once upon a time
the Lord of the manor
had a joint of meat
the serfs got the scraps
fat, sinew, bones
these leavings
had flavor
but were difficult
to eat as is
the little scraps
would be finely chopped
and mixed with
other ingredients
barley, rice, stale bread
added to absorb the flavors
and make them go farther
in hard times ground meats
become popular
because they are less costly
depression meatballs
were at least half
fillers with an egg
to bind it all together
they can be baked or fried
one type of meat or
mixed meats
finally a sauce is added
tomato is a favorite
glazes with fruit, a possibility
Kecap Manis and lime juice
if you like an Indonesian touch
teriyaki sauce, more Asian in flavor
let your imagination run wild
the photo is TJ’s
gourmet chicken meat balls
no fillers
nuked in TJ’s fresh cherry preserves
grandma’s hard times cooking
comes full circle
© 2010 Sandy Vrooman
Thanks to S. Rai for suggesting
meatballs and the kecap manis
