The Godfather Feast

‘A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never
be a real man’ – The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola (1972)

Hello again! I apologise for the VERY long delay in the next feast. You may remember my photograph of the very tall ‘capitol’ person from my last feast of The Hunger Games. No? Here’s a picture to remind you…

This is The Boy, he is the reason I have been so distracted and busy! The Boy moved in 6 months ago to the Feast of Stories house and I have been adjusting from spinster-hood.

But now i’m able to start planning and cooking again. So, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year lets roll on with 2015!

THE THEME
My Dad was a huge influence on my film and movie training, and I think he’d agree with me that The Godfather is a must-see for anyone. So for a Christmas present to my parents and The Boy I invited them to a feast….

The place settings were intimate and candle-lit and everyone dressed the part of a member of ‘The Family’. We had lots of Sicilian wine to go with the meal.

Click here for the PDF file of the menu should you wish to do your own feast!  godfather menu

ANTIPASTO
A sharing platter made up of

Roasted Sweet Peppers
Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Dip
Pesto
Tomato and Chilli Dip
Sun Dried Tomato and Parmesan Bread
Bacon wrapped Bred Sticks (just wrap and put in the oven for 10 minutes on a low heat)

PRIMO
Piccolo Battered Fishes and Sea Salted fried Patate
‘It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.’

Ingredients
Potatoes
Olive Oil
2 small tins Anchovies in Oil
2 heaped tbsp Plain Flour
1 Egg
1/4 Pint Good Quality Ale
Salt and Pepper

Heat the Olive Oil in a heavy based large frying pan, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the potatoes to thin strips, the size of McDonalds fries, place in the frying pan for 10 minutes. Then keep turning until browned all over and cooked through. Drain on paper towels, keep the oil and frying pan heated.

Whisk together the plain flour, egg and beer, season well. Drain the Anchovies and using a fork, dip into the batter, covering it, and put it straight in the pan. Be careful of spitting oil!

I used wooden forks from my local chippy and printed old newspaper pages of the internet to line the bowls with (use photocopied pages, inkjet printed paper will run!). I then piled up the mini ‘fish and chips’ and sprinkled sea salt on them, yum.

SECONDO
Italian Sausage Balls served with Spaghetti and Clemenza’s Sauce
‘Heh, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys someday.’

Ingredients
400g/ 14oz Spaghetti
500g/ 17oz Mince Beef
4 Garlic Cloves
100g/ 4oz fresh White Breadcrumbs
Large handful chopped Basil
40g/ 1 ½oz Grated Parmesan
1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
½ tsp Paprika
1 Egg

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
50g/ 2oz Sugar
Large splash Red Wine

Put the mince beef, garlic, breadcrumbs, basil, parmesan, chilli flakes and paprika in a large bowl. Season and break in the egg. Mix all the ingredients with your hands and shape into golf ball size shaped balls. Fry in a pan until browned all over, then place to one side on a plate.

Put the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water for 20 minutes, until cooked through.

Heat the olive oil in the pan and add the garlic, cook for a few minutes, but stir constantly. Add the tomatoes and paste and keep stirring for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and red wine and add the meatballs. Let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Plate up with the spaghetti first and the meatballs and sauce over the top.

At this point we had all eaten so much food, we needed a little break. We took part in ‘The Godfather’, The Quiz! Between Dad and I, i’m not sure did too badly…

Find the quiz here: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/quiz/the-godfather-trivia-quiz-i-1100254/

After the quiz (and some more Sicilian wine) we moved on to dessert…

DOLCE
Citrus Ricotta and Cream Filled Cannoli
‘Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.’

