August 13, 2021

Good Morning everyone, today is Friday, August, 13, 2021. The weather on the porch is beautiful and I am looking forward to a great day.

The photo I posted are of two dishes I made, one is Macaroni Puttanesca , I have eaten this many times but I found a recipe that puts tuna in it, so I wanted to try. It was outstanding , it is a dish that consists of olives, capers. Tomatoes, tuna, pasta, olive oil, garlic and the sauce is made in the time you boil the pasta. There are several ideas on it origin, one it was created on the island of Ischia one night when the owner used everything he had left to serve late coming patrons the second is it was created by let’s say ladies of the night because they could make it between customers. The name itself comes from the word puttana which means whore in Italian. So I have always adhered to the second version. Where ever it came from it is good. Now the second dish is Caponata, which is sort of a sweet and sour appetizer made with eggplant, celery, red pepper, onion, capers, tomatoes, vinegar and a little sugar. I have made this before and it was good , this time I roasted the eggplant and it was outstanding. I made this in the heat so I didn’t waste the eggplant, I guess that idea of wasting food comes back to you as you age. As a kid I use to scoff when my parents ate this and think it was horrible. It only shows how your palate changes as you age and the foolishness of youth. You don’t realize what your missing.

Yesterday’s post and again I want to thank you all for sharing that beautiful memory with me, is something very dear to me. I recieved two phone calls and texts from cousins who said it made them reminisce about it all day. I also got a message from Aunt Gracie’s son who is a priest, who actually married all of us, to thank me for remembering his family. That in itself made my day, after all that is why I write this post every day, yes to talk but to envoke our own memories and traditions that we have shared in our lifetime, not just mine but everyone’s personal story. Sure I tell my story, which is a springboard to remember your own. Last night Marylou and I went to dinner and we talked about St. Debla and how important it was, and I said to her how can this ever be forgotten, these events were our lives, this is the way we lived and the way they lived even before us, this is our history and legacy. It’s who we are. In this topsy turbulent world we live in we need more than ever to know who we are and where we came from. The ideals we were taught. Not everything can be forgotten and rewritten and reinvented. There is a past and it must be respected for the good and the bad, that’s how we learn and move forward. You know I talk about the 1000 year old tree, these events are the water and fertilizer to make that tree strong and grow.

Well maybe I was a little sentimental today, but that is who I am. Many things mean a great deal to me , things the average person doesn’t think about motivates me. I guess it’s not so bad being that way. Now it is time for coffee because I am getting a headache. So I will close, have an outstanding day and be careful in the heat, I don’t want anyone going down. Til Tomorrow!