Coming full circle.

I've been sitting on this entry for awhile now, trying to figure out how to tell the story of this particularly wonderful dinner party.  It is been rolling around like a pebble in my brain for a bit now, and I guess that's because I know it won't come out on 'paper' quite as special.  Alas, I think this is true of most things.  (I certainly have learned this from the 'one that got away' fish stories I've been falling asleep to, uh...I mean listening to, from my Dad.)  Tommy Capelli and I made a joint evening of cooking for a big gang back home in Jersey.  To say it was a wonderful night is an understatement for sure.  He made the gravy, Anita, his extremely warm and wonderful wife, made the sausage and meatballs, and Beth and I made the pasta.

Menu:

Homemade Semolina Capellini (#138)

Tommy's Tomato Gravy

Anita's Meatballs and sausage

Beth and I sorted out our recipe for the pasta that went something like this: mix equal parts semolina, white flour and eggs until you have a good doughy consistency.  I know that is less than helpful, but we had fun with it.  You might, too.  

It was the kind of evening that I can hardly describe.  Watching Tommy pick up a hunk of dough and roll in through the pasta maker.  My pasta maker.  After all these years since I picked up a hunk of dough and rolled it through his pasta maker and laid the long flat sheets of pasta over his sawhorse in the garage.  I'm a lucky gal, and that is all I have been thinking since this magical evening.  So lucky that I'm not even sure how to write about it.  To have friends like Tommy and Anita in my life is so special. 

Tommy's gravy and Anita's meatballs were as delicious as I remember them to be, and both of them allowed me to copy down the recipes.  These two sheets of little white paper with such valuable scribbles will certainly be staying with me throughout the years.  And some day soon I'm going to make Tommy's gravy and Anita's meatballs and share those recipes with you, friends. 

Here is to all of those family members that we have chosen for ourselves.  Love you both.

162 to go...