Sazitsa

I hate to brag, OK, I actually like to brag about my Italian sausage. My grandparents always referred to it as 'sazitsa', which, I assume is Italian for 'sausage'. For the last couple of years, my aunt and myself have undertaken the Italian sausage making process. I, like any other hard headed, egotistical, dego, refuse to give out my secret recipe, for fear it will be plagiarized and someone else take credit for something I've plagiarized and have taken credit. Actually, I received the recipe from a 96 year old Italian woman, whose relatives have been in the restaurant business for some time. I then looked at a recipe in a book from an established sausage maker, and stole one ingredient to add to my sausage. One small detail I do while grinding and stuffing, makes a huge difference in the texture of the sausage. You wouldn't think texture would be a big deal, but amazingly enough, it makes my sausage more enjoyable than any I've had. There are a couple of friends I have allowed to come help make sausage with me, but the recipe doesn't leave my house. I send them home with their pockets bulging of the magical tubular meat, in return for their free labor. Keep in mind though, it's a labor of love. I enjoy the whole process of making, and the noises of satisfaction while family and friends indulge. During the process, I try to have a beer or two, to help keep it from feeling like work. Nothing quite like imbibing, playing with sharp knives, and pig intestines! Now keep in mind, no Italian sausage is complete without a healthy topping of peppers. The peppers are almost as important as the meat, and are multisidedishable. Don't bother looking that word up, it's totally fabricated:) There's only one person I've given the pepper recipe to, and he now lives in Arizona. Your welcome, Ben. The pepper recipe came directly from my grandmother, with NO alterations, which I believe came directly from her mother-in-law. It's by far, hands down, the best peppers you will ever lay across your taste buds! I must say, I truly appreciate the fact I grew up in an ethnic household, not to lord it over anyone, but because the food that I grew up on tasted so delicious, there isn't much I don't like. In the words of chef Mario Batali, "There are two kinds of people in the world, those who are Italian, and those who want to be"! Oh, and by the way, the 'I', in Italain is a short "i", not a long one, when pronouncing Italian. We're from Italy, NOT Eyetaly!