5.18.2009

Mangia Monday!

Hello!

I hope everyone is settling into their weekly routine!

Mondays can be a bit tough sometimes, so I thought that I would provide some bits of wisdom that I received from my Nonna (grandmother) Ida and some favorite foods to get you through the day!

I am calling it Mangia Monday, because mangia was her favorite thing to say!!




Nonna Ida holding my youngest son, Gabriel, as a newborn.


Mangia:

mangiˡare transitive/intransitive verb
eat;
(consumare) eat up;
(corrodere) eat away;
take ‹scacchi, carte ecc›
noun, masculine
eating;
(cibo) food;
(pasto) meal;
dar da ~ al gatto/cane feed the cat/dog

Pocket Oxford Italian Dictionary © 2006 Oxford University Press



The one thing that my Nonna Ida ALWAYS said, no matter how she was feeling was, "I love You!" Then she would give you a bunch of kisses!

Now, I cannot think of anything better! She passed away at the wonderful age of 96 last December and I miss those kisses!


Nonna Ida's sauce was to DIE for! I spent many years watching her, questioning her and practicing on my own. Now, everyone thinks I make great sauce, but it still does not taste like hers! It must be her extra love that went into it!

If I could, I would give you that recipe - but there isn't one! Just like Nonna, when I make sauce every week, I use what I have on hand and it always works out!


However, one recommendation that I do make: Use the freshest ingredients you can find!

Such as these tomatoes:




Or this garlic:




Nonna Ida was a magician in the kitchen, she could make something from nothing and it would be DELICIOUS!!! I loved when she stayed at our house and I woke up to the smell of her freshly made coffee - nothing could start my day any better!

However, as talented as Nonna Ida was, she did "GOOF" once that I know of!! She was staying with us and one morning she asked what I wanted for breakfast - well I just wanted plain old "Honeycombs" cereal. She was not very thrilled with that, but she agreed. Well, she let me know it was ready and I sat down to eat - IT WAS HORRIBLE!! Nonna Ida did not know that "Honeycombs" were pre-sweetened and she added MORE sugar to my cereal!!! Let me tell you I love sweets, but it was not a very pleasant bowl of cereal!!

Well, I am sifting through tidbits I have written down while watching Nonna Ida and starting next week I will share recipes!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

Ciao!

5 comments:

April said...

Can't wait for those recipes! Sounds like stories my dad told me of his Italian grandmother!

Maryann said...

aw, makes me wish my "Nonna" was still here, she was my inspiration to get in the kitchen :O)

robin said...

very sweet! Nonna sounds like a wonderful woman.

TriadMommies said...

She was -- the kindness, most gracious woman ever.

Nicole, you wrote a beautiful tribute to Nonna. I enjoyed reading it. :) Congrats on the biz!

TriadMommies said...

That's me, Kendra, btw. :)