nothing like jumping in with both feet. i have been saying, for years, that i am going to learn to cook and invite people over for dinner. well, i still haven't learned to cook, but i did invite some people over for dinner tomorrow night. there will be 7 adults and 9 kids. the theme is italian night, and everybody is making a different dish. so, it all sounds pretty easy right?

you'd think.

i decided to try to make an old family recipe that was passed down straight from Italy (yeah, yeah, i'm not Italian but my grandma's second husband had a grandma that was...are you with me?) Anyway, it's very yummy when it's done right. Keywords: done right. my mom sent me the whole two page lowdown this week and i had a small panic attack. in essence, several times toward the end of the recipe she says "you have to do this right or the whole thing blows up." and then she lists all the stuff i'll need--three huge pots for cooking, a large colander, big utensils to stir with and three huge bowls for mixing. that's more cookware than i use in a month. ha.

anyway, i'm going to approach this with good humor. if it blows up, the people i invited are good enough friends that it will be ok. and one of them is bringing a back-up. it doesn't matter anyway, because my mom explained that the key to hosting a dinner with Grandma Bagetts Spaghetti is WINE. Lots and lots of wine.

so, rani, if i'm corked when you get here, just know that it was part of the recipe :)