Sunday, November 6, 2011

NaNoJouMo - 5

Remember, remember the fifth of November. Not for Guy Fawkes' Day. It's my grandma's birthday. She was born in 1895 in Ariano di Puglio (now known as Ariano Irpino or plain ol' Ariano). November 5th is also Grandma's wedding anniversary. She was married in East Boston, Massachusetts at Our Lady of Mont Carmel Church in 1917.

Grandma never baked us chocolate chip cookies. Her specialty was a bow cookie, thin strips of dough, deep fried and oozing honey. She made the bows for all the special occasions, holidays, weddings, funerals. She would mound the bows on a turkey platter and bring it to the table where we would gorge on the sticky treat. I never remember her serving turkey on that platter. She did make an "American" Thanksgiving at the holiday which was served after L'escarole with pupetini (escarole soup with tiny meatballs), antipasto, the the highly anticipated cappelini (pasta shaped like the hats priests wore in Rome), eggplant Parmigiana. I don't recall anyone bothering to eat the turkey or trimmings.

I tried making the bows. They are a lot of work. Mine were ok, a little on the thick side. I couldn't seem to roll the dough as thin as Grandma did, and she did the rolling by hand not with a pasta machine!

What's your grandma's specialty?


2 comments:

  1. Toasted tomato sandwiches! My grandparents had a HUGE victory garden and grew all their own veggies and flowers. We only visited once every few years, but almost as soon as you stepped through the door Grandma would ask, “Would you like a toasted tomato sandwich?” YUM!

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  2. I don't remember any particular food with my Grandma. But I do remember her flower gardens - just wonderful.

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