Ingredients
175g/ 6oz Plain Flour
½ Egg Beaten
50g/ 2oz Butter, chopped into small pieces and softened
20 ml Marsala Wine
250g/ 8 ½oz Ricotta
50g/ 1 ½oz Icing Sugar
100g/ 4oz Double Cream
Grated Zest and the Juice from 1 Orange
Grated Zest and the Juice from 1 Lemon

In a bowl mix the flour and sugar, add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips. Add the egg and wine, a little at a time until dough starts clinging together. The use your hands to shape dough into a ball. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Traditionally you use a metal tube to shape the cannoli whilst cooking. However I didn’t have any! So I decided to do a cannoli ‘stack’. I cut out circles using a small cookie cutter after rolling the dough out as thin as you can without breaking it.

Heat a frying pan and melt some butter, enough to cover the pan. Place as many circles of dough as you can fit. (You will see them puff up a little as soon as you put them in) You only need to cook it for 30 seconds each side. Drain on paper towel and leave to cool completely. I actually made these much earlier in the day, you can keep them in an airtight container for weeks!

Whip cream until stiff and set aside. Mix the ricotta cheese until very smooth and add the sugar, lemon and orange zest and half the juice. Fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture. Chill for several hours. (Again I made this in the morning, so it had time to chill).

All I then had to do on the night was stack them up!

After dessert we decided to try a little homemade Limoncello to finish off the meal.

….And then the rest of the drinks cupboard….

 

Eventually we sat down to watch, in my opinion, one of the greatest films of all time!

‘My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.’ – The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola (1972)

The Hunger Games Feast

‘I try to imagine assembling this meal myself back home. Chickens are too expensive, but I could make do with a wild turkey. I’d need to shoot a second turkey to trade for an orange. Goat’s milk would have to substitute for cream. We can grow peas in the garden. I’d have to get wild onions from the woods. I don’t recognize the grain, our own tessera rations cook down to an unattractive brown mush. Fancy rolls would mean another trade with the baker, perhaps for two or three squirrels. As for the pudding, I can’t even guess what’s in it. Days of hunting and gathering for this one meal and even then it would be a poor substitution for the Capitol version.’ – The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (2008)

The lucky people who were drawn from ‘The Reaping’ were all asked to dress as people from the Capitol enjoying the Hunger Games.  Didn’t they all do a grand job of dressing up.

       

My very talented brother in-law made me some menus for each place setting, they looked great!

THE SETTING

The dining room I was lucky enough to be able to use was very grand and it was laid as if at the victors feast in the Capitol using the best china!

Check out the cornucopia we made for the room as well, with some very interesting weapons and food!

APPERITIF

Sparkling Fizz with Essence of Nightlock Berries

Prosecco
1 Pack of Blueberries
3 tbsp Sugar

Keep a few blueberries aside and squash the rest into the sugar in a jug.  Blend together until smooth.  Pour the prosecco into glasses, add a few blueberries at the bottom of each glass and drizzle in the liquid blueberry syrup.  Serve cold.

FIRST COURSE
Peeta’s Broth

200ml Tub Yoghurt
1 Red Onion, finely sliced
Bunch Spring Onions, chopped
250g Packet small prawns
1 Large Glass White Wine (I fortunately was able to use my sister’s special homemade wine for this, yum!)
1 tsp Mustard

In a saucepan fry the onions and spring onions in little online oil over a low heat until turning transparent.  Add the mustard and yoghurt and stir until mixed through.  Add the white wine and prawns and simmer until heated through.  You can do this earlier, but make sure you heat it thoroughly before serving,  Add salt and pepper to taste.

SECOND COURSE
Prim’s Goats Cheese

Goat’s Cheese Log
Basil plant

From the deli counter get a large goat’s cheese log, enough to slice into 8 slices about 1.5cm thick.  Use the larger basil leaves from the plant and wrap them around each slice until covered.  Wrap each slice in cling film tightly and set aside in the fridge for a few hours to take shape.

Served with Breads from the District
I decided to use the descriptions from the books for the breads from districts 4, 11, 12 and the capitol.  We did have some very special guests for this feast who were unfortunately allergic to gluten!  A slight problem for a course made of bread!

Bread from district 12
I bought gluten free crackers for this owing to the a severe lack of gluten free products in the local shop.  However given the choice I would use flattened muffins for this type of bread.  Although the crackers went down well!

