One of the things I love about being married is that I have a whole extra set of family members than before. Now don't get me wrong, my husband and I were together for quite a long time before we got married so I felt like I had already been part of the family for a while. Along with being involved in someone else's family you get to experience the joys of their food traditions. I have found over the years that sitting down to dinner at his home provided me with new foods and new flavors that I enjoyed but just did not grow up eating. Take this recipe for example, it was developed from my mother-in-law's spaghetti sauce. I grew up eating spaghetti sauce, but not in this way, usually with meatballs added, but not in a more meat sauce form. This was something new that I remember eating at my husband's house and just wanting the sauce it was so good it didn't even need the pasta. Developing this recipe was quite a challenge. First of all it feeds many people, so one batch lasts a long time and I did not want to only eat spaghetti sauce for weeks on end. Second my mother-in-law is an intuitive cook, meaning she cooks by feel and taste rather than by measurements. This means each batch she makes ends up slightly different but all great. I remember asking her to make this so I could watch and I stood next to her at the stove eyeballing measurements and writing down ingredients hoping it would be something I could eventually make myself. Then as with all recipe testing there were the usual pitfalls, the testing it using canned tomato sauce, which was too metallic for my taste. I am glad to say I am finally here at a recipe that is close to hers, it is not the same and it never will be. Hers is made with a few changes, but as I have written about before part of what makes food great is the setting and the people. I cannot replicate meals at her table without her, so it will never taste exactly right, but I think this is as close as I will ever come. I hope you try it out and enjoy the flavors and then feel free to make it your own, as with all things our tastes are different and what I enjoy might not be the same for you. Bulk Spaghetti Sauce
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Something I have not shared is my obsession with cottage cheese. This started when I was young and our house would always have cottage cheese. I found it to be an adequate replacement for sour cream and ate it with cheese quesadillas. My mom would frequently put cottage cheese on top of a baked potato with some Parmesan cheese and crazy salt, occasionally even some sautéed vegetables as well. She had learned this simple way of eating from her college roommate and heartily adopted it, and with good reason. I saw her eating this way and tried it myself and LOVED it! You can imagine my delight upon visiting my then boyfriend (now husband)'s house to find his mom stirring cottage cheese into noodles to make Turos Csusza (pronounced "tour-ish taste-uh"). I had never heard of this dish before. This is a Hungarian dish she grew up with and continued to cook. I was hooked and it has since become a staple in our house. This dish is decadent, but delicious and inexpensive. Also it is one of the easiest to make. I mix it up by adding spices or Parmesan cheese or just eat it as is with salt and pepper. Each way is wonderful and delicious. Turos Csusza |
About MeI'm Sarah; a wife, traveler, foodie, and adventurer. Archives
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