Gather Around the Table 

  Being Italian, growing up, my family always celebrating in a big way, not just the holiday's but even Sunday dinner at Grandma's was a party.  Who was coming over, who would just pop on in, and not just family, the neighbors, friends and sometimes even their extended families would show up.   Never a problem and  you would always hear someone saying "come in there's plenty", which there was always  enough to feed a small army. 

 

  The prepping of the  pot of sauce, marinara, or gravy (however you might refer to it)  started in the wee hours of the morning by my Grandmother. 

Up by 4AM, you'd catch her at the kitchen table having coffee and a Stella Dora, Anisette Toast or an S cookie.  Lights would be dimmed, radio playing low with tunes of Louie Prima, Frank Sinatra and so many more.  Then it starts, with the holy trinity of olive oil, garlic and onions tossed into the large pot,

the smell  that would fill the house, was amazing, but that never got us kids out of bed, it wasn't until the smell of those meatballs frying, that got our attention. 

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The large pot of sauce always had the usual suspects sausage, braciole, pork ribs, always full of flavor and absolutely delicious, even though it took me awhile to actually eat and enjoy the sauce.  Grandma would make me pasta, whichever one she was making that particular Sunday, add butter, grated Locatelli,salt and pepper tossing it together like it was a masterpiece and placing it over a smashed up meatball. Talk about simplicity at it's best, still to this day, not only has it stood the test of time, but boy oh boy, the memories that come rushing back from that simple, yet delicious and  comforting dish. 

Sunday dinner usually consisted of pasta along with all the traditional meats that went with it, but on occasion, every once in a while a Roast Beef would make an appearance on our Sunday dinner table, with a lasagna, of course..

 

   Sweets were made at home throughout the year with visits to the corner bakery for Italian bread to have with dinner that night, always eating

the heel, or as some refer to it as, the end of the loaf on the way home. The faithful Sunday stroll from Church with Grandma stopping on in the

bakery or if Grandma couldn't make it to church, Grandpa would take the stroll up to get the Italian bread, bagels, poppy seeded hard rolls and

jelly doughnuts.  I'd be sitting on the stoop, watching, as he walked towards the house, holding a bakery box by the red & white twine wrapped around it, inside a variety of cookies Linzer Tarts, Black & White, & Sprinkle cookies , in the other hand two white bags, one with bagels & hard rolls, the other with those old fashioned jelly doughnuts, under his arm two loaves of Italian bread.  If Sunday's weren't big enough for a get together, there was everything in between from holidays, birthday's, weddings, anniversaries, anything that called for special cakes, pastries and cookies that you were not able to get anywhere else, but your neighborhood bakery.   Sunday's were a big day though, it was the 7th day, the day of  rest,  that's what we were taught, although I'm not really sure how much Grandma rested.  Nothing was open except Church and the bakeries until noon.  

     

Dinner was served at 3 in the afternoon and would end the day with the adults gathered around the table for  a card game or two, or three, by this time us kids where usually in the living room watching, Wonderful World of Color back in the sixties and seventies, until they changed the name to The Wonderful World of Disney.    But If Sunday's weren't big enough for a get together, there was everything in between from holidays, birthday's, weddings, anniversaries, anything , heck, thinking back, possibly if there was nothing going on, once the family gathered together it would usually turn into something special.  

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  Looking back on those times, when the economy was bad, salaries were way lower then what they are in today's society.  Our parents and grandparents utilized  what was available at the markets, butcher,  produce stands, and farms, at one time the fruit & vegetable truck would drive up and down the streets.  It was  of great quality, rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein, "farm to table" is what we lived on...  Times were simple, life was good, and it was always about family, friends, and gathering around the table together.    

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