Bread from district 4 and 11

560g Bread Flour (I used gluten free)
240ml Warm Water
10ml Olive Oil
1 Heaped tsp yeast
2 tbsp Grated Parmesan
Green Food Colouring
Pine Nuts

Bring all together in a large bowl and knead for 10 minutes.  Put back in the bowl and cover, leave for an hour until risen to double the size.

Knead again for 5 minutes and split in half.

Into one half of the dough knead in the parmesan and green food colouring until tinted green.  Roll out and using a sharp knife cut out the fish shapes like the ones pictured here.  Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 200degrees celsius.

Roll the other half out and cut into large triangles.  Roll up from the long end like a croissant.  Push the pin nuts into the dough in a pattern.  Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 200degrees celsius.

Bread from the Capitol
There was no gluten free flour used in this!  It needed to be refined and smooth.

560g Strong White Bread Flour
240ml Warm Water
10ml Olive Oil
1 Heaped tsp yeast

Bring all together in a large bowl and knead for 10 minutes.  Put back in the bowl and cover, leave for an hour until risen to double the size.

Knead again for 5 minutes and put into an oiled loaf tin.  Leave to rise again for an hour.  Pre-heat oven to the highest temperature you can get,  Once ready place the tin into the oven and bake at this temperature for 10 minutes.  Turn the temperature to 200degrees celsius and bake for a further 30 minutes.

THIRD COURSE
Capitol Lamb Stew served with Wild Rice
 
1kg Joint of Lamb, chopped into chunks
2 tbsp Heaped, Vegetable Bullion
500ml Boiled Water
1 Large Glass Red Wine
1 Red Onion, sliced
6 Carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
6 Parsnips, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
4 Large Potatoes, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2 tsp Garam Masala
1tsp Onion Seeds
1tsp Chilli Flakes
Handful Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley

Fry the onion until browned and add the lamb pieces, fry until browned all over.  Put the onion and lamb into a large pot.  Add all the other ingredients except the parsley and stir.  Cook for four hours at least on 140degrees celsius. Check on the pot after 2 hours and top up with water if you need to.

Cook the wild rice according to the packet instructions and serve in a large bowl.  Let the guests serve themselves, it’s more fun!

FOURTH COURSE

Battered Cakes in Orange Sauce

1 can croissant pastry
Butter
Caster Sugar
1 Orange, Juice squeezed
Icing Sugar

Mix the orange juice and the icing sugar together to form a smooth sauce.  Cut the croissant pastry into strips.  Melt the butter in a medium heat and once sizzling add in a batch of the croissant strips.  They will brown very quickly and you need to keep an eye on them.   As the strips fry they will rise slightly, once browned on both sides toss in the sugar.  Serve a few warm on a plate with the orange sauce drizzled on top.

Purple Melon

1Honeydew Melon
Red Food Colouring
Blue Food Colouring

Chop and slice the melon lengthways to get nice crescent shapes.  Mix the two food colourings until you get a nice purple colour and dilute with enough water to cover the melon.  Leave the melon immersed in the coloured water preferably over night.

AFTER DINNER ENTERTAINMENT

 I’m not I needed an excuse to buy a Nerf bow and arrow, but ever since I saw my little cousin playing with one I wanted it!  So this feast gave me the perfect opportunity.  We acquired an appropriate target for the revolution and each took it in turns to fire our ‘arrows’ to see who got the closest shots.  I’m still convinced I won really!

Thank you to everyone who came and joined in and a big big thank you to Rosie and Tin for letting me use their home for such a phenomenal feast.

And may the odds ever be in your favour…….

The Hunger Games…. The Invitation

 

Breakfast at………. not quite Tiffany’s

‘No, no, you disapprove of me. And I will not accept drinks from gentlemen who disapprove of me. I’ll pay for my own whiskey and don’t you forget it!’ Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

I love Audrey Hepburn’s character in this fabulous film; the quote above was in reference to the night before this breakfast feast.  A lot of alcohol was consumed.  So stepping up to the kitchen door was a real mission this time, luckily this is the easiest feast I have ever made and involves a lot of cheating!

