Meatballs!

I have been waiting for years to use this pamphlet.

For years and years. From when I was in the  7th grade in fact.  

I now have a grandson in the 7th grade.

That's how many years I've been waiting.

2 decades.

I have loved this little pamphlet about ground beef meatballs.

Loved it and kept it, because I knew that one day -- one day (sigh)

it would be  my  (sigh again)

Passport to Far-Away eating!

(it says so--right on the pamphlet)

I have no idea why I waited for 2 decades to sample 'far-away' eating.

(actually, I have no idea why I've kept this thing all these years)

The time never seemed perfect-- until now.

(You'll have to visit the Months of Edible Creations to find out why now)

Just this morning I pulled out my much loved pamphlet and made up some basic meatballs.

Hmmmm... now, what 'far-away' place shall I travel to via meatballs?

Who knew that there were so many culinary adventures  with ground beef to choose from? 

I cannot forget to mention evaporated milk, because this pamphlet that I've kept since my 7th grade home-ec class is sponsored by the "Evaporated Milk Association" in Washington D.C.

Not the Ground Beef Association as one might think.

(when meatballs are mentioned, doesn't evaporated milk come to mind?)

They say evaporated milk is essential in getting your meatballs  juicy.

the key to tender, juicy, meat balls is the use of evaporated milk as the binder. This 'double-value' whole milk blends and binds the ingredients for easy shaping and keeps the meat mixture tender and moist throughout the cooking. 

Evaporated Milk is it!

I don't disagree with that statement.

It makes lots of things juicy and good.

My mother in law  uses it in her mashed potatoes and her mashed potatoes are to die for.

Okay, back to the meatballs --

the basic recipe goes like this:

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs

2/3 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt

dash of pepper

2/3 cup of evaporated milk

2 T butter

Mix together the ground beef, crumbs, onion, salt, pepper and evaporated milk in a medium mixing bowl. 

Shape into 12 meatballs  (or 40 smaller meatballs for Swedish-style meat balls)

Melt butter in  a large skillet over medium  heat. Add meat balls, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Then use in one of the following ways:

Our choices are:

Polpette  (Italian spaghetti and meatballs)

Boulettes de Boef  (meatballs French style)

Albondigas (meatballs Spanish style)

Keftedes (meatballs Grecian style)

Sauerbraten (meatballs German style)

Strognaoff ( meatballs Russian style)

Cantonese (meatballs Chinese style)

Japanese style meatballs

Kottbullar (meat balls Swedish style)

There is evaporated milk in everyone of these sauce recipes.

Just sayin'

This pamphlet is so 1970's!

Which incidentally, is when I was in 7th grade Home-Ec.

I guess I kept this pamphlet because of the nostalgia.  I loved 7th grade 

Home-Ec with Mrs. Jackson.

Here is a plate of the basic meatballs after I browned them.

(a little too much browning--oops)    

so that was this morning.

I made the meatballs.

What I am going to do with these meatballs you ask?

To see what country I 'visited',

what Far Away Eating place I sojourned to

Come by tomorrow....

I'll surprise you.

(Louise at Months of Edible Creations is having a meatball round-up in March. It will be fun to see everyone's meatballs. And while this  is just a basic meatball  from a funny pamphlet I got  45 years ago in my 7th grade Home-Ec class, and nothing fancy -- just think of what you can really do with meatballs!)

I am going to share this with Marjie at 

Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet

who is hosting  Cookbook Wednesdays for Louise for a while.

After all, this is a little cookbook-let and it's been lonely  for quite a while.