In the past summer months I saw the photos on the social medias of people excited to spend a few hours at the seaside, insatiable in hours of light and in feeling of warmth on the skin, hoping for holiday under the umbrella and I didn’t feel envy at any time: I have not even passed a day at the beach and I don’t miss it. The choice of our holidays is always rather atypical and points to cold places or, like that time in California, periods that allow us to breathe: I would not be able to spend ten days on a beach, crowded with many people around, craving an ice-pop that let me fly with fantasy to the glaciers of Alaska or the Scottish countryside.
I like short days: everything is much more intimate and recollected, the doors of the house are closed but the lights inside are lit and I can glimpse the silhouettes of the people, imagine their conversations and stories. Going to sleep and covering up with a heavy blanket is more restful than spending the night eaten by mosquitoes and turning over sheets that seem to be made of lava, so much is the perception of humidity in the Pianura Padana. It's also more satisfying for me to cook: the appetites become consistent, you can welcome friends in a home perfumed by a good roast, a stew left soften in red wine, a rustic minestrone soup. The cast-iron pots emerge from their inverse lethargy and become containers of creamy and velvety risottos, generously giving heat to the food even after the fire has been extinguished.
And I start to cook even those dishes with "pocieto", the sauce: they are undeniably suited to mild temperatures, that the sauce has the right to be softly picked with a hot and crispy bread or with grilled polenta. The meatballs are perfect for this purpose: a wet dough under the palms of the hands, blended with determination until, docilely, it will not be transformed into small portions. Good oil to make them sizzle, maybe even a couple of sage leaves thrown in to increase the taste, and a dip into the tomato sauce. I always prepare them in abundance, they are bearers of smiles at the table and guilty of ruthless shoes: I leave you the recipe, let me know if you liked them.
In a pan, add 4 tablespoons of oil and tomato sauce: season with salt, pepper, a good pinch of sugar and cook to make the sauce a bit thicker for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the slice of bread in milk. In a bowl, add the meat, the grainy sausage (without the external peel), crushed garlic or minced chives (if you like it), nutmeg, the egg, the Parmesan, the minced parsley and complete with some salt and pepper: add the soaked and squeezed bread and start to mix everything with your hands. Add the breadcrumbs until it reaches a workable consistency: do not overdo it otherwise the meatballs after cooked will be hard.
Shape the small meatballs, roll them in breadcrumbs and bake them in a pan in which you will have put another 4/5 tablespoons of oil. Keep the fire medium low, otherwise they will burn out and remain raw inside: it will take about 15/20 minutes.
Once cooked, add the meatballs to the sauce and leave for a few minutes on low heat, then serve hot accompanied, at your choice, with toasted bread or grilled polenta.
