Italian Cooking...the Ragu Way

This pamphlet gem is also from the stash my friend Claire gave me. No year, though I'm guessing late 60's early 70's from the decor in the photos. Inside the cover is a photo of a big jar of Ragu, which explains why many of the recipes are - not authentic Italian.

I am of course authentic 1/2 Italian, with a Grandmother who visits me from time to time with various signs, hints, support. Knowing her in life, no one is surprised at her after life visits. I always say Italians can't do passive aggressive. We get it all out there, emotionally. The money she left me paid for Joshua's adoption, and I figure she keeps an eye on her investment and his brother, too. She was of course a wonderful cook. Easter was always 4 courses at least. She wrote nothing down, though, so I go by memories for dishes for her.

She would have found this cookbook vastly amusing. While most recipes have the heavy 'gravy' sauce she liked to employ, they are not really Italian.

This one for example made me laugh at 4:30 when I was up from steroid sleep. Asthma creeps up again, but luckily it's milder each time and so are the meds.

Beef-Filled Turnovers

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/3 cups Ragu Italian Cooking Sauce

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

1 can (7 oz.) corn, drained (I don't think my Grandma Angelina used that one.)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls (Ditto)

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375F. Brown beef and saute onion. Drain off excess fat. Add Ragu Italian Cooking Sauce, green olives, corn, salt and pepper. Mix and simmer 5 minutes. Roll 2 triangular crescent rolls to form a 7-inch square. Repeat, making 8 squares. Place filling in center of dough. Fold dough over to form a triangular turnover. Press edges down with a fork. Pierce turnover tops. Brush tops with beaten eggs. Bake for 15 minutes. Makes 8 turnovers.

Now this actually doesn't sound too bad - but kind of bachelory or something.

I just finished Julie Anne Peters' Rage - a YA novel about an abusive dating relationship. It's a lesbian relationship and the book has a lot going on. There is a lot of good in this book - frankly, I can't get enough abuse books in, in my opinion. Anything that would pull a teen out of a bad situation should be covered in gold or something like that. I constantly have to replace those books as they are stolen, I'd imagine by kids who are in trouble and keep rereading them. This one will clearly be another. I'd be surprised if I have no challenges on this one. But it's a necessary book. Very powerful.

Just heard some strange noises here. Maybe Angelina likes my post.