Remembering my Grandfather through Cooking

A couple years ago for Christmas my Mom gave each one of her brothers and each one of her children a family cookbook with our favorite family recipes in it.  She did this around the same time that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Needless to say she was a little distracted and unfortunately forgot a very important family recipe.


So, a couple days ago I was getting ready to make Tweeties (a delicious recipe that my Grandfather came up with when he was living in New Jersey a very long time ago), and I pulled out the family cookbook my Mom had made us and realized that Grandpa's Tweetie recipe was missing!  I pretty much know the recipe by heart, I just wanted to check one small thing, so I looked in another cookbook that I had jotted down some recipes when I moved out and found it.  I decided, while the kitchen was smelling heavenly of spicy sausage and tomato sauce, that it was time to add Grandpa's Tweeties to the family book...  I also decided that in honor of my beloved Grandpa that I would share his recipe with all of you.  He always made it on hot summer days with lots of love and I hope that you will too.

Grandpa’s Tweeties

From the kitchen of: Carl Schwenn (Michelle Fouts’ Grandpa)

Ingredients:

1 lb. hot Italian sausage

2 green bell peppers (or 1 bell pepper and 1 pasillo pepper if you want it a little spicier), thinly sliced

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste

2 cans of water

Crusty rolls

1.     Slice sausage into ½-inch slices.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once smoking, add sausage and brown. Once sausage is almost evenly browned, add peppers, tomato paste, and water.  Stir to combine.

2.   Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 – 2 hours.  The longer it simmers, the spicier it will be.  Add additional water if sauce begins to boil down too much.

3.   Serve on crusty rolls.  Serves 4 – 5.