Quote: FP123 wrote in post #42

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #31

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #26

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LOL, that too! I hadn't heard that some in ages, cool tune!

If I really press the issue I have a couple of sweaters and a couple of corduroys from High School that I can squeeze into if I don't breathe too much, even still have a pair of Clarks Wallabees from HS (when they were made in Ireland) that I can knock around in!

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Along with @W-Girl I am VERY impressed FP!!! You're in a class of your own!!!

Over the years I've watched my waist size go higher, my inseam has gone down and my belt now goes to the last hole. And while I'm not that fat I'm surely nowhere near my high school body size or shape.

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Ahh, but the trick to all of that is that I wasn't all that thin in High School (except for Freshman year)! Senior year I was about 215-220 in the fall for football and cut weight to wrestle at 188 in the winter and went back up to about 215-220 for spring track (discus and javelin). So, it hasn't been all that hard to maintain my weight! But yes, for some odd reason I've noticed that my inseam has gone down as well!

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Quote: W-Girl wrote in post #45

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #44

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I'm sure that this is just anecdotal but I once lived near some Italians that were all from around Rome -- their gravy was always so watery to me -- didn't have any body to it. They used to give me a case or two of it at the end of the summer when they did their canning. I would use it throughout the winter and almost always added a small can of paste to it when I was using it.

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My mother's sauce was watery (she left out the paste) but she purposely did that because my Dad had an ulcer. My Aunts on my Dad's side of the family always made homemade spaghetti from scratch. There again....I tried to master that art of Italian dishes and FAILED AGAIN !! Kneading that dough real thin is ....HARD !!

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #46

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OK, that makes sense. In high school I was kind of scrawny, stuck at 177, seemed nothing I did would gain me any weight. I'm much more stocky and muscular now after years of working as a piano mover among other things, now~210.
The new part of me, the part that isn't so muscular and kind of round, just started to attach itself to me a few years ago. It's not something I'm used to. But I guess I've earned it. I'm a much better eater now than I ever was!

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #48

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #46

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OK, that makes sense. In high school I was kind of scrawny, stuck at 177, seemed nothing I did would gain me any weight. I'm much more stocky and muscular now after years of working as a piano mover among other things, now~210.
The new part of me, the part that isn't so muscular and kind of round, just started to attach itself to me a few years ago. It's not something I'm used to. But I guess I've earned it. I'm a much better eater now than I ever was!

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Haha, do you remember "eating to gain weight" in High School? For some reason I remember drinking 2-3 milkshakes a day with 3-4 raw eggs in them, I don't know why we did that. When I was in my 30s and 40s and drank heavily I weighed a lot more. As long as I stay active I can pretty much eat what I want but I have to stay away from the extra desserts and late night snacks to avoid getting too heavy. I don't have a scale that works so I can only guess that I am about 215 at the present. I also find that portion size helps, when I was younger I used to fill my plate about twice what I eat now.

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #47

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Quote: W-Girl wrote in post #45

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #44

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I'm sure that this is just anecdotal but I once lived near some Italians that were all from around Rome -- their gravy was always so watery to me -- didn't have any body to it. They used to give me a case or two of it at the end of the summer when they did their canning. I would use it throughout the winter and almost always added a small can of paste to it when I was using it.

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My mother's sauce was watery (she left out the paste) but she purposely did that because my Dad had an ulcer. My Aunts on my Dad's side of the family always made homemade spaghetti from scratch. There again....I tried to master that art of Italian dishes and FAILED AGAIN !! Kneading that dough real thin is ....HARD !!

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I had aunts that did that, I don't know how they did it. I can remember there being all these sheets of pasta laying around on every flat surface drying or whatever it was doing before holidays! Pasta making is something that I've never tried but always wanted to.

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #49

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #48

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #46

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OK, that makes sense. In high school I was kind of scrawny, stuck at 177, seemed nothing I did would gain me any weight. I'm much more stocky and muscular now after years of working as a piano mover among other things, now~210.
The new part of me, the part that isn't so muscular and kind of round, just started to attach itself to me a few years ago. It's not something I'm used to. But I guess I've earned it. I'm a much better eater now than I ever was!

