Meatballs

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MEATBALLS….(and I promise I’ll get to them)
I was at a cocktail party recently and musing with a fellow imbiber about how quickly trends arise and permeate so many different worlds. Gadgets do this, of course, but also expressions and words. Remember how back in the late 1990’s it suddenly seemed that every article you read included the word “Schadenfreude”? Who even knew the word before that? Was it that the sentiment – it means to take pleasure in someone else’s misfortune – suddenly arose and needed to be remarked upon? I don’t think so. Humans have always been susceptible to feeling this way. It was the word itself that got swept into our vernacular there for a while and then just as suddenly departed. The actual feeling of schadenfreude certainly didn’t vanish, but our interest in saying it seemed to fade.

Nowhere is this tendency to make something a part of the zeitgeist (one of those trend words that stuck) more prevalent than in the world of food and drink. Just a few years ago, it seems, loving Bourbon was a sort of secret pleasure. I learned to make a Manhattan 30 years ago so I could impress my mother and then I fell in love with them although I always felt a little funny ordering one when everyone else at the table was getting a Chardonnay. Now I get to go to Bourbon tasting parties and the Wine Spectator has created a whole new magazine to talk about Bourbon and other whiskeys and the cocktails they make.

And so I come to meatballs. Who hasn’t always loved meatballs? But suddenly it seems they are a trendy food and every fancy-pants chef is serving them. About two years ago I probably hadn’t made meatballs maybe ever, when from nowhere the urge to eat them was upon me. All I could think about was a dish of meatballs with red sauce. So of course I Googled them and there they were. Dozens of recipes. I chose one from Anne Burrell, one from Alton Brown, combined and tweaked them a bit and there I had it. Meatball craving sated for a while.

When I was preparing for our Ciolo-Sartori sponsored “Women in Food” party I decided that very small meatballs would play a big supporting role. The size that could fit on the end of a toothpick. My friend Michele Wells had served some really good Lamb Meatballs at Christmas (alongside a fabulous Brisket) and I figured I’d make something similar. I also have to mention that in my book, great meatballs are usually accompanied by a great sauce. In this case I served three…a standard garlicky yogurt/cucumber Tzatziki, our Ciolo “Moroccan Delight” (it’s really Muhamarra but no one knows what that is so we call it Moroccan Delight) and Ciolo’s Jalapeno Pecan Pesto. Personally, I liked the Moroccan Delight/Muhammara best but all three were good and the meatballs, if you like lamb, are easy and terrific. In fact, I can’t remember when I made anything that so many people asked the recipe for and so here it is.

I actually doubled this recipe since I was making them for a group but I’ll give the smaller one here. It definitely multiplies just fine.

¾ lb ground lamb
¼ lb 85% lean ground beef (I added the beef because I wanted a juicier meatball than I thought I’d get with the lean-looking lamb alone)
¼ cup minced onions
1 teaspoon each, cinnamon, cumin and salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 cup breadcrumbs and 1/8 cup chickpea flour (you can skip the chickpea flour and just use ¼ cup breadcrumbs…I used the flour because I wanted that Middle Eastern flavor).
1 slightly beaten egg
¼ cup raisins

Mix everything together gently and form into small balls. I made each of them about 1 oz. Place balls onto parchment-lined baking sheet and into a 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until just barely done.

Serve warm with sauces on the side (I recommend Ciolo’s “Moroccan Delight” or “Jalapeno Pecan Pesto”)

Women In Food

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It seems everyone loves meatballs these days. Especially the lamb meatballs I’ve been making for parties.  Last night I hosted a Sartori/Ciolo cocktail party for some local “Women in Food” here at home and in addition to the wildly popular Espresso Bellavitano and Ciolo Truffled Ricotta (a home run of a dip for parties), the lamb meatballs were a big smash hit.

But frankly, the most exciting item to me was a gift bottle of St. Germain, compliments of Tessa Stamper, head of culinary at Noodles & Co.

The aroma hits you right away…like a gorgeous bouquet of lilies. We put a little splash in a glass of champagne (limited edition called “DKNY”, made by Chandon) and I’m not sure I’ve ever had a nicer aperitif. It was a great compliment to the Sartori Gorgonzola Dolce. And in fact to all the cheeses and that wonderful Truffled Ricotta Dip.

If you get the chance, try some…it would also be nice with a little dry Prosecco . Or even just club soda. It came with a booklet of cocktail ideas so I’m sure I’ll be trying things like “Germainattans” and lord knows what else.

Tune in later for more on the meatballs…

The Beginning

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I created Ciolo in 2006 because I thought a food business would be “fun”.  After all, I thought, I’m a decent home cook, I grew up in New York, lived in Los Angeles for years and had dined in many of the great food cities of the world. Somehow I figured this qualified me for the incredibly complex world of commercial food manufacturing.  Nowadays I like to also blame this on a good friend who told me that the best way to find a new career was to pick a field whose trade magazines I liked to read.  Since I subscribed at the time to about five food publications (now probably 25), that’s the field I entered.  Predictably enough and not long later, I realized how crazily naive I’d been and was soon spouting all the familiar clichés about how “if I knew then what I know now…”
Because while Ciolo was successful (we were in well over 100 Whole Foods stores, we turned out delicious products that consumers loved and had rapidly expanding sales), the details of running a business like this were overwhelming.   Packaging, distribution, ingredient sourcing, regulatory issues, plant operations….all things that a former technology marketer like me knew nothing about.  Yet they are the nuts and bolts requirements of a food manufacturing enterprise.
Along came the White Knight.   On a plane.  From Plymouth, Wisconsin.   And there were two of them.  Jim Sartori, CEO and Jeff Schwager, President.  Together they led the management team at Sartori, an award-winning cheese manufacturer with a 65 year history and all the knowledge, experience and resources our little company didn’t have.
Some people sell their business and end up sorry.   A year after our deal closed (in September 2010), I’m not only without regrets, I’m very happy.   The Sartori Company is full of people who both love what they do and know what they’re doing.   They are taking the company places I could only have dreamed of.   And more, they are giving me the freedom to do things like write this blog.  I can talk about our products and how to use them.  I can create new products, and explore how and from where ideas for new flavors come.  In short, I’m one lucky gal.
I promise to try and keep these posts relevant and interesting to people who are curious about food and who want to make what they eat and serve a little tastier every day.

I welcome feedback and suggestions.  I might not take every idea that’s offered, but I’ll at least try to acknowledge that I’ve received it and have thought about it.   How’s that for a deal?