And That's My Trick...

I've been a terrible blogger lately... I know.

Bad blogger! Bad!

I have been busy in post-graduate hell trying to find a job that I don't hate.

Surely you can relate. 

Going forward,  I have decided to revise my posting schedule from weekly to something more like twice a month with a Food & Culture post thrown in there once or twice a month while I tread through said post-graduate Hell. I'll keep everyone informed as to when new posts are up on The Manifest Recipe Facebook page! Be sure to also follow by clicking the right sidebar to keep up to date. 

Also in the meantime, after rage-quitting trying to find a job (didn't know that was a thing until I did it...), I have been pursuing my dream of being a writer-director by finally finishing the rough draft to my first feature length film!

There's still plenty of work left to do before it's completely done and ready to be made, but I feel great about this first draft. I finally have something tangible from start to finish; that's huge for me! I'll give you guys a heads up about when I'm heading to production and then later...the Oscars!! 

Sigh. 

Mark my words: One day I will be there.

Anyway, enough about me. Let's get back to the food!

Because I have been so inspired by my film idea, I have decided to extend the Film Edition (see previous Food & Culture post, "I Need Me Some Capezzolis!") to include recipe posts.

This week's recipe is dedicated to one of my favorite movies of ever...

What better movie about family? Ok, I'm joking, but the concept is there! As the Godfather himself said, "A man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man". Since the central theme of this blog is family and community, I think it fits...minus all the backstabbing and the killing and stuff.

The first time I watched The Godfather, my mind was boggled. I didn't know films like this existed!! To this day, it is one of the most amazing films that has ever been or that ever will be made. 

Al Pacino in this (and the sequel!)...

Yumtastic

And it just goes without saying that Marlon Brando is beyond amazing in this and any other film he was involved in. Was so sad when he died on my birthday shortly after I discovered this flick. :(

Do you remember the scene where Michael goes over to the family's house and Clemenza is making dinner? If you're not a nerd like me and remember every detail of a movie, here's a refresher:

Now, the loyal Clemenza does not include the recipe for the meatballs and sausage he adds to the pan, so use your favorite recipe or look at this list of 62 different types of meatballs to find a meatball recipe that works for you! If you prefer sausage or want both (gotta be authentic right?), here is a highly rated recipe from allrecipes.com.

If you don't want to keep pausing that clip every 5 seconds, here is the recipe word for word:

*Please note there are no exact given measurements, so much of this recipe will be according to your personal taste (AKA: pretty much depending on how much you like tomatoes and meat and/or how large of a crowd you're feeding)*

Clemenza's Meatballs and Sausage

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Sausage 
• Meatballs
• Wine
• Sugar

Cooking Instructions

1.  Fry some garlic in oil (probably best in a cast iron skillet, but use your judgment)
2.  Throw in some tomatoes (I assume it can be chopped fresh tomatoes or canned) and tomato paste (I would do a half or whole small can)
3. Fry everything (make sure it doesn't stick!)
4. Throw in sausage and meatballs
5. Dash of wine (Clemenza uses a red wine in the clip, so maybe a nice Chianti or other red cooking wine?)
6. Dash of sugar (again, this will fluctuate depending on your personal taste and how many you're feeding; he looks like he uses quite a bit in the clip- hard to tell how much exactly)

And that's my trick!

Well... it's actually Clemenza's trick, but I'm bringing it back into the realm of relativity so... I'll take half credit.

See you soon for the next post and as always...

Oh wait, no...that's not it...

I'll see you at the dinner table ;)