The Apartment

• 1 Cup of Vodka
• Dry Vermouth
• Green olives

In a shaker of ice pour one ounce of Dry Vermouth, swirl it in the ice and then pour it out in the sink. Add the vodka and let it sit in the ice for a minute. Give the mixture a good shake or stir (whatever you prefer!), and then pour into chilled martini glasses. Add olives, and sip.

Serves 4

• 1 pound of frozen okra
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 TBS of cajun seasoning
• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Beat the eggs in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish add the flour, spice, and corn meal.

Place the okra in the eggs and coat them well.  With a slotted spoon take the okra from the egg mixture and place the okra in the flour/cornmeal mixture. Heat a skillet with approximately 1 inch of oil coating the bottom. When the oil is hot (you can test with a bit of the batter), carefully place the okra in the skillet in a single layer. (You can do this in batches to make it more manageable.) Fry for approximately 2 - 3 minutes until the okra is golden brown. Remove the okra from the oil and place it onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Salt liberally.

• 2 lbs. Ground Turkey Meat (85 percent lean)
• 1 Cup of seasoned bread crumbs 
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp Garlic salt

Mix all of the ingredients and rolls into balls approximately one inch round. Place a large frying pan on medium heat for a couple of minutes then coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Gently place the meatballs in the frying pan and let them form a "crust" by frying them for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat to medium and turn the meatballs until all sides are browned. Remove the meatballs from the frying pan and place them in a large pot.  

• 2  Cans (28 ounces) of tomato sauce. (I like Hunt's)
• 1 TBS Tomato paste 
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped 
• 2 TBS of dried Italian herbs. (Usually a blend of oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, and marjoram) 
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 cup of dry white or red wine.
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• One half of a carrot left whole, taken out before you serve.

Add the onion to the hot frying pan., sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes until soft. Add the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes more. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute to cook off any bitterness. Add the herbs, (you can rub the herbs in the palms of your hands to release the oils) salt, and pepper. Add the wine and stir as it reduces. Add this mixture to the pot with the meatballs, and add the canned sauce. Stir the sauce and bring it to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer for at least an hour and up to several hours, being sure to stir the sauce occasionally. Before you serve check the seasonings.

• 2 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• small boxes of flavored gelatin

Choose several small boxes of colorful, flavored Jell-o. Prepare following the directions on the box. (You can use a little less cold water.) Pour the Jell-o into separate containers and chill until firm. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. Cut the chilled gelatin into pieces and place them in the bundt pan and chill. Dissolve the unflavored gelatin with 2 cups of boiling water, then add the evaporated milk. Let this come to room temperature then pour the mixture over the colored gelatin. Chill for a couple of hours until set.