Whether eating in a restaurant, a special dinner at home, getting that special treat, or time in the kitchen, we enjoy many aspects of a meal. Here are some selections for my archival vault that may capture your interest. Enjoy, visit as many as you wish, and hopefully you will comment on the post you visited. Are you going to make any of these?
Spaghetti sauce
On A to Z
Someone declared April as A-to-Z Challenge Month. Sure, the challenge’s intent is to have a separate post for each letter, but hey – I have a streak of independence.
With 1,167 posts before this one, why not use my archives to meet the challenge? After all, even frequent readers aren’t aware of some of the posts.
Therefore, I present A Frank Angle’s A-to-Z. Visit as many as you like, because as in my tradition, there is something for all …. so hopefully you’ll visit at least one.
A is for Acquaintance – People that were not in my graduation class: set 1 and set 2
B is for Ballroom – … and ballroom dance delivers benefits
C is for Cruising – We like cruising, so start your trip with a click
D is for Dinner Group – … We hosted a night of Chopped
E is for Education Reform – Although the need is obvious, here are the obstacles
F is for Frank – Yep, that’s my name, but these are the All-Time Franks in baseball
G is for God and Government – I must say that this post about the separation of church and state is pretty darn good
H is for Handbells – It takes many bells to make one instrument
I is for Italian – I’m 100% Italian heritage, and Ellis Island is an important place
J is for Joys – To whatever give you joy, but for some of us, it’s reliving the cartoons of our youth, and here is where the series started, which led to the first honoree
K is for Knowledge – What do you know about supersonic kangaroos?
L is for Learner – Learning should never stop
M is for Moderate – This early post defines an independent moderate, thus shows why neither party wants me … well, except for my vote
N is for News – Staying informed is important, but there is something more biased than the media
O is for Ohio River – A story from my hometown on a river during my youth.
P is for Politics – I wrote this shortly after the 2008 election, but before the Tea Party’s emergence (which is what makes this post interesting)
Q is for Quantum – Actually, this past post was On a Quantum Thought
R is for Recipes – I’m sort of a Foodie, so try Cranberry Sausage Spaghetti or my own spaghetti sauce that offers a little crunch
S is for Science – Like sports, science has players, plays, rules, and boundaries
T is for Trieste – A beautiful city on the Adriatic Sea that is the place of my birth
U is for Universe – The universe is vast and inspiring, and this post includes one of my absolute favorite videos
V is for Victory – The raised arm created an unexpected moment in college
W is for Wonders – There are many wonders in our world, and let’s not forget Fibonacci, Pi, and Tau
X is for X-Factor – and one X-factor in life is forgiveness
Y is for Why because I can – This is the first main post about the religion-science interchange; now there are 44, plus here is the very first post
Z is for Zinfandel – I enjoy a wide spectrum of wines, especially reds, but zins were the first to capture my fancy – and cheers to the wine group at church
AAA+++ Bonus for the bloggers on my sidebar and on the More Bloggers page, for as without them and you, I wouldn’t be here, so try to visiting someone soon that you don’t know, and tell them I sent you.
Addendum: To learn more about the A Frank Angle A-to-Z Challenge, click here.
On Spaghetti Sauce
Some people like their spaghetti sauce meaty, others meatless. Some rich with tomato chunks, others want smooth. Ever thought about crunching? Not like nuts, but as in vegetables.
Here’s my own spaghetti sauce recipe that is a bit different than most. The Notes section provides tips and options.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves (depending on your taste, sliced, minced, or chopped)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup crisp, white wine (as sauvignon blanc)
- 1 16-oz can San Marzano tomatoes (with juices, broken by hand)
- ½ tsp thyme powder
- ½ carrot, finely chopped
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper (to taste, 1/8-1/4 tsp of each)
Notes
- For those desiring more tomatoes, use 28 oz can (photographed)
- Another option, add an 8 oz can of tomato sauce to the 16 oz can
- In place of finely chopping, consider using a food processor
- I use a potato masher to break the tomatoes once added
- Notice the wine is added in increments. If the mixture needs additional fluid, add a splash of the wine
Directions
- With medium heat, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan.
Add onion, fennel, garlic, and bacon. Cook until light brown (7-8 min) - Add tomato paste. Stir and simmer (1 min)
- Add 1/3 cup of white wine. Simmer (2 min)
- Add thyme & carrots. Simmer (1-2 min)
- Add 1/3 cup of white wine. Stir. Simmer (2-3 min)
- Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, and remaining 1/3 cup of white wine; and then mix
- Lower heat, and simmer 30-40 min, occasionally stirring
A Frank Angle 