JAM FILLED CROISSANTS

Homemade Strawberry Jam

1kg Strawberries
1kg Granulated Sugar
Juice from ½ Lemon
Small Knob of Butter

Method

1. Hull and halve the strawberries. Place the strawberries into a large bowl with 500g/18oz of the sugar. Turn carefully to mix and coat well, then cover with cling film and place into the fridge overnight.
2. The next day, place a saucer into the freezer to chill – you’ll need this when you come to test the setting point of the jam.
3. Sterilise the jam jars – first wash the jars in soapy water and rinse in clean warm water. Allow them to drip-dry, upside down, on a rack in the oven set to 140C. Leave them there for at 15 minutes while you make the jam.
4. Pour the strawberries, their juice and any residual sugary juices into a very large pan or preserving pan, remembering that the mixture will rise and bubble as it boils, and add the remaining 500g/18oz sugar and the lemon juice.  Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
5. Bring the strawberries up to the boil then boil hard until the jam reaches setting point. Check the setting point every ten minutes, although it may take up to half an hour to reach setting point.  To test the setting point, remove the pan from the heat. Take your saucer from the freezer and place a drop of jam onto the cold plate. After a few seconds push the jam with your finger.  If the jam surface wrinkles then it has reached setting point and is ready. If it slides about as a liquid, then it hasn’t reached setting point and should be returned to the heat and boiled for a few more minutes before testing again.
6. When setting point has been reached, turn off the heat. Stir in the butter and skim off any scum on the surface of the jam with a large spoon.
7. Let the jam cool and thicken in the pan for ten minutes, so that the strawberries don’t all sink to the bottom in the jam jars.
8. Carefully remove the sterilised jars from the oven with oven gloves – try to avoid touching the insides of the jars with the oven gloves, which might introduce unwelcome bacteria.  Stir the jam, then ladle it into the sterilised jars. You will use quite a bit of the jam once it’s cooled down, but for the leftovers you can cover the top surface of the jam in each jar with waxed paper discs that have been cut to size – they should cover the entire surface of the jam. Press the wax disc down to create a complete seal.
9. Cover with a lid while still hot, label and store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to a year.

You will need one to two cans of already made croissant pastry.  The only place I’ve found in England that sells it is Sainsburys. Using their marking as a guide cut the pastry up into triangles.  Spread them with the homemade jam you have and roll them up.  Space them out on a  baking tray and brush with milk.  Bake according to the instructions on the croissant packet.

Enjoy warm and just like Holly Golightly, have a freshly made cup of coffee with it!

‘Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany’s. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that’d make me feel like Tiffany’s, then – then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name!’Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

 

Chocolat Feast

‘Guilleaume left La Praline with a small bag of florentines in his pocket; before he had turned the corner of avenue des Francs Bourgeois I saw him stoop to offer one to the dog. A pat, a bark, a wagging of the short stubby tail. As I said, some people never have to think about giving.’  – Chocolat by Joanne Harris; Made into a film in 2000, directed by Lasse Hallstrom.

For the Easter weekend I invited my family to this new feast.  I thought the themes of new beginnings and fresh starts from ‘Chocolat’ were perfect for this feast.  Of course the mountains of chocolates help as well!

DECORATIONS The table was set as a dinner party just like the one for Armande’s birthday party.  As my flat is a little small, the party was held at my family home, it was perfect, especially with the gorgeous candle lit chandelier.

 

STARTER My family wanted to join in the creation of the dishes.  My Mum got ready the starter, a fish platter!  Prawns, mussels, cockles, lobster tail all served with mayonnaise and some homemade bread: Hazelnut and apricot and soda bread.

