17 Responses to “Meatballs and Snow Balls”

• The roasted red pepper strips…are they Bell peppers or a Jalapeno pepper strip to go with the meatballs?

  Just a question. I enjoy the newsletter with the recipes very much.

  Marsha Koehler

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 4:58 pm.

• Hi Fr. Leo,
  I met you at Holy Family when you were last here. My son had his Ravens jersey on and we had to make it out in time for the game. LOL. Anyway, we do a fundraiser for The Sturge-Weber Center at Kennedy Krieger every year to raise funds for research. My youngest, Jenna, was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. Our website can give you lots of information on the event, http://www.bandsonthebay.org. I was wondering if you could send an autographed book or even come to our event. I have included the event packet for you to view……………Ida

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 4:59 pm.

• Dear Father,
  A couple of years ago I prepared a cookbook called Meatless Meals for Lent.
  Due to the harsh economic conditions this year, I am offering it for free to my readers.
  Please take a look. There are links to it on my page on Lent.
  God bless you for your work,

  Christine

  Preserving Catholic Traditions for Tomorrow’s Faithful
  Caritas Christi Urget Nos (2 Cor. 5:14)

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 5:01 pm.

• It’s Ash Wednesday and you put a photo of lamb chops and meatballs on your blast?! Are you kidding me???!!! You’re a bad man!

  In Christ,
  CHN

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 5:02 pm.

• Father Leo,

  I’m a former seminarian (9 years) from the Philippines as well, but has been called to do another ministry. I’m also from Maryland and has followed your rise to stardom.
  My parents are having a golden wedding anniversary in July (in Rome) and my family is organizing. The ceremony is being held at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, particularly becauses of the rector, Mons. Ruperto Santos – a former classmate of mine. For the rehearsal dinner and the lunch reception, I am particularly looking for restaurants near the Collegio Filippino (Via Aurelia) for good family meals. Like you, I believe on the power and miracle of social interactions around meals. This belief has forced me to email you. And, I hope you don’t mind.

  I did see the clips on Sor Eva. I would appreciate it a lot if you could recommend a couple of restaurants for these two particular functions. We are a party of 20 and looking for economical meals in restaurants with good ambiance. Maraming Salamat Po.

  Jay Teston

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 5:19 pm.

• ust wanted to say, “GREAT JOB!” I read about ‘Grace Before Meals’ in the UMBC mag i get in the mail. I normally don’t read it but when i saw your pic i said…i know that guy. and, then realized it was you. HI to the family.

  Cathy (Arquillano) Primrose

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:33 pm.

• I don’t know you but I saw you on Bobby Flay, and I’ve really been trying to figure out the God thing- you are clearly touched by him. Pray for me if you have the time, and regardless you have my thanks for bringing God back into my focus.

  My thanks,
  Marie

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:34 pm.

• What a fabulous newsletter and message for R & R!!!!!!!!
  After reading the entire letter, I scrolled down to find that
  most precious picture. I wasn’t expecting that but what a
  more pertinent message to all!

  You are so right! There was nothing on the TV about the
  March for Life…..except on EWTN! I watched quite a bit.

  Thanks for your pictures and edifying message.
  Sincerely,
  Barb Sabatini
  Plymouth, MI

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:35 pm.

• Father Leo,

  I absolutely loved your episode with Boby Flay. You are a true inspiration to many and I bought Flank Steak the next day to make fajitas with the kids. I didn’t even know you can use it for that. We’ve always made ropa vieja with it.

  I would love to see you make a paella on your web show, I can’t seem to ever master that. My 13 year old daughter is a Baker and I’m the Home Cook. So your show inspires us to cook more. We had hoped to do our own YouTube Show so it almost seemed like a sign when we turned Food Network on and saw your episode.

  THANKS! and much of luck, blessings on your show.

  With much love from Chicago!

  Maritza

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:35 pm.

• Hi, Fr. Leo:

  I enjoy the Grace Before Meals email blasts! I thought these two fast and easy recipes might appeal to you–

  1. Lime-butter sauce for grilled salmon or chicken:

  Juice and zest 4 limes. Melt 1 stick of butter. Mince 2 cloves of garlic.

  Combine the lime juice and garlic, plus 1/2 tsp of black pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. While the blender is running, pour in the melted butter to emulsify. Pour the sauce over top of grilled chicken or fish and sprinkle with the zest.