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Haha, do you remember "eating to gain weight" in High School? For some reason I remember drinking 2-3 milkshakes a day with 3-4 raw eggs in them, I don't know why we did that. When I was in my 30s and 40s and drank heavily I weighed a lot more. As long as I stay active I can pretty much eat what I want but I have to stay away from the extra desserts and late night snacks to avoid getting too heavy. I don't have a scale that works so I can only guess that I am about 215 at the present. I also find that portion size helps, when I was younger I used to fill my plate about twice what I eat now.

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Yes I do remember eating to gain weight in high school! And I remember the frustration that my weight never changed, not even one pound!!!

times have changed, that's for sure.

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Quote: W-Girl wrote in post #50

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I have tried ....my cousins have tried and no one can get the dough thin like paper !! It takes an enormous amount of practice. My aunts grew up making spaghetti. I saw Lidia (WEDU - cooking show) make her dough in a machine. One of these days, I am going to buy one of those machines and see if I can do the dough that way. I would love to make homemade ravioli for the holidays.

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Quote: FP123 wrote in post #52

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Quote: W-Girl wrote in post #50

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I have tried ....my cousins have tried and no one can get the dough thin like paper !! It takes an enormous amount of practice. My aunts grew up making spaghetti. I saw Lidia (WEDU - cooking show) make her dough in a machine. One of these days, I am going to buy one of those machines and see if I can do the dough that way. I would love to make homemade ravioli for the holidays.

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Yeah, that's what I meant too, getting a machine to see how that works. I would like to try to make those rolled up things (I can't remember the name of them for the life of me now!) that were like tubes filled with cheese. I remember the pasta being so thin you could almost see thorough it!

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You can get a dozen Italian ladies in one room..give them all the same pots and ingredients and the taste will never be the same. My mother in law, made the best sauce/gravy on the planet..we used the same ingredients, used the same butcher, etc..mine never tasted like hers.

Those home canned (jarred) tomatoes need paste added or all you will get is tomato soup from them.

I use canned crushed tomatoes and paste, when I make gravy..I like the chunks of tomato in it. Another tip..dont use the imported tomato pastes, puree or tomatoes. The american brands are better. I use red pack brand crushed tomatoes. For the paste, I use hunts...if I add a can of contidina brand paste..I can tell the difference in the taste immediately. Its not as good (in my opinion). And ditch the parmesan cheese and get some good romano cheese. Thats what real Italians use..lol

Talk about making pasta. Years ago, when my kids were in their teens, I bought one of those pasta machines. It is very easy to make the dough in it and the pasta..but the machine is a "bish" to clean..and you have to clean the parts by hand..not dishwasher. Well.....my kids would no longer eat boxed spaghetti or pasta. They wanted the home made kind. I was so glad when the damned machine finally broke. I could have sent for a replacement part for what broke..haha..I didnt.

Getting back to the sauce..I am surprised the Florida aunt won this thing. I understand the ingredients in the south arent as good as that of the north.

As far as Italian food..the stuff we have in this country..the dishes you are all most familiar with (covered with red) are from the south. Most of it is Italian peasant food...brought here by the southern immigrants. Those who came to this country were mostly people from southern Italy (below Rome). The food covered with white sauces..come from the north. You see less of that here, or we did see less, until more recently.

One more thing... Home cooked Italian food tastes better than anything you get in a restaurant..even if you arent the greatest cook. And jar sauce? (gag me). I would rather eat the pasta plain with nothing on it...lol Geeze..I am hungry now.

Quote: Just Ducky wrote in post #54

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JD - I enjoyed your last post so much and this one even more !!

You can get a dozen Italian ladies in one room..give them all the same pots and ingredients and the taste will never be the same. My mother in law, made the best sauce/gravy on the planet..we used the same ingredients, used the same butcher, etc..mine never tasted like hers.

Those home canned (jarred) tomatoes need paste added or all you will get is tomato soup from them. YES !! YES !!
I use canned crushed tomatoes and paste, when I make gravy..I like the chunks of tomato in it. Another tip..dont use the imported tomato pastes, puree or tomatoes. The american brands are better. I use red pack brand crushed tomatoes. For the paste, I use hunts...if I add a can of contidina brand paste..I can tell the difference in the taste immediately. Its not as good (in my opinion). And ditch the parmesan cheese and get some good romano cheese. Thats what real Italians use..lol SO TRUE !! I always buy imported tomatoes - hardly ever use the american brands. Do you add sugar to sweeten the pot ?? I don't, but heard you could. I use a piece of veal instead.