MAIN COURSE

Roast Chicken with a Chilli Salad 1.5kg Chicken 1 Lemon Handful Thyme Sprigs 2 Bags Mixed Leaf Salad 2 Red Chillis Salt & Pepper

½ Packet Chilli Chocolate Glaze (mine was from Hotel Chocolat) 200ml Milk Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Cut a slit in the chicken breast’s skin and make a gap between the chicken meat and the skin, whilst keeping it still attached.  Insert sprigs of thyme and a slice of lemon under each side of the chicken breast skin.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top.  Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting tray so the fat can drain down.  Cook the chicken for 1hour 45, or until the juices run clear.

Slice the chilli into thin, long strips.  Mix it with the salad and put into a serving dish.

Heat the milk in a saucepan until just simmering and pour in the powdered chocolate glaze.  Stir until melted in.  An alternative is making your own glaze using 90% cocoa bitter chocolate and grating it into the milk, then adding 1 heaped tsp of chilli powder.

DESSERT Easter Nest Cake

8oz Plain Flour 8oz Butter, softened 8oz Caster Sugar 4 Eggs 3oz Dark Chocolate

Frosting 7oz Dark Chocolate 3½ oz Butter 3 Egg Yolks 3oz Caster Sugar 300ml Double Cream Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pan of water.  Beat together caster sugar and butter until white and fluffy.  Add the flour and eggs and mix until it’s a smooth batter then mix in the melted chocolate.  Grease and line an 8”cake tin and pour in the batter.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through.  Leave to cool completely.

For the frosting, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until well combined.  Leave to cool.

Place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and whisk with the sugar until pale and fluffy.  On a low speed whisk in the chocolate mixture.

Whip the cream in a bowl until just holding its shape and fold in the chocolate mixture.  Using a palette knife, generously smooth over the cake.  Use a fork to raise spiky parts of the frosting on the top of the cake.  Put three large chocolate eggs in the middle of the cake.

 

Chocolates

I have several different moulds to use, including chocolate frogs!  But essentially temper the chocolate to the right tempertature and you’re sure to get shiny well-set chocolates.  Visit this web page for excellent instructions:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Temper-Chocolate/

A handy tip is to use a cotton wool pad to polish the inside of your hard plastic moulds.  The silicon ones come out very well without the need for this.

The chocolates were put onto a cake stand and included chocolate buttons (actually looking like buttons), frogs, homemade rolos, rocky road, cranberries and  pecan nuts.  I used white and dark chocolate to give a stunning visual.  Yum!

I think it’s fair to say this participant enjoyed every minute of it! ‘Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive’ – Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Chocolat Invitations

The next feast is a gorgeous story about the power of Chocolate! I thought this would be very fitting for an Easter feast. So in photographs only here are my invitations that were sent out to the lucky recipients. For chocolate tempering instructions have at look at this site, very useful! http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Temper-Chocolate/

The only other tip I can leave you with is make sure your moulds are thoroughly dry and polish them with a cotton wool pad, this will give the chocolate a great shine!

 

Ratatouille Feast

‘In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the *new*. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new: an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto, “Anyone can cook.” But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.’  – Ratatouille, Disney Pixar.

Ratatouille is a truly inspiring film made by Mr Disney; you can almost taste the food off the screen. This has to be one of the most relaxed and easy to cook feasts I’ve done yet. This may be due to the recent re-vamp of the Feast of Stories kitchen, there is now under counter lighting! Thanks Dad!

 

DECORATIONS
A table set for two as if at Gusteau’s French Restaurant. The candle was bought for me a while ago, looking perfectly like a red wine bottle. Our soundtrack was Disney of course!

MAIN COURSE
Ratatouille

1 Carton Passata
1 Aubergine
1 Courgette
1 Yellow Squash
1 Red Pepper
Olive oil
A few sprigs of Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pour the passata into a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until reduced a little and has thickened. Spread around the bottom of a round dish.   Add salt and pepper generously.

