An interesting article about the origin and other things about SM
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food.../gather_round/
S and M are easy enough (and cheap) to make at home, why would you even want to go to a restaurant? I remember the first time we (my family and I) visited Italy in 1972, my brother said he wanted spaghetti and meatballs. We went around to various restaurants asking if they served spaghetti and meatballs. None did. We were later told that spaghetti and meatballs were only served at home, not in restaurants! I haven't been to Italy in many years, so things may be different now.
The German name for meatballs is Fleischbällchen. Frikadeller are Danish meatballs and they're more like meat patties. I've seen the ones at Migros you're referring to, but I haven't tried them. Swedish meatballs are called Köttbullar and the ones at IKEA are pretty bland and boring in comparison to the homemade Swedish meatballs I've had.
I suspect that there has been too much literal answering of the original question...
baselBee, to answer the implied question; Zurich is your best bet probably! Or find Boris and ask him - he will know all the good Spaghetti and Meatballs establishments...
Usually made of horse meat too...
Usually? Not in Denmark. Danish Frikadeller are almost always made with pork, sometimes with veal or beef.
It is not uncommon for Horse meat to be used. They just about every meat, Beef, pork, chicken and horse.
The Danes, like the French are partial to a bit of horsey.
I prefer to watch them thunder down a track and bet on them, splendid creatures.
Well, this is news to me, and I've eaten lots of homemade Frikadeller (and Köttbullar). But knowing the Danes, I guess I shouldn't be surprised
My sentiments exactly!
Some of the craziest people I have met have been Danes.
Also, the Swedish equivalent of a Frikallen would be something closer to panbiff.
The Germans (at least those around Celle, Hohne, Rheindalen and other military bases) prefer Dobbin; something to do with a better rate from Frikadellen Gmbh than UHU or Evo-Stik...
BaselBee, you're welcome to my (tried and true) S and M recipes:
Italian Meatballs
8 ounces ground pork
8 ounces ground veal (you can also use ground turkey)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1⁄2 cup Pecorino Romano (Grana Padano works, too)
2 – 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup red wine
1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning*
Extra-virgin olive oil (for frying
Mix all meatball ingredients together. Shape meatballs to desired size. (To serve with spaghetti I usually make them 1 1⁄2” in diameter.)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Place meatballs into skillet and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Continue turning the meatballs until they are done on all sides.
Reduce the heat and add the Marinara sauce (recipe below) to the skillet with the meatballs. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
* N.B. Italian seasoning is a mixture of dried herbs that usually includes oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage. You can substitute any combination of those herbs, or just use equal parts of basil and oregano. It’s called Herbes Italiennes (Kräuter Italienisch) and you can find it in the spice section of the supermarket.
Basic Marinara Sauce
3 Tbsps. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. finely slivered fresh basil leaves, if available
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
If you want to spice it up a bit, you can also add any of the following just before serving:
1⁄2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 Tbsps. capers, drained
8 oil-cured black olives, pitted and slivered (or green Manzanilla olives if you prefer)
6 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the garlic and sauté over medium heat until it starts to sizzle. Stir in the oregano and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the basil, season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Serve over cooked spaghetti, with meatballs and topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Agreed. Pannbiff = Swedish hamburger.
Man!!!!! i gotta make S and M at home now!!! I have no problem getting recipes... was not so charged up to prepare and wanted the easy way out. But now i am all charged up and will try to recreate the magic at home which i first tasted in an Italian restaurant in US.
Thanks!!!
Don't tell that to a Swede. You might offend the institution that is Husmanskost.
Panbiff, gräddsås, potatis, lingon. Not to be ****ed with.
*LOL* It's the Swedes I know who've given Pannbiff that description (perhaps just as a point of reference?) I've had plenty of mediocre Husmanskost, too
Hej hop i lingon skogen
This thread is making me seriously hungry.
Sometimes, if Im am feeling lazy, I just use the meat from a good quality sausage and cook it in a tomato sauce that is easy to make.. ie.. tin of crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, paprika, oregano and fresh basil leaves.. hmmm.. oh.. and maybe add some buffalo mozzarella or sliced parmesan. Then mix in some spaghetti / fettuccini / tagliatelle..
Man.. when is lunch..
Have fun!
Actually, I've never seen S&M on a menu of any restaurant, especially not Italian. Heck, not even Migros restaurants or Mövenpick... Contrary to the Swiss fast food dish "Hörnli mit Ghackets" (which is elbow pasta with mince meat + grated cheese and/or apple sauce), which can be found on the menu sometimes, but no recipe for it in English...
Indeed, spaghetti and meatballs are not italian food and therefore in Italy they are not served in restaurants, and normally not even at home. Being italian and having spent the first 30 years of my life there, I can reassure you that "spaghetti and meatballs" don't belong to italian cuisine. The only time I've ever eaten them was in Connecticut.
Regarding the grated cheese, the golden rule would be to use Parmigiano Reggiano (also called Parmesan by some non-romanized barbarians). Grana Padano igenerally is younger (less seasoning) and has a less strong taste, and it is quite often used on pasta, mainly because it is cheaper than Parmigiano. Pecorino should be used only with certain types of sauce and pasta because of its peculiar taste.
Indeed! This is an Italian-American dish. Most of what we Americans regard as *Italian food* was actually introduced by Italian immigrants (many from Sicily and Puglia) to the US and subsequently modified.
For the meatballs themselves, Parmigiano Reggiano doesn't really add much in the way of flavor (I've used it before), so it's a bit of a waste. That is why Pecorino, Locatelli or another sharper cheese is preferred. However, for sprinkling over the finished dish, Parmigiano (Parmesan ) is always my first choice.
Oh i think this is a good option too. I am gonna try this ... i love sausages and would be good for my two year old too. My weekend activity this time is to shop for the ingredients and i can't wait to make it !