Sunday has always been a family day for me with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. After Mass, as a kid, we would go to my grandmother's house for a traditional Italian Sunday dinner. This would include pasta with some type of tomato sauce first, followed by chicken or Cornish hens AND roast beef or veal or sausage and meatballs or my very favorite...spedinas, (skewers of oval shaped meatballs, bread,and mozzarella, breaded and fried). Dinner would also included salad, vegetable side dishes, Italian bread you can only find in the NYC area, wine, and of course, "No-Cal" soda. After, there would be fruit, and a little more wine. As the women cleaned up, the Mets or Jets or a TV musical were usually on and the coffees would be up to brew...brown and black (regular and espresso) and absolutely no decaf! Desserts included cakes, Italian pastries and cookies, usually purchased from neighborhood Italian bakeries after Mass. All of this started at about 1 pm and ended around 4 pm.
After another clean-up session, crossword puzzles were worked on, newspapers were read and the kids played. At 7 or 7:30 everything was brought out again with the addition of cold cuts; and after the second round of dessert and coffees, we packed up leftovers and returned home.
Times have changed, we are now busier than ever, and the Sunday dinner I was used to is the rare occasion when I get back to northern NJ.
I've tried to at least prepare something special for dinner on Sundays and keep the family part of it going...this is when Paul is missed the most. During the week, we're usually running all over with kid activities, school, work, etc. Sunday has remained the one day of peace and family.
Picture of the Day
14 years ago
2 comments:
I have fond memories of Sunday dinner at your grandparent's house in the downstairs kitchen. I remember eating the pasta and thinking that was the whole meal. Next thing you know out came the roast beef and ALL the sides. I could not believe my eyes! Later there were the great Italian cookies and I tasted a yellow liqueur in a tiny tiny cordial glass for the first time. Everyone was sitting around the very long table with your grandfather sitting at the head of the table. All the smells, sounds and memories of that one day are flooding back. That was such a great day and I will always remember the special days I spent with you and your family. It seemed like we were always eating -- how is it that we were so thin? Thanks for the memories! Love, Christine
It must have been Galiano that you sipped?
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