Slice all the vegetables very thinly with a very sharp knife. Take the core out of the red pepper very carefully so you keep the sides intact. Arrange on top of the passata from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a little of each flat surface is visible. Alternate the vegetables as you go. Drizzle over a little olive oil, remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs, chop roughly and sprinkle over. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until veggies are cooked through but not too soft. Serve hot with a sprinkling of parmesan over the top.

DESSERT
The Cheese Platter

Crackers, I chose Jacobs cream crackers and Jacobs salt and pepper flatbreads
3 cheeses, I chose Cheddar, Brie and Saint Agur

Serve with butter and caramelised red onion chutney.

There was a second dessert brought by one of the guests, a homemade bakewell tart, perfect end to the perfect meal. Thank you Mum! I have the best parents.

“If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.” – Remy

Ratatouille Invitations

Carrying on the Disney theme this month I have finally got round to posting the invitations and menus for the Ratatouille Feast.  Although a great children’s film, I think there is lots to learn and laugh at for adults as well.  And don’t forget…. anyone can cook!

 

The next clue to the feast….

It is true, everybody can cook!

The Lady and the Tramp Feast

‘Joe: Here’s your bones-a, Tony.
Tony: Okay, bones. Bones? Whassa matta for you, Joe? I break-a your face-e! Tonight, Butch-a he’s-a get the best in the house!
Joe: Okay, Tony! You the boss.
Tony: [Showing Tramp the menu] Now, tell me, what’s your pleasure? A la carte? Dinner? Aha, Okay. Hey, Joe! Butch-a he say he wants-a two spaghetti speciale, heavy on the meats-a ball.
Joe: Tony, dogs-a don’t a-talk!
Tony: He’s a-talkin’ to me!
Joe: Okay, he’s a-talkin’ to you! You the boss!
[brings the spaghetti, muttering to himself in Italian; Tony snatches the spaghetti from him and serves it to the dogs]
Tony: Now, here you are-a, the best-a spaghetti in-a town.’– Lady and the Tramp, Disney, 1955

This was a lovely dinner for two to share with one of my besties! There was no formal invitation for this dinner, as in Lady and the Tramp my dinner guest just rocked up at the back door of the Feast of Stories kitchen.

The dinner was laid with slate placemats and candles. I used old Jack Daniel bottles for candle holders to give the feel of being in a restaurant. The meal itself was served with white Italian wine, of course!

Meatballs and Spaghetti served with Tomato Sauce.

Below is a recipe for a homemade tomato sauce from scratch. However if you’re short of time, fry a little garlic in a pan add a tin of chopped tomatoes and 1 tsp of dried oregano.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
• 800g Tomatoes
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
• Olive oil for frying
• Handful of Basil Leaves

Boil some water in a saucepan. Using a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes in the water for 30 seconds to 1 minute each, until the skin starts to crack. Put the tomatoes straight in a bowl of cold water to cool down. You may have to do this in batches. Peel the skins off and roughly chop.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the garlic until softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir through about 1tbsp of olive oil and the chopped basil leaves.

Meatballs

Place the spaghetti (about 75g per person) in a pan of water and set to boil until soft and cooked through.

Ingredients
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 150g/5oz Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Clove Garlic, crushed
• 900g/2lb Minced Beef
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs, such as marjoram, or 1 tbsp rosemary
• 1 Egg, beaten
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive Oil for frying

Heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over a gentle heat and add the onion and garlic. Cover and sweat for four minutes, until soft and a little golden. Allow to cool.

In a food processor, whizz together the onion, garlic, minced beef, herbs and the beaten egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into approximately 24 round balls (at this stage they can be put into the freezer for cooking at a later date) Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add the meatballs in batches cooking for about 10 minutes until browned all over.

Add the tomato sauce you have made to the browned meatballs and heat the sauce through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the spaghetti once it’s cooked and separate into bowls. Divide the meatballs and tomato sauce between the dishes and serve hot with cold wine.

‘There’s a great big hunk of world down there, with no fence around it.’– Lady and the Tramp, Disney, 1955