed in olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper.
Pour everything into a 3 quart saucepan. Heat gently. Mash tomatoes if you'd like them smaller. Don't overheat or cook, you get more flavor by undercooking a marinara like this.
Sausage links or patties or bulk:
Saute until cooked in frying pan with a splash of olive oil.
Rigatoni (cooked as directed)
Parmesan cheese (if desired)
Mozzarella cheese (if desired)
Cook sausage until done, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook pasta. Drain pasta. Layer pasta onto plate, then some sauce, sausage, more sauce. Top with cheese. Microwave just long enough for mozzarella to melt, about 30-40 seconds.
Dave loved this. A fun, easy meal that goes straight to a man's heart!
And this is what happens when you're not watching a small child and there are cupcakes on the counter: (a very quiet child who can move a chair or stool with great stealth!)
Oh, Finn!!!!! A wise man is always on the lookout for cookies and cakes!
And we've got NO SNOW pics here, we're still on the far side of the jet stream curve, so when this publishes on 2/4, we will have enjoyed a balmy 50++ degree day yesterday...
With rain!
El Nino is giving us a taste of mild to make up for last year's crazy two months of super cold with 3 feet on the level snow pack. And we're okay with that in Western New York, (unless you're doing snow plowing or running a ski resort/shop because then you're staring at the sky and wondering what in the name of Sam Hill has happened????)
I'm busily doing edits and getting ready to launch new books in March, and we will be doing some giveaways RIGHT HERE IN THE CAFE!!!! I'm going to treat you to some of Angelina's and Isabo's recipes from the Kitchen at the Double S Ranch, so stay tuned! Copies of "Back in the Saddle" might be coming your way in the next week or two!
Ruth Logan Herne loves that she's managed to raise her family, help with numerous others, innoculated pigs, fed and milked cows, birthed puppies and is now living the dream of writing novels that tempt the heart and soothe the soul! Join in with her antics on facebook, stop by her WEBSITE, or visit with Ruthy, Missy and a bunch of other great folks at their sister blog SEEKERVILLE.
COMING MARCH 15th!!!!
