On top of spaghetti...

It's best not to get into specifics when judging an Italian-American cooking contest.

Some refer to the blend of tomatoes, olive oil, spices and other ingredients that blanket a steaming hot plate of pasta simply as sauce. Others call it red gravy or Sunday gravy. Traditionalists insist on using the Italian words sugo or ragu.

According to Nancy Harmon Jenkins in her wonderful cookbook "Cucina del Sole" (William Morrow, 2007), when Italian Americans sing about sauce of their childhood that would sputter in a large pot on their mother or grandmother's stove, they are actually talking about ragu napoletano.

"There is no question that what a true Neapolitan craves first of all when returning home is spaghetti al ragu, a simple plate of pasta dressed with rich, meaty, tomatoey, spicy, fragrant sauce that is traditional for Sunday lunch in Naples and the surrounding countryside," Jenkins writes.

Ragu is something that makes Edea Barilo, of Bellevue Manor, nostalgic for her youth and brings back memories of her parents, now deceased.

The Brandywine Hundred resident grew up smelling and eating Sunday gravy and continues the tradition with her own family.

On Sunday at the annual Vendemmia Italian food and wine festival in Wilmington, Barilo's full-bodied sauce took top honors at the annual Gravy Contest.

"I love this event, and I almost fell over when they called my name. My mom was the best cook out there," says Barilo, whose parents, Ada and Francesco, emigrated from a small town near Naples, Italy. "I remember being a 5-year-old at the stove with my mom when she cooked."

This was the second year I was asked to judge the contest that took place at Tubman-Garrett Park on the Wilmington Riverfront.

Contestants were simply given numbers. Scores between one (worst) and 10 (best) were given for color; texture and thickness; aroma; seasonings; quality, quantity and taste of olive oil; garlic; and overall taste.

The devil is in the details and Barilo says the secret of her sauce is to have everything fresh. She starts by sauteing onions and garlic. From there, she makes her own braciola, the flattened beef that she spreads with a blend of flat-leaf parsley, garlic, salt and pepper, rolls up and then braises.

Sausage goes into the pan, followed by homemade meatballs made with a combination of ground veal, beef and pork. An added layer of flavor comes from the addition of sauteed country-style ribs.

Barilo's mother Ada always canned her own homegrown summer tomatoes. Her daughter does the same. But sometimes Barilo also uses cans of San Marzano tomatoes.

"I'll add the spices, salt, pepper and garlic. The parsley comes from my yard as do the bay leaves," she says. Fennel seed is also part of the mix. The preparation takes about an hour and Barilo slow-cooks the sauce for another 2 1/2 hours. "The whole house smells great."

Winning the contest, Barilo says, is "a tribute to my parents. I'm sure they're looking down and smiling."

JUST AN FYI: Edea was stationed at number 8. The second place winner was Nina Pellicone. She was stationed at number 5. Third place was Nicole Getty at number 10.