Nanny's Gravy

Consider yourself blessed today.  Blessed because I am sharing my Italian grandmother's spaghetti gravy recipe.

My grandmother, Viola Agostinelli, lived four blocks from me as a child.  I remember the smell that poured out of that large, rustic silver pot on her stove.  The simmering scent of garlic, parsley, onion, and tomatoes lingered all the day long.  It was simply how her house smelled.  The pot itself looked as if it had been through a war. It was thick and sturdy like a kettle, burned on the bottom, and the handle was broken.  My mother now owns this pot.  It is the only thing she wanted when my grandmother passed away, at age 99.  I wish it to be mine one day.

Nanny's gravy was just a regular part of my childhood.  Just like placing pennies on the railroad track beside her house before the train came to flatten them.  Her small two bedroom house was the prime location for family Christmas Eve dinners.  It was where we played dominoes, bocce ball, and enjoyed afternoons on the patio.  The secret wizard who called to perform card tricks for the grandchildren only called Nanny's house.  It was where I learned to make homemade biscuits and ate my fill of salami and white bread sandwiches.  It was where you went to receive honest advice, whether you wanted it or not.  She was the matriarch of our big family, the reason we gathered together.  Cooking this gravy takes me back to her.

But you see, the thing about Nanny and her cooking is she did not use measurements well.  It was "a little of this" and "a lot of that".  I remember my mom saying she would get a different version of measurements and ingredients each time she called Nanny about a recipe.  I've heard my dad and cousin argue over what type of vinegar she used in certain italian dishes.  Who really knows exactly how to make Nanny's spaghetti gravy?  Probably no one, but we can try.

Nanny's Spaghetti Gravy

3-4 lbs ground chuck
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion
2 whole garlic bunches
1 bunch of fresh parsley
8 stalks of celery
36 oz tomato paste
2 tblsp black pepper
4 tblsp salt
2 tblsp oregano
4 bay leaves
3 green onion stem bunches

Place onion, green onions, garlic pods, parsley, and celery into blender.  Blend together and pour into 2 gallon pot with oil.  Add bay leaves.  Saute about 10 minutes on medium.

Kneed meat, salt, pepper, and oregano.  Brown meat.  Drain and stir into pot.  Stir in tomato paste.  Add water to make approximately 3 quarts.  Cook on low and cover to simmer for about 2 1/2 hours.