Tag: spaghetti

Ever wonder…

…what would happen if scary people you very purposefully had avoided and since forgotten came back a-knocking? I mean we’re not talking about people you simply don’t like. We’re talking about people who by action and word in your childhood truly defined the baseline for moral and ethical fortitude…

…by failing at it so many times you had to run away from your own mother so she would realize how important it was that you both get the hell away from an abusive asshat.

I don’t “dwell” on this in the least. People (who quite obviously don’t know me from Adam) however seem to have misinterpreted a bit and assumed that my verbose nature when relating to events in my past indicates “dwelling”. To be clear, I obsessively am inclined to write. If I am so inclined to write about my past, present, future, or whatever else, so be it… but this evening, it will be about some truly influential people in my childhood. They get the benefit of my attention and prose 😉

You see, not too long ago, my mother’s ex-husband got himself into trouble…quite repeatedly, and we’re not talking about speeding tickets and jay-walking. We’re talking violation of probation, DUI, attempted manslaughter of a police officer…the list goes on, and that’s only the most recent stuff. My mom hooked me up with some links to his recent activity and woooow. Seems the asshat managed to surpass himself. I blogged about it here at this LINK

Below is a response and some explanation and background on why the discussion occurred and why I felt inclined to respond. I will cook my famous spaghetti for the first person to what I am trying to point out from all this.

# Teresa Spears says:
February 12th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Tony,

Maybe you and your Mom should think about praying for Joe rather than slandering his name. I am truly sorry for anything you had to go through as well as your Mom but just as you have problems that you live with apparently, don’t you believe that others may have issues that they live with also. Don’t harbor bad feelings it will only harm you in the end.

Think

Teresa,

Slander?!

…pardon me for a moment…I am trying to keep this clean…but it isnt going to work very well.

Telling us to pray instead of slander. I do pray. I pray every night that no one is ever subject to religious intolerance and prejudice. Every morning I wake and hope that no one must ever lose sleep to religious ignorance…and I don’t hold these prayers like secrets that others should ever hear…I make those prayers my reality, and I am a far cry from being alone in this. As far as I am concerned, my prayers are most often answered.

Do not feel sorry for me, I live well and within my means, am surrounded by friends I could never part with (and I been offered alot to do just that) and my relationship with my family is probably better than it’s ever been.

Again…my prayers are most often answered.

I don’t wish anyone harm, but justice must also be observed, and Joe is in dire need of quite a bit of it.

You’ve mistaken our range of suffering, as well as our depth of forgiveness. If we hadn’t forgiven him…he’d never have had the opportunities he saw fit to exploit in the last few years. Like kidnapping, attempted man-slaughter, assault (multiple)…and that’s AFTER we got the hell out…doesn’t even touch upon what he put my other and I through. Now on that note…to be clear…

He’s long since forgiven AND forgotten (at least for me, I wish I could say as much for my mom)…but don’t ever presume that we should present him one iota of respect…ever.

A little word from my mother…

# Liz Vallee-Martinez says:
February 13th, 2009 at 8:31 am

Well, the evil-doer had two Teresas in his life. Both of them his sisters. I know, I know, two sisters both named Teresa?! Just another indication of the backwoods ignorance flowing through this family. Poor, poor Joe. Forced to live the life of a violent degenerate because he suffered as a child. Yes, Teresa, we pray for him. Mostly, we pray for anyone who is forced to encounter him. I used to think he was this wonderful man who suffered from depression and alcoholism. It took thirteen years for me to learn that the alcohol and drugs just made him stupid. Sober, he was a smart criminal, but still a criminal. Violent, abusive, dishonest, and a danger to any child he comes within spitting distance of. I pray that he spends the remainder of his life in prison. You and your family will be safer for it. If I could talk to Adam’s mother (Adam is the child Joe kiddnapped) I would tell her to sell everything, change her and Adam’s name, and get as far away from Oklahoma as she can. Although, I don’t think anyplace is really far away enough. I am so thankful that I had no children with this devil. Joe Martinez isn’t fit to lick the boots worn by Tony’s father. That’s mean, you say! No, mean is what Tony and I suffered through in the name of marriage and family. I will never forgive myself for bringing this animal into my sons life. And I am so proud that through it all, he became the wonderful man we all know and who his father is now beginning to discover.

