I don't like giving this recipe only three stars, but it really didn't come out well. It was super easy to make and mine took an hour in the oven when I made it for Easter dessert yesterday. But even though I cut the sugar by about a third, it was still overpoweringly sweet. My other complaint is that it didn't taste at all of fruit, just of sugar (and of the cinnamon I added based on other reviewers' suggestions). I don't know what to do to make this cake taste of fruit, so I probably won't make this again. But I'm open to suggestions.

Reviewed On: Apr. 13, 2009

I debated between 4 and 5 stars, mostly because of the recipe's title. I'd say these are the best meatballs I've ever made but not the best I've ever tasted (restaurant). But these are really great. I combined this recipe with a recipe I adapted years ago from my mother's recipe--1/2# ground chuck and 1/2# ground pork, crackers rather than croutons, no Cajun spices (didn't have any), and no red pepper flakes (too strong). The meatballs were excellent with the pasta I made but were outstanding in meatball subs the next day--absolutely delicious. I think the worchestershire and mustard really add to the flavor. Next time, I'll experiment with a little ground red pepper, not flakes. I think it might blend better (no hot spots), and I'll get some Cajun seasoning--might as well follow the recipe (almost) exactly now that I have a good sense of it from my adaptation.

Reviewed On: Mar. 30, 2009

I made this recipe for the first time last week, and it was very good. Generally, I don't like cabbage (not even the smell of it when it's cooking), but it's hard to avoid cabbage on St. Pat's Day. So I thought I'd give this a try, and I'm glad I did. I've rated it four rather than five stars because I found that at least double the broth is necessary, and a few ingredient tweaks are also useful. I used regular bacon and regular cabbage, added 1 t sugar, 1 T Italian spices (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary blend), and doubled the broth. Because I had too much to do on the 17th, I made this soup the day before but didn't simmer it long so that I could finish cooking it just before serving. It was very good, and the cabbage blended well with the tomatoes, potatoes, and broth; so it didn't overpower the other flavors. Thanks for the recipe, Ita.

Reviewed On: Mar. 22, 2009