Most of you know me as a former aerospace executive or the Founder of EricsHouse Inc.  I spent 35 years in the aerospace industry and I really loved the work -- actually, I really love airplanes!  When Eric died, I couldn't imagine going back into the board room.  In fact, the transformation I experienced after losing Eric reveals that I was never supposed to be there.  I have been pursuing true meaning and purpose, and I found it now in EricsHouse -- after experiencing the unimaginable death of a child to suicide.

Enough about me -- like many bereaved Moms I want to share a bit about Eric.  He was very sweet with a beautiful smile that lit up the room.  He was a daredevil who liked the adrenaline rush of jumping off of mountains, flying down hills on bikes, and swimming with the sharks in Mexico.  He loved his family above all things -- he had a tattoo on his arm that read "FAMILY" and he often said he would take a bullet for any of us.  He had a big belly laugh that I miss terribly.  He loved doing magic tricks for kids and felt deep happiness in his soul when they would laugh.  Most of all, he loved his brother Joey who is Down Syndrome, my sister Ree, his auntie who is also Down Syndrome, his step-dad Greg whom he'd wrestle to the ground, and his big brother Robby -- his role model.

Eric loved our family dinners, so I thought I would share one of his favorites.  Gouveia's BIG MEAT BALLS!  Here's the secret to making them spicy and moist.

There are three basic steps:

Step 1:  Make an onion mixture -- 1/2 will go into the meatballs, the other 1/2 will go into your marinara.

Step 2:  Make a panade -- mix together some ingredients before adding the meat.  This makes them moist.

Step 3:  Make the meatballs.  Assembly the meatballs and bake them.  You can then add them whatever marinara sauce you are making.

Step 1:  Onion mixture.  In a dutch onion, cook 3 onions (finely chopped) until they are golden brown, then add 8-10 cloves of garlic (finely chopped), some pepper flakes (3/4 teas), some oregano (1 tablespoon) and cook them together for 30 seconds or so.  Transfer 1/2 of this mixture to a separate bowl.

Step 2:  Make the panade.  Mash 4 slices of white bread with 3/4 cup of milk, and add 1/2 of the onion mixture.  Mash this until smooth.  This allows the bread to absorb the milk instead of the juices from the meat, keeping the meatballs moist.  

Step 3:  Make the Meatballs. To your panade and onion mixture, add 1 cup of fine Parmesan cheese, 2-3 chopped cloves of garlic, two eggs, 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, and mix together.  Add 1 pound of ground chuck (80% lean), 1 pound of sweet Italian sausage, and 1 pound of hot Italian sausage.  (I don't use veal).  Mix well.  Form into meatballs any size you like.  Bake until slightly pink in the center at a preheated oven of 475 degrees.

Once baked, you can add them to your marinara sauce.  I used crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, some water, red wine, parmesan, spices  - I usually use whatever I have on hand.  You can also use a store-bought sauce and spruce it up with the remaining onion mixture -- that works well in a hurry.

And . . . that's a spicy meat-a-ball-a!

I would love to hear your stories about your meatball-making experiences!