  This is so easy and fast, and really delicious. Could be made with lemon juice, of course, but the lime is very tangy and makes for a nice change. Any extra sauce will keep for a week in the fridge for a second easy meal.

  2. Imperial Chicken

  4–6 pieces of boneless chicken pieces
  2 C Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
  1- 1/2 sticks of butter
  8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  1 C white wine

  Heat the oven to 400. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray. Melt 1 stick of butter.

  Spread half of the breadcrumbs in the pan. Pour half of the melted butter evenly over the top. Arrange chicken pieces on top of the crumb-butter mixture. Top with the rest of the crumbs and then the rest of the melted butter. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

  While the chicken is in the oven, sautee the mushrooms in the remaining half-stick of butter until lightly browned.

  After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the foil from the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan evenly and then pour the wine into the pan over top of everthing. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes.

  This recipe is simplicity itself and very delicious. It has a complex flavor, although the ingredients are few and I almost always have those things on hand. I usually put baking potatoes into the hot oven with the chicken for a simple side dish. Along with a green salad or veggie, it’s an easy supper.

  You can also cool the chicken after the first 30 minutes, spread the mushrooms on top, pour on the wine–and then freeze it. Then defrost, heat the oven and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes until hot and browned.

  This recipe was shared with me by a friend 20 years ago in Boca Raton, Florida at a mothers’ group, called MUMS–”Mothers Uplifiting Mothers.” The group was at St. Joan of Arc parish, and included mothers of babies and young children who got together twice a month for Bible study, prayer, social events and small group support. It was great!

  God bless you–
  Michele Simons in Durham, NC

  Michele Simons
  Duke University Department of Psychiatry
  919/684-5401

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:36 pm.

• Dear Father Leo,

  God Bless you and your efforts to bring families together. I was fortunate enough to see you on the Bobby Flay Throwdown show. Thankfully you were victorious. We have been looking for a good receipe for fajitas for some time. If yours was good enough to beat Bobby Flay it certainnily seems good enough to attempt.

  I searched for the receipe on the internet and could not find it anywhere. I purchased you book. Alas no receipe for Fajitas. I am one our parish’s Knights of Colombus. I would love to add your fajitas to our menu for parish events.

  I would greatly appreciate it you could forward your receipe for steak Fajitas.

  Sincerely,

  Jeffrey Howitson
  PGK
  Saint Peter’s Council 10378
  Dixon, CA

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:38 pm.

• Hello Fr. Leo,

  My name is George, (as I’m sure you figured out from my email address. LOL)
  I discovered you recently on Throw Down with Bobby Flay, which for the most part, I am not a fan of. I happened upon that particular episode by accident, I saw that Bobby was going up against a Catholic priest, and my wife and I had to watch. My wife became interested two fold, because, of obviously he was going up against a Catholic priest, but also she attended Hood in Frederick, so she was doubly interested. Being a now devout Catholic, (having walked away many years ago for loosing my faith in God, and setting out on an endeavor for other “enlightenment”, becoming a Buddhist for many years. Long story, and I don’t want to bore you with the details of that at the moment.)

  Anyhow, like you, I love to cook, and am very good at it. What interested me in you and Grace Before Meals was the ideal of getting families together for meals. Yes, I was aware of the importance of meals with family, but, I never thought of the idea of making it an activity as such. The family prepping, cooking, then sitting down to a meal. What I really like about your show is that you visit families and cook for them. One thing I want to say is kudos to you for what you do, in bringing the families together for meals, as you stated, (I’m paraphrasing here), is that it is easy for a family to not sit down to a meal when fast food is so readily available. It is easy to go out to McDonald’s and pick up some burgers, fries, and drinks and consume them right there. Though, going out to a restaurant to have a sit down meal is not bad in and amongst itself, I agree with your ideal of getting the family together at home and preparing a meal together then sitting down and eating it, discussing what ever is going on for that particular day, or just communicating with each other. Which sadly, is lacking in our familiar society today. People worry too much about what others are doing, than what is going on right in their own homes, if families got together more often and had meals, etc, I believe that people would start to communicate better, be more at peace with themselves and their loved ones. I grew up in a household where my father was always at work, (he worked 18 hour days, seven days a week through out most of my childhood and into my late teens.) My mother who prepared most of the meals, and such, however, we would not sit down and talk about what was going on with our lives. Which I believe didn’t help our relationship at all. In fact, I think we wound up resenting each other for a period, because we never really spoke. I never had much of a relationship with either of my parents, especially my father, until recently…as in this past year. Ultimately, I think what I am trying to say here is that I honestly wish I had influences such as yourself amongst many others that I have in my life currently, I think I would have been much more at peace through the past years, up to the point when I met my wife. Over the last three years, I have become more at peace with myself, am starting to enrich my relationship with God and Jesus in ways that I never thought I would.

