It’s all about "La Famiglia"...
It all started back in Brooklyn, growing up in a close-knit Sicilian family. My grandfather, Giacomo, loved getting the family together every weekend. As any Italian person can understand, we all stayed in the basement. The 1st floor was the "museum". It was only used for "special company"...lol. We were a family of 11, and we would all sit around one table in the basement. It was a tight squeeze but it didn't matter because we were all together! Saturday night after we ate home-made pizza and rice balls made by my Nonni and Madrina Sylvia, who, by the way, were the Best Cooks in Town! My Papa Giacomo would move the table out of the way, take out his records and his record player out and we would all sing and dance. Madrina Sylvia and Padrino Gianni, (my Godmother and Godfather) would start dancing the Waltz, the Cha Cha Cha and A Manzurca. Everyone was happy, we all had the best time together!
Sunday we were all required to come to Nonni's house for the traditional Italian Sunday Dinner. We would start off with Prosciutto e Melone, then the pasta would come out. It was usually Nonni's choice of "Pasta Curta" with home-made marinara sauce, fried chicken cutlets, chicken parmigiana, and a roast beef, followed by fresh string beans and potatoes that she drizzled olive oil and sprinkled salt, black pepper and oregano on with a splash of red wine vinegar. She also always had a staple insalata with large, long thick cut onions and chunks of fresh tomatoes. The one thing I remember distinctly about the insalata was that she always put so much salt in it that my eyes began to tear! Of course there was no store bought dressing, we had red wine vinegar and olive oil. She sprinkled some black pepper and oregano for more flavor. That wasn't all...then we had two loaves of fresh semolina bread on the table along with some black olives and cheese. After the table was cleared off she put out oranges, pears, apples, cantaloupe and watermelon, if it was in season. If you think we were done there...you're wrong! Now it was time for Madrina Sylvia's specialty...Dessert! She would come out with fresh Tiramisu, Lemon Merenge Pie, fresh Apple Pie or her still famous Rum Cake! She made it all!!! Madrina Sylvia is a very special woman because people usually either like to cook or like to bake...she does BOTH! and she's damn good at it!
Looking back I think I had the best childhood memories with my Nonni and my Papa Giacomo. We were always together and I try to keep the same family traditions for my children because there's nothing more important than "La Famiglia"
