Sacred Heart Church Ravioli Dinner
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Photo: Bruce Crippen
The Sacred Heart Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been putting on a ravioli dinner twice a year since 1910, and my family has been going for five generations. It's everything a big church supper should be. You show up, get handed a number, and take your seat at a long table while kids from the neighborhood bring you your food. And you make small talk with your neighbor. How long have you been coming? (Since I was born.) How is the sauce this year? (It's always good.) How is the wine? (Cheap but drinkable!) As for the ravioli, they're plump, tender, and delicious, stuffed with ground veal, pork, spinach, and ricotta cheese and served with tomato sauce that's simmered slowly in huge pots. My grandmother always brought her own shaker of crushed red pepper, which she passed around her table. Today, the organizers provide little packets of red pepper, but not much else has changed. —Theresa Wolke, Cincinnati, Ohio
Everything is made from scratch and although the quantities are enormous (several thousand meals are served) the quality of the food is exceptional. It's a lot of work, but the opportunity for taste testing and to support a great cause make it all worthwhile....