Below I’ve included some items of advice, and observance. Lets see who’s getting that spaghetti 😉
1. Read disclaimer on this website.1
2. You jumped the gun…again…and assume you’re in the right.2
3. Stop slandering the word slander…this word does not mean what you think it means.3

Show 3 footnotes

  1. DISCLAIMER: These are my opinions. They represent my views,most often my perspective, and my own angst against everything ignorant in this world. I am not Hemingway, I am one little Italian guy sitting in his living room writing for his own enjoyment, expression etc. If you don’t like what you see or read here, don’t come to the site. Thanks! -Tony Hunt
  2. This lady once seriously tried to exorcise me and burned all my DnD books because she felt they were Satanic. Woman, you have no idea how much of an impact THAT move had on me 😉
  3. In order for it to be slander, it has to be false and defamatory. Since we already have a very clear idea and track record for this person, it would be impossible to further tarnish the proven reputation of a convicted criminal, or alter said reputation by inferring he’s committed more crimes (which he has…it’s true). Nothing referenced here isn’t already documented and sworn public record…i.e. – proven not false.



Spaghetti Night in TonyTown!!!!

There are art forms…here…on Earth…among men. One of them is cooking good stuff…like spaghetti. Mine is pretty good, so I am sharing.

Now I will list this stuff off to you so you know what I am doing to yield food that usually makes me a popular guy of the evening on Spaghetti Night in TonyTown.

Qui sono gli ingredienti!

Sauce Ingredients:
16-32oz of Barilla Spaghetti No.5 or De Cecco Spaghetti No.11 <- The best!!!! (Always go for al dente!!!!)
1 12oz Can of tomato sauce
1 12oz can of diced tomatoes
1 12oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 12oz can of tomato paste
1 14oz-15oz can of whole tomatoes
(Can you see where this is going? Its enough sauce to feed an army!!)
1 Whole fresh white onion – diced
2 bell peppers – diced, no seeds unless you’re weirder than me and like them
16oz of whole mushrooms
1/2 cup of chopped green onions
6oz Pinot Noire

The following seasons are used, but it’s up to the cook as to the amounts, as some people will NOT like my amounts.
Rosemary: 1-2 tablespoons
Thyme: 1 tablespoons
Sage: 1 tablespoon
Oregano: 2-4 tablespoons
Basil: 1-2 tablespoons
Garlic: At least 6 toes. Minced.

Meats.
If available, use 2-4lbs if fresh Italian sausage for the meatballs, I prefer the spiciest I can get my hands on. Roll into balls ~1.5″ in diameter.

Tempo per preparare la festa …
All this is in order…

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Sauce.
Time to make: 1hr
The sauce is the easiest part, but also takes the longest. Modify to your desires, as I am very big on not overcooking the sauce. Set your sauce pot/pan on Med-low flame (same on electric) and open all the tomato cans listed above and pour them in. Immediately add the white onion, bell peppers, and green onions. Also add the Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, and minced garlic. We’re going to add the mushrooms in later.

The Meatballs.
Now, with saucepan #2, take those whole mushrooms and mix them together with 2 cups water, 6oz Pinot Noire, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp black pepper, 1tbsp basil, and 1tbsp of oregano. Leave on medium heat and stir occasionally, when simmered, add the meatballs and warm them up and steep them until they are no longer red in color, the entire batch shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes…if you need to increase heat accordingly.

Pasta.
Very easy, boil pasta al dente. The best temperatures and instructions tend to be on the package you’re buying. If the instructions don’t tell you they are al dente, keep an eye on the paste about 75% of the way into cooking the pasta and you’ll find the right texture easily.

Finishing Up.
Take the prepped meatballs now slightly cooked and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet and place in oven, cook until browned (usually ~25-35 minutes the way I like them). Take the mushrooms and drop them in the pasta sauce, which should be pretty warm now and cooking rather tastily.

Extras you don’t want to forget!
Garlic bread!
I Prefer big honkin’ loaves of crusty bread slices in half, each half spread generously with butter, garlic, and basil. Broil to desired crispiness 😉 I know there are a lot better recipes for garlic bread but most of them call for turning the spread into a very oily batter/spread and it’s a personal preference not to 😉

Salad!
I will usually chop up a head of romaine lettuce and throw it in a bowl and top with baby roma tomatoes, shredded Colby-jack, chopped purple onions, and garlic croutons. I am a big balsamic vinaigrette fan, but most people actually like Parmesan vinaigrettes more.