Text 26951, 108 rader
Skriven 2012-03-18 15:55:46 av Nick Kill (1:261/1406)
Ärende: Fidonews Vol 29 No 12 March 19, 2012 Page: 4
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                          F O O D:  F O R   T H O U G H T
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Writing a Cookbook with Mom..
By Janis Kracht, 1:261/38, janis@filegate.net

My Mom passed away this past week as I've mentioned to some in the Z1C echo.  I
was devastated, even though I knew she'd been sick for a very long time.  I
felt like I'd lost one of my best friends.

Angela M. Muraca
October 4, 1924 - March 9, 2012

It was about 20 years ago, that Mom approached me about setting down her myriad
of recipes in a formal "COOKBOOK"... essentially all her married life my Mom's
recipes were ones that people constantly sought after.  Dinner guests would be
seen leaving our home with papers, cards and what-not, containing recipes and
technical information regarding just what went into the making of fabulous meal
Mom had just prepared for everyone. As a matter of fact, at one point a friend
of hers actually paid Mom for her left-overs - quarts of sauce and meatballs,
sheets of pizza, layers of lasagne, pans of Lemon Chicken and Veal Piccata.. 
this woman loved my Mom's cooking so much and Mom's friend knew she'd never
have the time to make some of dishes Mom made so effortlessly.

So, we collected the scraps of paper she'd written recipes on, organized them,
and I typed each recipe in preparation.  We needed to come up with a name for
the book, even if it were to only be passed along to family members.  As usual,
it was Mom who came up with the name:

Uno Per Uno

In her introduction to the cookbook, she explained the name:


"This may seem to be an unusual name for a cookbook - and it is. After months
of thought about Grandma's kitchen and her cooking, I found that it was Grandpa
who was foremost in my memories.  It was Grandpa who used this phrase as his
password, Uno Per Uno.

Uno Per Uno meant that in his heart, his whole family was equal, one for one. 
Coming from Italy with his wife, the belle of her hometown, and their baby
Philomena (my mother), he was quite proud of his family.  And even though the
family grew to nine children, he insisted on Sunday dinner with all the
grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He was only concerned that his loving family was together every Sunday and his
contribution to the meal was his home-made wine and kisses.

With his huge belly and wire-brush mustache,  he would be waiting to pick up
each of the 19 grandchildren, one at a time, and ask what we had for lunch that
day.  As as we answered, "Eggs...  meat...  vegetables.  bread...", we were
given a kiss and a penny for each item.  We held on to his cheeks to receive
the bushy kisses.  We soon learned to add water in answer to his question, "Che
qui?" (What else?) to receive that extra penny and kiss ...  Uno per uno.

Grandma and her daughter did all the cooking, and the meals were full-course
dinners of soup, pasta, meat, vegetables, salads and deserts.  These recipes
come from my family in Italy.  Through the years I have added recipes from my
husband's family in Sicily, as well as my sisters, aunts, and father's family
in Calabria."

What memories that little introduction brings to mind.  I can picture my Mom as
a little girl following her mother, grandmother and grandfather about, just as
I did my own mother, learning all her secrets in the kitchen.

Veal Piccata or Limone
12 veal Scallops
salt
pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons  broth
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Pound veal between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap until thin. 
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dredge with flour.

Heat oil in frying pan.  Add veal and fry until brown.  Remove the veal when
brown to a platter.  Drain oil from frying pan. Add the butter and mushrooms
and saute the mushrooms.

Add the  broth, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley.

Heat the sauce.  Spoon over veal, add cheese and serve with Fettucini.







FIDONEWS  Vol 29 No 12           Page  4         March 19, 2012





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