My Italian Mom

I had a bit of trouble writing this entry for the culinary blog because I had never done this before. Finally I came up with the idea to do an entry on holiday food since my mom’s side of the family is so Italian; we have a lot of traditions. For example, on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and many general family meals we always have artichokes and lasagna. The artichokes are a big thing in my family because when my grandmother makes them they taste so good and are rare because they take so much effort and a lot of time to make. When my mom makes them, they are a special treat. First off, she has to find good ones at the store and they are not always available. When she finds them she then has to wash them and pull apart the leaves. After this she puts a lot of bread crumbs, spices, and other things deeps down in the leaves, like filling the crevices of a layered flower. She then puts them in a round, deep pan with oil and water and they have to cook for around three or more hours. They sit and simmer in the liquid and every now and then we have to baste them to keep them moist. Everyone in my family says that the best part of the artichoke is the “heart”. At the very end after you pull off all of the leaves; there is a mushy, moist middle. Now, this does not sound too appetizing right now, but if you tried it, you would know why my family fights over the extras. It is funny when my mom occasionally makes them for dinner, like on my birthday, and my friends have never seen them and don’t know what to do with them. My family has to teach them how to bite the leaves and pull off the stuffing and at the end which parts you are allowed to eat and which parts are sharp and you shouldn’t eat.

Another thing that we make along with artichokes that my mom always loves to make is her lasagna. She makes it thick with a lot of sauce and cheese. First she makes a mixture of ricotta cheese, eggs, mozzarella cheese, and a little bit of parmesan cheese. Next, she puts a thin layer of sauce along the bottom of a baking pan and then she tops it with one layer of lasagna noodles and then the cheese mixture and the sauce on top of this. She then repeats this for at least three times. After the last layer of sauce, she tops it with the remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkles it with parmesan and oregano. My mom covers the top with tinfoil and bakes it in the oven for about 45 minutes, then takes the top off and lets it bake for another 15- 20 minutes, until it melts in your mouth. Although, it is a simple recipe, this is a common recipe in my household and it made very often and for all of the holidays with my mom’s side of the family.

Lindsey J.