Talk about making pasta. Years ago, when my kids were in their teens, I bought one of those pasta machines. It is very easy to make the dough in it and the pasta..but the machine is a "bish" to clean..and you have to clean the parts by hand..not dishwasher. Well.....my kids would no longer eat boxed spaghetti or pasta. They wanted the home made kind. I was so glad when the damned machine finally broke. I could have sent for a replacement part for what broke..haha..I didnt. You convinced me, I am going to buy a machine before Christmas and TRY !!

Getting back to the sauce..I am surprised the Florida aunt won this thing. I understand the ingredients in the south arent as good as that of the north. We have a great Italian shop in town and they import like crazy - you should see the prices too !! I went for Christmas last year - the place had a line to the parking lot - Once you got in the store you couldn't even move. If the fire dept had showed up the place would have been shut down.


As far as Italian food..the stuff we have in this country..the dishes you are all most familiar with (covered with red) are from the south. Most of it is Italian peasant food...brought here by the southern immigrants. Those who came to this country were mostly people from southern Italy (below Rome). The food covered with white sauces..come from the north. You see less of that here, or we did see less, until more recently.

One more thing... Home cooked Italian food tastes better than anything you get in a restaurant..even if you arent the greatest cook. And jar sauce? (gag me). I would rather eat the pasta plain with nothing on it...lol Geeze..I am hungry now. You have to go to an expensive restaurant - if you want good dishes !! I agree on the homemade !! Let me ask, did you ever have cannolli with yellow cream ?? If yes, do you have a recipe for the yellow cream ??

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Quote: Just Ducky wrote in post #54

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I use canned crushed tomatoes and paste, when I make gravy..I like the chunks of tomato in it. Another tip..dont use the imported tomato pastes, puree or tomatoes. The american brands are better. I use red pack brand crushed tomatoes. For the paste, I use hunts...if I add a can of contidina brand paste..I can tell the difference in the taste immediately. Its not as good (in my opinion).

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talk about a threadjack!!!

Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #56

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[and Im very very low on Italian heritage, nil ].

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W-girl..I never saw cannoli with yellow cream.

Many years ago, I tried using sugar. I didnt notice much of a difference..so I stopped. All I put in my sauce is garlic (which I brown with the meat), romano cheese and basil. I grow fresh basil, but I prefer to dry it before using it as the flavor is more intense. When I dont have my own basil, I use the regular basil from the store. For meat, I use meatballs, which I brown using high heat, because this forms a crust. My daughter and granddaughter are vegetarians..and while they will eat the sauce, they wont if there are pieces of meatball floating around..so they have to have that crust so they dont break apart. I also use hot sausage..and occasionally a piece of pork..sometimes beef. On very rare occasions, I make bracciole. (the no egg method, just seasonings). And, I only cook my sauce about an hour and a half to 2 hours. You dont need to cook it more than that.

About the tomato brands. Where I grew up, (one step from the bronx), we were still getting Italian immigrants in the 50s. My best friend was born in Italy. It was she..who told me to keep away from the imports and use the red pack brand and hunts. Her sauce was #2 in line, right after the mother in law...and..their families both came from the same province in Italy.

As I said in my last post, the pasta machine was very easy to use. It came with several..um..thingies to make different shapes. You can put the pasta right from the machine..into the boiling water. My kids liked the spaghetti and linguini..but, Like I said...they would no longer eat the kind in the box..lol..and the thing is a royal pain in the neck to clean...so, pasta making=fast and easy, cleaning=ugh.

There was only one place that I ever ate the food, that tasted just like home cooking. About 10 years ago, a place opened by me that did catering. At that time, we had several parties coming up in the family, so I got one of their menus. Their prices were very reasonable and they loaned you the stands to put the food in and gave you the sternos. So..we ordered, several trays of different italian food. This stuff was so good, that several people asked me if I did the cooking. I had to call these guys the next day to ask whose grandmother they had in their kitchen there..the food was that good. Needless to say, these guys stayed in business only a few years...what a loss. I really think someones mom or grandma gave their recipes to these guys..with no shortcuts or ingredient cuts.