"that bird is going to die"/albondigas in red sauce

I am up early again today. I made some coffee and went up to the roof terrace to survey the weather. Just another perfect summer day. Oh well, better get a batch of laundry in the washing machine. Perhaps I can even beat our neighbor Almendena and hang our clothes on the line first. I swear the women in the neighborhood have a daily competition to see who can hang their laundry first. After a late night listening to the local flamenco band play at La Roca, Big Jim and I caught Almendena putting wash into the machine at 3 am. She's a fierce competitor. The village was incredibly still and tranquil this morning...until the neighbor's bird woke. Antonio and Iluminada have this horribly annoying bird that lives in a cage on their terrace. Big Jim and I haven't been able to discern exactly what kind of bird it is. It's not particularly big, but it is loud. Really loud. Unfortunately, its birdsong is not pleasant. It alternates between squawking and screeching. I was once speaking to a client on the telephone, and he said in a slighty embarrassed voice, "Um, perhaps you should go tend to your child; it sounds like he needs your attention more than I." Child, what child? "Oh, that's not a child. That's my neighbor's bird." "That's a bird?" Exactly. Daily, Big Jim threatens to buy an air gun. He won't because he loves animals too much, but it is a tempting proposition. One of my favorite Spanish words is albondigas (meatballs). I'm not sure why; it just rolls nicely off the tongue. Here's the recipe for a common tapas selection in our village. First, the albondigas: 2 lb ground veal and pork, mixed (You can use ground beef, if you prefer. Veal and pork are more traditional here.) 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 beaten egg fresh breadcrumbs Salt and pepper Flour Olive oil Combine meat, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs (about 2 oz.), S&P, and form into small meatballs. Dredge with the flour and fry until crispy in the olive oil. Next, the sauce (sometimes called sofrito): 2 large onions, chopped 2 red peppers, chopped 1 lb tomatoes (or 14 oz can), chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed Olive oil Salt and pepper 1 glass sherry or dry white wine Gently slow fry on low heat the onions and peppers in olive oil (don't be afraid---use a generous amount, 1/4 to 1/2 cup) in a large frying pan for about 25 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and continue to slow fry until the ingredients form a pulp. Add the garlic and S&P. Transfer ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Stir in the sherry. Heat the sauce in a cazuela (casserole) and add the meatballs. Simmer for 1 hour. These can be served alone as a tapa or with rice or pasta as a main course. They're very yummy either way. hasta manana, mylifeinspain