  I am a student through VLCFF, (Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation), through the University of Dayton online. I’m taking a certification course in Catechesis to help me further my endeavor in youth ministry. (Of which I am also going to be taking a two year program in the relative near future.) I have had a calling through God to do youth ministry. I have been a volunteer youth minister for the past couple of years, in my old parish in the Archdiocese of Boston, (I now live in Worcester, MA, about 40 or so minutes west of Boston), I’m also active in the youth ministry that my wife has been a part of for the past 15 or so years, New Spirit, Inc. out of Springfield, MA. Cathy, (my wife), was a full time youth minister back in the 80′s as well as starting a youth ministry program with at her old parish with one of the founders of New Spirit, Inc. There is a long history of youth ministry in my wife’s life. She thoroughly enjoys it. Though now, she is a research scientist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School here in Worcester.

  I have rambled on for long enough, I hope I didn’t confuse you too much, I sometimes tend to just blurt out my thoughts and people don’t always get what I am saying. I do want to close by saying, keep up the good work on your show, if you ever make it to Boston, or even this area, I think it would be cool to have you by for dinner, (We’d cook for you for a change…LOL)

  Pax Christi,
  George Dargan
  Worcester, MA

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:40 pm.

• Hi Fr. Leo – I had seen you on the CBS Sunday show a few weeks back. Logged on to the website, purchased a few books – e-mailed you on how I enjoyed your cooking gig – and I was very impressed that you made time to respond.
  I have been getting your newsletter – I didn’t think anything of it at first, but now I enjoy it – the sense of humor – the photos – who ever is writing it for you is doing an excellent job. I sort of look forward to it.
  I have a different outlook of the church than the average catholic, but (this might sound weird), you may have sparked a renewed interest.
  Thanks
  Dave

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:43 pm.

• Since you mentioned CRS and your involvement with them, I wanted to ask you…several years ago it seemed they were involved in supporting something not good (I can’t remember now what it was). I admit that ever since then, I’ve not been a fan of them and give elsewhere. Do you know what situation I’m probably referring to, and can you give me an update?

  Thanks so much!
  Lynda

  Posted by Fr. Leo on February 17th, 2010 at 6:43 pm.

• I am sure you get a flood of emails every time your episode of Throwdown runs, but after seeing it a few times I just wanted to drop you a hello and let you know that you may be THE most charismatic human being I have known in my almost 59 years. If I lived where you parish is I would probably come back to church. You really are a friend to your parishioners, and that is what has been lacking for me. I have recently begun to accept that something is really missing in my life, that I am searching for some sort of inner peace that I am not going to find myself.

  I graduated from a catholic high school. I recently attended my 40th high school reunion. One of my classmates became a priest and if we can ever set up a time when we both have an hour or so I am going to sit down and talk with him. I also recently attended a memorial service for the father of a friend of about 25 years, and it was quite moving being there. This leads me to believe that the reason I stopped attending services was probably more about a displeasure with the catholic “way”. I know it all starts with me, but would you have any advice for me to get on the path toward a more spiritual existence? I don’t think I ever stopped believing in a higher power, just that I did not know where to find the right place to keep that thought in my heart.

  Fajitas I can get anywhere….. advice is harder to find.

  Be well, Father Leo.
  I wish you peace.

  Eddie

  Posted by Eddie from Ohio on February 23rd, 2010 at 7:54 am.

• Fr.

  Praise the Lord!

  I am pleased to request you for some information regarding Lent in a Catholic Church. I am a born Anglican but have recently cahnged to Catholic.

  With God’s love,

  Mrs. Rose
  Mombasa – Kenya

  Posted by Rose on February 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 am.

• Hi Father,

  I have looked all over the web to find your Fusion Fajitas but to no avail.

  Can you help me or tell me where to find it? Is it in your book?

  Mary
  +++++++++++++++++

  I like being a frog on my own vs a tadpole in a big pond…

  Posted by Mary on February 23rd, 2010 at 8:02 am.

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