Dear Readers: It's been more than a year since Heloise's Spaghetti-Sauce Recipe has been printed, and so many of you have asked for it. Ta-da — here it is!
To make it, you will need:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound ground beef
4 strips bacon, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
Black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 ounces red wine or grape juice
2 (15-ounce) cans whole tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 (4-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 carrot, finely chopped
Heat olive oil over low heat in a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the butter and simmer until melted. Add the onion and saute until it is lightly browned. Add the ground beef and bacon; saute until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, parsley, bay leaf, salt, black pepper to taste and red pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the wine or juice, cover and steam a few minutes longer. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the carrot. Cover and cook over LOW HEAT for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf before serving. —Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have a hint to make yummy flavored coffee. I add some hot-cocoa mix — plain chocolate or flavored — mixing it into a cup of coffee. It tastes just like a cafe mocha and is much cheaper than buying one of those coffees at the coffee store. You don't even have to add sugar or creamer. You also can add a bit of mint or almond extract to plain cocoa. —Carla in Maryland
Carla, your flavored-coffee hint is delicious, plus it saves a lot of money. For readers who want to make more easy and money-saving coffee blends like Orange, Coffee Ole and Cinnamon, just send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Coffee, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279, or visit www.Heloise.com.
Save leftover coffee from the morning in the refrigerator to make iced coffee later in the day. You also can add a couple of drops of your favorite extract, like butterscotch and vanilla, to give it some zip. © King Features Syndicate Inc.