Pasta & LaFamiglia

Did you say Pasta?  I sure did!  Pasta is the staple of many homes but especially in Italian homes.  It is budget-minded, healthy, low fat, and oh so good.  Coming in many shapes and sizes, whether fresh or dried, there is so much room for experimentation and play with the sauces!  There will be a recipe for making fresh pasta later on in my blogs.

Before you start boiling the water and chopping the garlic, a few words about the Confessore Family – LaFamiglia and myself.

          The Confessore Way is truly authentic, traditional morsels of pasta wonder accompanied by oh so many different types of sauces.  As a small girl, I remember going to Church on Sunday and coming home to the glorious smells of “Sunday Sauce,” which in Brooklyn, New York, some called it “Sunday Gravy,” which simmered for hours in a huge metal pot with the large wooden spoon sitting over the top of the pot.  It included meatballs (polpette), Italian sausage (salsicce), pork neck bones or spareribs, short ribs of beef, and bracciole.  When my mother was feeling “extra Sicilian,” she would also add stuffed pork skin (godina) and pigs feet to the sauce.  My basement would be filled with over 30 to 35 Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Boyfriends, my Sisters, and Friends all waiting to Mangia!  The folding tables would be lined up from wall to wall with plastic tablecloths.  Linens were scarce back then, at least in my family.  We did use real plates and flatware though, which were all washed by hand by the women.  Everyone who came would bring wine and cake and cookies and Italian pastries from Ferraro’s even though nobody had to ever bring anything because my parents took care of all of that, as well.  It was a “thing” though.  We were all taught to never go to anyone’s home empty handed.  Mama was a great baker too! We were all taught to make tons of food because you never know who will come knocking on your door.  I still do this today.  Funny how little things stick in your mind but it’s the little things that mean the most.

          I remember Aunt Rosie asking for the nuts.  Oh how she loved her nuts, especially walnuts.  Nuts and fruit were always served after a meal.  The first thing to be eaten was the pasta but on special occasions, fresh homemade soup was the starter before the pasta.  Then came all of the meats from the sauce (gravy).  My parents would also make a roast or chicken too, which was served with the salad and fresh broccoli. In an Italian home, salad is served after the main meal. Loaves of the best homemade crusty Italian bread you have ever eaten were readily available with any part of the meal; some with sesame seeds while others plain.  We also had stuffed artichokes.  My mother made the best artichokes ever!  I can still hear her telling me the secret to the best artichokes is lots of pure olive oil and burn the bottoms a little bit.  Not sure why but to this day, I burn the bottoms of the artichoke a little when I make them.  Yes, just like Mama!  Yes, they are so good!  After the foods, came the espresso with Anisette or Sambuca, coffee, and all those glorious desserts.  Everything was family style.  My father always sat at the head of the table and had a gallon of red wine on the floor next to him.  Fortissimo was his favorite!  He would slice fresh peaches and soak them in the Fortissimo for a day or two. They were served as part of the meal or dessert.  We ate for hours on end!  Family friends, who were not at the meal, would be called on the phone by my mother to come over for dessert.  More folding tables and chairs came out to greet the newly arriving guests. 

          I remember my best friend, Carol, would come to my house to eat Sunday dinner.  The Confessore’s ate at 2:00 p.m. on a Sunday.  When we were finished, we would go to her house and eat again with her family.  Carol’s family ate at 4:00 p.m. on a Sunday.  The timing was perfect!  If I couldn’t make it to Carol’s house on a day when her father made stuffed crabs, he would always save me some. Those times were so much fun!  Family, Friends, and Great Food were key.  Memories!

          So?  Why not share the Confessore Way with all of you.  Maybe you, too, can have great experiences and make memories with your families and friends by giving them something different and real to please their tastebuds. The way to a heart is through the stomach!  Joyce Confessore learned all of the traditions and the ways of making traditional foods from La Famiglia.  She is an exceptional chef who learned from the best, which was proven in her 5 Star Italian Restaurant called Confessore Pasta Cucina.  I am ready to share recipes with all of you, which are The Confessore Way.  Nothing else is created equal.  My first book in the series will be Pasta. Stay tuned!

Read it as a customer; Finish it as family! 

Then come back to Confessore Family (LaFamiglia) Italian Kitchen (Cucina) for more.

Yes! More…..Italians never stop eating

Pasta is the first recipe dishes…..next will be meats, chicken, veal, sausage, vegetables, soups, salads, desserts, breads

Mangia!  Mangia! Mangia!