By Request

By Betty Shimabukuro

Wednesday, August 18, 1999

By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Spadaro's Sicilian Sausage is combined with three colors of
bell peppers, mushrooms and marinara sauce and served
over hot pasta at Acqua.

---

Sausage secret: Play it cool

IF you're going to try making sausage at home, the most important thing is to keep it clean. Your workspace, your hands, your utensils.

So says Tony Spadaro, owner of Spadaro's Sausage Co., and maker of a specialty line of sausages (flavors such as chicken-mango, chicken-curry, Cajun and veal with marsala) featured at several local restaurants. His Sicilian and new char-siu varieties are available to the average Joe at Times, Star, Fujioka, Marujyu and Taniguchi markets.

The Sicilian also will be featured at the Italian Festival later this week, along with gelatos and other Italian dishes.

The spinach-and-garlic blend that follows is not part of the commercial line; Spadaro offers it as a good recipe to prepare at home, in response to a request from B. Lum. The sanitary suggestions include partially freezing the meat so it remains cold throughout the process -- and using fresh local produce.

Sausage casings are available from smaller meat markets, some supermarkets and many Chinatown markets, Spadaro says. Wherever you get them, flush them thoroughly in running water, even if they're already supposed to be clean.

Also included are recipes for pasta sauces using Spadaro's sausage. Another Spadaro hint here: Always squeeze your tomatoes by hand. Core them first, then "put your thumbs in the pukas and squeeze" -- ripping the bottom of the tomato open with your other fingers.

Sauce won't be the same if you use a knife, he swears.

Finally, a quickie recipe for Spadaro's char-siu sausage: Grill 6 sausages, then slice and mix, with all juices, into a pound of chow fun noodles. Add 12 ounces of steamed Chinese spinach.

His recipes are always for 6 servings, he says, because that's how many sausages come in a package. "Invite your friends if there's only two of you."

SPADARO'S SPINACH AND
GARLIC SAUSAGE WITH
WHITE WINE

3 pounds ground pork, partially frozen
2 pounds ground beef, partially frozen
8 bulbs garlic, soaked in water overnight (makes them easier to peel)
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
4 cups sweet white wine
1 bunch coarsely chopped spinach leaves
Sausage casing or pig intestine

Combine meats. Peel garlic and finely chop. Add to meat along with salt and pepper. Mix well. Add wine and spinach.

Make a knot in one end of casing. Squeeze in about 4 ounces of the meat mixture (about 4 inches in length), using a sausage stuffer or a pastry bag. Twist casing three times, then squeeze in more meat. Continue until reaching the end of the casing and knot again.

Refrigerate or freeze immediately. Allow to age 1-2 days before cooking. To serve, always cook thoroughly. Makes about 20 links.

Approximate nutritional information, per link: 300 calories, 20 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium.*

SPADARO'S RIGATONI SALSICCIA

6 links (1.5 pounds) Spadaro Sicilian Sausage
6-8 tomatoes, cored
4-6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup red wine
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta, cooked el dente

Chop sausage 1/2-inch thick and saute in a large skillet. Hand-squeeze tomatoes into skillet. Add garlic, pepper and wine. Cook over medium heat about 20 minutes, or until desired thickness. Add more wine or water if necessary. In last 3-5 minutes, add whole leaves of basil.

Mix into pasta.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 700 calories, 35 g total fat, 11 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium.*

SPADARO'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Lester Omuro, executive chef, Acqua

6 ounces Spadaro Sicilian Sausage
1 ounce each red, green and yellow bell peppers
2 ounces sliced mushrooms
4 ounces marinara sauce (prepared, or your own recipe)

Cook sausage according to package directions; slice.

Saute sausage in pan; add vegetables and saute until soft. Add sauce. Heat through, then serve over pasta. Serves 1.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving, sauce only: 660 calories, 53 g total fat, 17 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 2280 mg sodium.*

Italian Festival Featuring: Cooking demonstrations, food sampling, fashion show, entertainment When: 5-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday Place: Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center Admission: Free Call: 922-2299

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.