Savoring Life: Passions from Pages to Palates

“Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey. To eat such a meal is to remember that, though the world is full of knives and storms, the body is built for kindness. The angels, who know no hunger, have never been as satisfied.” ~~ Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown I am sorry to have taken so long to post, but the last five months have been a whirlwind of both extreme joy and painful loss. The above quote hits home about our connection to comfort, family, and food. And it was through the preparation of food for my family that I found solace in a time of loss...the loss of my Uncle Mike Vaskie.  The Vaskie's connection to family through food runs deep, and I am certainly not the only who practices the art of cooking. My cousin Julie is an amazing cook, and I would put her from-scratch-baking up against any pastry chef, and my cousin John not only smokes some of the best pork and brisket, but he als

"Nothing significant exist under Italy's sun that is not touched by art. Its food is twice blessed because it is the product of two arts, the art of cooking and the art of eating. While each nourishes the other, they are in no way identical accomplishments. The art of cooking produces the dishes, but it is the art of eating that transforms them into a meal." ~~ The Classic Italian Cook   Book  by Marcella Hazan Having Italian heritage from my Dad's family and being surrounded by family that loves to cook, it was next to impossible to not fall in love with the arts of Italian cooking and eating. Most of the recipes I was exposed to were steeped in the flavors of southern Italy,  since my Grandpa Emil's family were immigrants from Amaseno, a town in the province of Frosinone in the Italian region of Lazio, located about 65 miles southeast of Rome.  A view of Amaseno Although I learned many dishes from my Dad and his sisters, many of which were prime exa

"But she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop one's breath for a moment by a look or gesture that somehow revealed the meaning in common things. She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last. All the strong things of her heart came out in her body, that had been so tireless in serving generous emotions. It was no wonder that her sons stood tall and straight. She was a rich mine of life, like the founders of early races." ~~ My Antonia by Willa Cather Feeling "the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting" is a feeling I truly enjoy, not just because growing vegetables and flowers brings me a sense of peace, but also because the tending of these plants brings me memories of both my Great-Grandma Rosie and my Grandpa Mike.  I have spoken of Rosie's garden in a past post, so I will &qu