The Pawtuxet General™

The Pawtuxet General | Episode 5

December 03, 2021 Jess Watts Season 1 Episode 5
The Pawtuxet General™
The Pawtuxet General | Episode 5
Show Notes Transcript

Dad's (Killer) Meatballs!  Olive Apéritif! Salter's Grove Park! A special "House on the Corner : Woods Gerry Edition."

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Electromagnetic Pinball Museum
Pinball restoration and preservation museum arcade, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island

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The Pawtuxet

General:

Greetings and welcome in! You've made it, just in time, to the Pawtuxet General, your connection to all things Pawtuxet-ish! I am your host, Jess. We have so much, this week. First, my dad's super meatball recipe, straight from the seventies. Then, our special drink, this week, an olive aperitif. Our local place, this week, is Salter's Grove, a park along Narragansett Parkway, and we also have a special "Woods-Gerry House edition" of the "The House on the Corner." But, first, I would like to thank our Patreon subscribers. You fabulous people make it possible for us to do this. And because of that, we're growing. So, thank you.

A poem:

the Subarus have trees on top, and our walks at dawn are crisp, smiling eyes and foggy breath in the village, while the birds scream and fish. This week's recipe,

Dad's Meatballs:

I got this recipe from dad when I was really young. Mostly from watching him do it. I made this version for years to rave reviews from family and friends. Then I had bigger kids running around and I adapted this to a bake method. Either is incredible, but, admittedly, the crispy coating on the fried, is mind blowing. I saw dad, recently, and asked him his thoughts on this, and he said that he had changed to bake years ago, trying to fry less. I always call these "Dad's Meatballs" whenever anybody asks. However, Dad says that they are really his mom's recipe. Well, there you go. Now, they're yours! For this recipe. Dad's Meatballs, you're going to need; one half a pound of ground beef, one half a pound of ground pork, one and a half cups of whole wheat breadcrumbs. Three eggs. A good amount of dried oregano and basil. Garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and grated onion. first, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take your hands gloved makes it easier and mushed together all of the ingredients at room temperature until fairly well mixed. Beware of over mixing! Shape into two inch diameter size balls. Roll through flour. Heat a deep skillet and then add olive oil. About one half inch up the pot when hot. Gently add meatballs with a spoon. Brown them on each side, only turning on a nice crust has formed. When all sides are done, Spoon them into a baking dish and bake for half an hour. These can be made ahead, in big batches, and then frozen on trays, and put in freezer bags for economizing, or to have a backup plan when guests arrive, unexpectedly. When you do want to use them, You may heat them in the oven or in the sauce. If you do heat them up in a sauce, stir gently but frequently, so that they don't break down. Or then you'll just have a lovely meat sauce. They can be served with, just, sauce or pasta or grilled veggies or all of the above. That's my way. You enjoy them your way! Podcasting isn't hard when you have the right partners. The team at Buzz Sprout is passionate about helping you succeed. We switched over to Buzz Sprout, and they made our broadcast so much easier to get listed on every major podcast platform. Following the link in the show notes lets buzz sprout know we sent you gets you a 20 dollar Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan and helps support our show. Join over 100,000 podcasters already using Buzz Sprout to get their message out into the world! Our special drink, today,

is an olive aperitif:

I asked Dad what he would drink to go with those meatballs, and he said a good Malbec. And, I agreed, but I don't think I need to explain to you, good folks, how to pour wine into a glass. So, I went with my choice when having dinner with dad; an olive aperitif. Take a small glass and a tall toothpick; You will need; an assortment of olives and pickles, choosing sweet or savory toward your own taste. Jalapeno stuffed olives and cocktail onions make a lovely combo and then poured chilled vodka or gin into the glass, barely covering the olives. Garnish, with a cherry, tomato, and a piece of cheese. You could use any cheese. I like fresh mozzarella coupe or smoked cheddar in the winter. It's a lovely mini-starter. Enjoy! This week's special place is Salter's Grove: in Warwick, Rhode Island. This park, off Narragansett Parkway, has long history, steeping from its dark beginnings. It has gone through many construction and deconstruction cycles, which you can read about at SaltersGrove.org. The last cottages, however, were removed in 1967, when it was dedicated in honor of George B Slater, a councilman of the area, after Hurricane Carol, in 1954. A breakwater was constructed, to protect the local shore-way. The Causeway, my favorite part, was only made to bring rocks to the breakwater, but it has endured to this day, thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Salters Grove, Rhode Island, D.E.M. and the city of Warwick. Most recently, they have reinvigorated the entire area, making it safer for the local wildlife and people. Stepping out into the breakaway itself is breathtaking. Walking across those rocks to the islands before high-tide, were some of my best young memories. Make some of your own! Check out Salter's Grove. I want to tell you about my friend Mike and his electromagnetic pinball museum

and restoration arcade:

It's an all inclusive place to relax and share anything related to modern pinball and pinball and arcade games. A group of pinball and arcade fans with an addiction to games of all kinds and lego, too!$10 gets you free play on pinball and arcade games all day. You can find them at 881 Main Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island or online at WWW.ElectromagneticPinballMuseum.com.

The House on the Corner:

A special edition at Woods-Gerry House. You can find more information on the actual Woods Gary House at Info RISD.edu. The House has a student gallery, at this time, and is located at 62 Prospect Street, Providence, Rhode Island. In the fall of 1975, my father worked as a security guard for the Rhode Island School of Design, or R.I.S.D, by the locals. They also owned Woods-Gerry House, an old Victorian, with large gothic rooms and hallways. This building had been used to house precious works of art for quite some time. So, security, at that time, was not complicated, but, very strong, and effective. Dad had an immense ring of keys. Each key was for some sensitive area, most used every night, but there were a few, he was never supposed to use, except during dire emergencies. The locks, back then, had three interlocking bars, locked by three locks,[keys locking padlocks] so, he had to unlock and relock each, in order. The doors were supposed to remain locked at all times, and they were on all doors, either entering the building, the basement door; each room door and each floor-door. All windows were also locked and barred down in the frames. This place was as tight as a drum, and nobody could get around, quickly. Not that there was ever anyone there. Dad worked at night, and, unless it was a scheduled party which they let him know about, it was always empty. One cold and moonless night in early November, dad was walking his rounds. He always started below at the dorms, checking the doors, as he went. He was armed only with a large mag-light as he passed a dumpster, outside the dorm. What looked to him like a giant white rat... Hissed at him![hissing animal noise] He jumped, nearly into the street, and shined his flashlight on it, only to see a very big old 'possum staring him down. The opossum did not run away or move an inch; just stared him down. Now, dad grew up in a very rural area and hunted in his youth, so his alarm was unusual and surprised me, hearing his story. But, by the time he got to the Woods-GerryHouse, his heart was pounding. He unlocks the first set of locks to enter the building and then,[locking noises] as quick as possible, locks them behind him, again. He's now in a hallway with twelve foot ceilings. He turns to his left, to the cellar door, to start his rounds of the building. He unlocks the locks,[unlocking noises] turns on the lights while he re-locks[padlocks latching] them behind him. This is the only room, he is allowed to turn the lights on in. If any of the house lights turn on, the neighbors will call RISD and the police, because it is unoccupied. The cellar lights were dim, so he had to use his light to check out the dusty corners of the room. He gets about halfway across the floor when he hears heavy-booted footfalls[heavy footsteps] across one side of the house to the other above his head. He bolts upstairs, unlocks exits and re-lock's [running and locking doors] the cellar door. He looks around the corridor. Nothing. He never heard the locks from any of the rooms here, so he must still be in the building, he thought. All right, he figures; Let's check. He goes through the first-floor. one at a time, locking the doors, behind him. Opening every closet, looking under every desk, any place. A person could hide nothing. He does the same on the second-floor; not a thing out of place. So, he goes to the third-floor stairs, at the top, there is a door. Now, this is one he is not supposed to open, but he's been through the whole house, only to find nothing. So, he reaches for the doorknob and his hand meets resistance... resistance, so much so that he can't grip the knob, let alone, turn it. A tingling sensation starts in that hand and crawls up his arms. Astonished, he stops trying and decides whatever is in there has more keys than he's supposed to have and doesn't want to be disturbed. So he re-checks the entire building, all locked. And then, he left, several-weeks later. My parents were going to an event and dad told my mom what happened. She told him that she had a friend who was a secretary there and that they all hated the third-floor; most refused to go. I wonder what is up there. I want to thank you, as always, for joining me here at the Pawtuxet General. If you would like to contact us about a recipe. Have a Pawtuxet anecdote or a local ghost-story, We love ghost stories! Our email is Jess@pawtuxetGeneral.com. We can't wait to hear from you! So, join us, next time, and I'll meet you here at the Pawtuxet General. Prerecorded in Pawtuxet.