This, That And Criminally Delicious Spaghetti

Just call me a gourmet gumshoe.

A morning of old-style sleuthing uncovered several local food-related businesses that have applied a bit of spit and polish to their establishments over the summer.

Apollo Meats is sporting a new look after it reopened from a two-week vacation in July. Its interior has a fresh coat of creamy yellow paint and new decor - cows of all things - and soon will have a new brick and stucco storefront.

What's new in the meat case? I think you'll find the new items quite tempting. I did.

This culinary detective was delighted to preview the Italian stuffed chicken breasts. The boneless breasts are filled with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and basil. Bake them with tomato sauce, then slice and serve on top of this week's spaghetti recipe. It was a meal fit for fanatic Wii players this past Sunday.

Don't put away your grill just yet. Co-owners Steve and Rita Godfrey recently introduced premade blue cheese hamburger patties, Angus beef with bits of delicious blue cheese mixed throughout the meat.

Look for the Boudin sausage, too, made with rice, pork and Steve's special blend of seasonings. Oh, if this column were only scratch and sniff, you'd know how tantalizing those herbs smelled.

Hydro Harvest Farms in Ruskin also took some down time over the summer for remodeling, painting, new produce display bins and a big, new sign out front.

Owner John Lawson told me the official grand reopening takes place Oct. 4.

Gearing up for the full swing of fall, he and his wife, Terrie, are bringing in 20,000 young strawberry plants grown in North Carolina. And, they've built a pumpkin patch that includes a spooky graveyard for kids. Of course, they always have plenty of "you pick" veggies.

After my morning of combing the neighborhood, I cooled my heels at Sandy's Homestyle Cookin' in Riverview. It opened in January, and recently added breakfast to the menu. The "Git- R- Done" special comes with biscuit and sausage gravy, two scrambled eggs, with bacon and ham, all for a reasonable price of $3.99.

I went because I was tipped off by a friend that Sandy serves my favorite deep-fried pickle chips. There is something addicting about a mound of golden-fried sour pickles enclosed in a light beer batter. I just love them.

The generous appetizer comes with ranch dressing for dipping. Ah, this spy work is dangerous to the waistline. Sandy's Homestyle Cookin' is at 9409 U.S. 301 S., just north of Gibsonton Drive.

With some coaxing, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Robinson sent me his special recipe for spaghetti sauce. He's cooked it so many times, he just wings it. His rapid-fire listing of sauce ingredients was missing some exact measurements, so I've adapted it. If you think some are heavy or light, you can wing it, too.

DEPUTY JOE'S SPAGHETTI

2 pounds ground chuck

1 pound Italian sausage, mild or hot

1 medium white onion, diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons virgin olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons oregano

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 pound thin spaghetti

Parmesan cheese

In a large, heavy stockpot, add olive oil and saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cut the Italian sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to the sauteed vegetables. Cover and cook until sausage is browned. Add the ground chuck, breaking it up as you stir; cook until well done.

In a large pot, cook the tomato sauce, paste, oregano and crushed bay leaf on low heat. Add sliced mushrooms to the sauce.

Thoroughly drain the oil from the ground chuck and sausage mixture, and then add to the tomato sauce. Cook on low for several hours, stirring often. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Spoon sauce over drained spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Serve with Cuban toast and a Caesar salad. Serves 6-8.