When you're the instructor, you get to choose the recipes. :)

[Michael_in_TX]

As I've mentioned a few times, my sister is a classically-trained French chef (Lenôtre graduate) and a professor of culinary arts at a culinary school. She teaches a variety of courses, including the basic "how to boil water" introductory course.

As the instructor, she gets to decide what recipes the students will cook in that course. There's the usual Julia Child and Jacques Pépin stuff, but this semester my sister decided to include a very, very special recipe: my grandmother's spaghetti and meatballs. My mom made this for us quite often when we were growing up, and just like your grandmother's spaghetti, it is one of the most amazing things you have ever eaten and is pure comfort food.

Here's a quick shot of my sister demonstrating how to brown meatballs....



....and the final plating.



Although, growing up, I don't think we ever had the leaf garnish lol and on my plate at least, there would be five meatballs!

It is incredibly cool to know our cherished recipe is being passed on to others....at scale, even!

[Andrrr]

That looks so good but I'll say that serving size better be 3-4x for me, please,

[Alan Brice]

It is just the first course appetizer.

[Jerod Broussard]

Coolness. Growing up our meatballs were fried in a couple feet of grease.

As well as the fried tuna fish sandwiches.

[Donw]

I grew up thinking meatballs were only fried unless they came in a can with spaghetti. I had to move away to discover they aren’t always.

[Carolyn]

I love good meatballs.
I didn't know your sister was a chef. Can she tell me the secret that keeps meatballs from falling apart? I have issues with this.

[Michael_in_TX]

As Alan said, a good binder. Per one pound of meat, I use one egg and 1/2 cup of regular (fine, not panko) breadcrumbs. Also a good 20 minute firm up in the fridge before cooking helps as well.

[RichieB]

My wife's meatballs are delicious and don't fall a part. She uses egg and bread crumbs. She cooks them on a sheet pan in the oven. Then into the sauce.

[Carolyn]

I use egg and breadcrumbs, but maybe I am just not using the right amount. Also, putting them in the fridge to firm up is something I didn't think of doing. DOH!

[Johnny Booth]

That pot of meatballs would not have made it to the sauce. 🙂
Very nicely done.

[Jerod Broussard]

Some meatballs ask to be sacrificed when I'm frying them for puhsghetti

[SheilaAnn]

Jerod Broussard you pronounced it wrong….shpa-ghetti. That’s how my daddy pronounced it and I smile every time I think of it.

[Jerod Broussard]

SHucks

[jecucolo]

What my grandmother used in her meatballs and what I use is bread soaked in water. She used dried French bread but I use plain white bread. Before I strain out the liquid I mix it into a mush. Then I drain it in a sieve before I mix it in with the beef, pork and egg.
just my 2 cents.
More than one way to skin a pork butt!

[Sweaty Paul]

Absolutely wonderful. Pretty cool you have your own chef to help with culinary questions!

[Richard Chrz]

Very cool, what a nice tribute to your family’s history with this meal

[captainlee]

Most excellent, they look delicious.

[fzxdoc]

Share the recipe with us, Michael? If we have to enroll in your sister's culinary school to get it, I understand.

I'm always curious about how others make some of the basic recipes we grew up with. For example, I was in college before I discovered that you don't make marinara sauce with ketchup and V8 tomato juice. 😱😱😱 What a culinary eye opener!

My father hated spaghetti with marinara sauce, so when he was on a business trip, my mother would make it for us. I'm guessing she made up the recipe as she went along, as neither she nor her own mother were interested cooking. I must have fallen off a different tree branch, since I've loved to cook ever since I was a young kid.

Kathryn

[jayjordan]

I was hoping for the recipe as well!

[dpearce]

My mother would make usually the "long version" of her spaghetti sauce, but once in a while, she would make the "short version", by starting off with some V8 juice and extra seasonings when she was in a hurry. Neither has any ketchup, though. I don't remember any taste differences between the two growing up. I have both recipes, but haven't made the "short version" myself. Guess I'll have to, to find out for myself!

[Michael_in_TX]

fzxdoc, jayjordan,

What is really weird is that I actually don't have the recipe myself! But I will get it from her or my mom and get it posted on here.

In fact, I'll see if I can get a photo of the original recipe. It's written on a now-well-yellowed index card in my late grandmother's handwriting.

[jayjordan]

Have y’all seen the movie “Nona’s” with Vince Vaughn?

[SheilaAnn]

jayjordan I have not, but I am intrigued. Vince Vaughn is a guilty pleasure. Did you see Bad Monkey? Hilarious!