Italian Elections

When my father comes into the restaurant in the mornings, it is by far the best part of the day. Pop comes in full of pepper and it’s the best time to talk to him.

Being that we are in the middle of the election of our next president, I went to my father and asked him his thoughts. He has seen many presidents elected, witnessed more than his share of wars, seen the economy go up and down like a yoyo and cast many votes.

Me: Hi Pop!

Pop: Wey Luigi. Whatsa going on?

Me: Not too much Pop.

Pop: Whatsa a matter for you. Youa looka like you gotta ask me something.

Me: No Pop. I just wanted to get your opinion

Pop: Oh no. what did you do.

Me: Nothing Pop, listen….

Pop: Whatever you do, don’t buy it.

Me: What? No pop, listen please…

Pop: You no needa a new car!

Me: No, But I just wanted your op…..

Pop: Youra car is like a brand new why you want a new one?

Me: I don’t know. Pop listen.

Pop: Well you know ita is a kinda old. Youa gotta problems with it?.

Me: No, Pop!!!!!! I need to ask you something else! Please listen!

Pop: Whya youa getta so mad. Youa need to rilasar (relax). What is it?

Me: Who you going to vote for president?

Pop: Whayyyyy? Thisa year itsa tough choice.

Me: I know. What do you think?

Pop: Well whena I wasa young, we had no much choices of whata to eat. Ita was during the war and there no is mucha to eat. Sometimes we hadda beans and other times we hadda beans.

Me: What?! What does beans have to do with the president.

Pop: Youa shutup anda listen. We hadda the pig once but the Nazi’s theya steal it. Another tiem we hadda the polli (chickens), theya would steal those too. But no matter what we always hadda the beans.

Me: Pop. I don’t understand

Pop: Listena, youa very smart. Itta no matter which one you like and wicha one you no like. Ifa you have the pig, theya take it. Ifa you have the polli, theya take it. But you always have the beansa no matter what. Capisce (understand)?

Me: Huh?

Pop: No matter who wins. Just be happy you have the beans. See?

Me: I guess……. You know Pop, somehow you can say something that make absolutely no sense at all and yet it makes perfect sense.

Pop: Thatsa what I mean! Nowa tasta the stufato (stew) Ima making.

Me: Ok Pop. Thanks. I think

I guess I’m going to vote for beans. Whichever candidate that is.

Sausage Stew

Ingredients

2 pounds Italian sausage cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
2 medium carrots, cut into bite sized chunks
2 celery ribs cut into bite sized chunks
2 small onions cut into wedges
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil, thyme and rosemary, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 cup Coppola’s roasted garlic sauce
½ large green or sweet red pepper, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pot, over medium heat, brown sausage; drain. Add the water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, roasted garlic sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
Add the green pepper and parsley; cook 12-15 minutes longer or until pepper is tender. Discard bay leaf.
Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over potato gnocchi

Class and Dignity

When I was a kid, I was very overweight. Not only was I overweight, I also had braces on my teeth. I was teased constantly being called fat, brace face, etc. On one particularly bad day at school, I went home and was very down about the constant teasing at school. My father watched me get off the bus, observing as I walked up to the house with my head down. As I came inside looking like I had lost my best friend, he asked me what was wrong. I told him about being teased and being made fun in school. My father looked at me and as was always the case, Pop had a story.

During WWII, everyone in his town was very poor. Not only was there not enough food to go around, but the Nazi’s would steal from their gardens and take any livestock they might have. However, in spite of all the hardships, my grandmother always held her head high. She always told my father and uncles that they were to conduct themselves with class and dignity no matter what the circumstances. She also told them something that he would repeat to us many times: "While we may not have a lot of money, we have our name, and that is worth more than anything else."

On Sundays they would all go to church as a family, except for my grandmother who went earlier in order to make pasta for Sunday dinner. She would mix in the flour and eggs by hand, rolling out and cutting the pasta before hanging it outside to dry. She would make a tomato sauce with any scrap pieces of meat she could find, stretching every last ounce out of her ingredients. She also made the bread that we would have with our dinner. She always sent my father down to the sea to collect salty seawater to mix into the bread. This was highly illegal, because the government held control over the sale of salt. One day a carabinieri (police officer) caught him sneaking the seawater. He took the jar from my father, smashed it on the ground, and kicked him in the behind.

Flour was bought every week for Sunday bread and pasta. They would buy on credit until their bill became so high that the grocer wouldn’t sell to them anymore. During the lean periods, he wouldn’t even return my family’s greetings on the street because he was so angry with them. Years later, when my father would come visit his mother from America, he would great him with “Hello, Don Antonio!” Remembering the lessons my grandmother taught them about class and dignity, he would stop and speak to him about his wife and children. It was during these times that he realized his mother was really teaching them about respect, and what it took to be respected.

After Pop got done telling me this story he asked me if I understood what he was trying to tell me. I looked at him as said, “Don’t steal salt water or you’ll get kicked in the behind” My father slapped himself in the forehead and told me to go do my homework.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients

1 egg beaten
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons water

Method

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a little well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix by hand. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water to loosen it up bit. Roll the dough into a ball and let sit for 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Using a pizza knife cut the pasta into strips of desired width.
Using a broom handle balance between two chair, hang the dough to dry.

Sausage Stew

Ingredients

2 pounds Italian sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups water

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

2 medium carrots, cut into bite sized chunks

2 celery ribs cut into bite sized chunks

2 small onions cut into wedges

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil, thyme and rosemary, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 cup Coppola’s roasted garlic sauce

½ large green or sweet red pepper, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pot, over medium heat, brown sausage; drain. Add the water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, roasted garlic sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

Add the green pepper and parsley; cook 12-15 minutes longer or until pepper is tender. Discard bay leaf.

Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over potato gnocchi

1 egg beaten

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons water

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a little well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix by hand. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water to loosen it up bit. Roll the dough into a ball and let sit for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Using a pizza knife cut the pasta into strips of desired width.

Using a broom handle balance between two chair, hang the dough to dry.