AUBURN – Nancy Beatrice enjoyed her high-school cooking class. In fact, she still has the cookbook her teacher recommended. “My teacher said, ‘You’re never going to be able to find one like this again.’ It’s an old Betty Crocker that shows pictures of the recipes. It gave a lot of little things for a beginner,” said Beatrice. Today, the book has so much masking and duct tape on it that she couldn’t be sure of its title.

Beatrice also learned some cooking skills from her dad. “When I was 12 years old, my parents both worked and my older sister had moved out, so I would start supper, and my dad helped me cook when he walked in the door,” she recalled.

When Beatrice’s children were young, she worked for an Italian family as their housekeeper and cooked their evening meal. “They hired me because they knew I could make spaghetti sauce from scratch,” she said.

One of Beatrice’s favorite cookbooks when cooking for her children was the “Feingold Cookbook for Hyperactive Children.” “My kids were hyperactive, and I found this book helpful,” she said. The book, published in 1979 by Random House, explains dietary management and provides a list of forbidden foods. The cookbook includes recipes and menus for meals free of additives, coloring and preservatives – so foods have to be made from scratch. After reading the book, “I never bought anything in a box,” she said.

Although she enjoys cooking, Beatrice said she doesn’t like her galley-style kitchen and wants to renovate it. She did get a new stove five years ago, though. “I love my stove. I finally got a gas one,” she said.

When she is not cooking at home, Beatrice is often helping out at her husband’s pizza place, Za Pizza Market, in Auburn. Beatrice also enjoys gardening, sewing and spending time with her husband, John, and their children and grandchildren – and their dog and two cats.

Authentic Italian sausage bread

Ingredients:

1½ pounds crumbled, sweet sausage (remove the casings)

1 loaf of bread dough (can be purchased frozen; can also use fresh pizza dough)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Parmesan cheese

½ pound grated Mozzarella cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fry the sausage and drain well. Roll dough into a 9- by 12-inch rectangle. Spread beaten egg evenly on dough, then sprinkle with sausage and cheeses. Roll tightly and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Bake for about 45 minutes or until bread is nicely browned. Slice into 2-inch portions and serve warm.

Miracle Whip chocolate cake

Ingredients:

1 cup Miracle Whip

1 cup cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ cup Hershey’s cocoa powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well, about 4 or 5 minutes. Grease and flour 2 round, 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Divide batter evenly between the 2 pans. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on racks. Frost with your favorite frosting.

Spaghetti sauce with meatballs

Ingredients for meatballs:

½ pound ground beef

½ pound ground pork (or ground turkey)

1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

4 slices bread soaked in water and squeezed dry

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg

½ teaspoon grated onion

1 clove garlic minced

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients for sauce:

1 28-ounce can of stewed tomatoes

2 28-ounce cans tomato puree

1 clove of garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon chopped sweet basil (fresh or dried)

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ cup butter

Method for meatballs:

Place ground meats, cheese, bread, parsley, egg, grated onion, garlic, salt and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix together well. Shape into walnut-size balls. Place in heated olive oil and fry on all sides until well-browned. Set aside.

NOTE: “I sometimes put raisins in our meatballs. My husband loves it,” Beatrice said.

Method for sauce:

Place stewed tomatoes and tomato puree into a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and add meatballs, garlic, salt and black pepper. Simmer for 1 hour. Add bay leaves, basil, parsley flakes, sugar and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Serve over your favorite pasta. Makes enough for 1 pound of pasta.

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