Nothing says “I love you” like serving a delicious meal that you cooked yourself. For the people enjoying it, it’s literally like eating pure love.
When I think back to my childhood visits to my Grandpa Pat and Grandma Mitzi Palazzo’s house in Lorain, Ohio, I remember how easy it always seemed to prepare a gigantic meal and get it on the table. And gigantic meals were the only kind that were ever served. There was certainly work and hustle and bustle in the kitchen, but everything always turned out delicious. I don’t think there was ever a worry that any one of the dishes wouldn’t be perfect every time.
Now that I’m an adult with some minor kitchen experience, I’ve seen and experienced all the pitfalls for myself. Recipes that taste BAD even if you follow them to the letter. Recipes that you can ruin irreparably if you cook something a bit too long, or add a bit too much of an ingredient.
After I collected the Palazzo Family recipes and read them through, I realized the secret: This is food you can’t screw up. No need to follow exact measurements. No tricky cooking timing to worry about. No need to serve it piping hot. Just about any way you do it…the final dish tastes great. Exactly the way you wanted it to.
Some of these recipes started out as just a list of ingredients without any amounts or instructions. The seasoned cooks in the family have filled in the details and added some tips to make it easier. We want you to be successful!
Just follow the recipes and add your creativity and common sense. Add enough of the various ingredients until it looks right. Trust yourself to know what looks right. You know what a meatball looks like.
Do yourself the favor of investing in some very large cooking stuff: pots, pans, bowls, big big big! There’s nothing worse than preparing a dish in a bowl or pan that’s too small, and you don’t realize it until it’s too late. And don’t worry about getting the kitchen dirty with flour and oil and food. And stick your hands right in up to the elbows. Don’t be shy when you’re cooking Italian. A little bit of your soul will make it taste better. Make enough to feed an army; it will keep in the fridge or freezer. And always have a nice glass of wine handy; cooking is thirsty work.
At the Palazzo Family table, all the food is good; everyone talks way too loud and argues passionately about important things like whether or not there is a traffic light at a certain intersection; the women are all beautiful; the men are loving and admiring; the children are all well-behaved; and everyone lingers long around the table, at least until “The Honeymooners” comes on.
Welcome home.