Spaghetti sauce recipe gets even better next day

Dear Heloise: I’m writing to request a copy of the recipe that was called “Heloise’s Mother’s Spaghetti Sauce.” This appeared in our local newspaper, and I can’t find my copy now when I need it. This is one of the best recipes you have ever published! Julie, Holmdel, N.J.

Thanks, Julie — I love this one, too. Here is a reprint for you and other readers who might want to give it a try:

HELOISE’S ORIGINAL ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE

1‚Ñ4 cup olive oil

1‚Ñ2 cup butter

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 pound ground beef

4 strips finely chopped bacon

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf, chopped fine

1 tablespoon salt

Black pepper, freshly ground to taste

1 teaspoon crushed dry red pepper

2 ounces red wine

2 15-ounce cans whole tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup water

1 finely chopped carrot

Heat olive oil over low heat in a pot large enough to hold all ingredients. Add butter and simmer until melted. Add onions and saut until lightly browned. Add ground beef and bacon; saut until browned, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, parsley, bay leaf, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add wine, cover and “steam” for a few minutes more.

Add tomatoes or tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Bring the mixture to the boiling point and add the chopped carrot. Cover and cook over very low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over your favorite cooked pasta. To receive a copy of Heloise’s All-Time Favorite Recipes, send $5, along with a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope, to: Heloise/Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. This recipe is so delicious, and it gets even better the next day, so make a double batch, and you will have two dinners! Heloise

Dear Heloise: To remove smells from a wooden cutting board, first sprinkle it with salt and then rub the surface with a cut lemon or lime. Next, wash with warm, soapy water, rinse and dry well. Christine, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: Premium lean hamburger is often more than $4 per pound. A choice top round roast on sale is less than $2 per pound. I pick a roast and have it ground by the butcher. This gives me lean hamburger at less than half the price.

For those who want a juicier burger or meatloaf than the lean meat provides, just add a little olive oil or other oil that is high in “good fats” with no cholesterol. Russ B., Broad Run, Va.

Dear Heloise: An ice-cream scoop makes a great tool for making meatballs. The scoops come in small and large sizes, so you can make whatever-size meatball you need quickly and without the mess. Mary M., Laredo, Texas

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate