momma's kitchen
simplify, simplify, simplify!
by Camille Di Loreto

It seems simple is the new "buzz" word. Have you noticed? Maria Schriver's new book speaks about how less is more. Some popular magazines are writing about the return

"The lives Grandpa Angelo and Mamma led were just that ... SIMPLE. Simple lives and simple pleasures."

to a simpler lifestyle. I started to wonder...did my Grandpa Angelo and Mamma Maria have this problem? Who told them when to scale down to simple? How did they survive without a self appointed individual deciding, "NOW, NOW, LIFE HAS BECOME TOO COMPLICATED. SCALE BACK, SCALE BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE."

My sense is Grandpa Angelo and Mamma would probably say "Ma tu, sei pazza!" Are you crazy? The lives they led were just that ... SIMPLE. Simple lives and simple pleasures. These were the things that made them happy. Fortunately for them they knew it. No one told them, they just knew. I think somehow they were really a lot smarter than we are now. Of course, they were not computer savvy. No internet for them. They were just smarter about things in general.
They enjoyed simple foods and wine. They loved getting together with family and friends. What could be better? If you were hungry, you ate. If a child fussed, there was a hug and perhaps a little dolce. There was a time and place for everything. Certain days were designated for certain meals. Many a Sunday I was awakened to the stereo playing Madame Butterfly or Aida and the aroma of garlic in the air. Oh yes, most definitely these were simple things.

"Grandpa Angelo made gardening seem simple. The man never owned a gardening book, magazine or catalog on the subject."

Grandpa and Mamma Maria shared a common hobby. They both loved to garden. Grandpa loved working in his vegetable garden. Mamma Maria, not to be outdone loved working in her rose garden. I am sure there was a good reason for this but we can explore who rules the roost as well as the who rules of the garden at a later date. The months of May and June meant working in the garden. This also meant I was working in the garden. Grandpa never heard of child labor laws.

One of the first steps Grandpa Angelo did was to fertilize the soil. The fertilizer did not have a fancy name such as Meadow Farm Fertilizer or some such name. No, no, no, this fertilizer was the real thing. It was chicken --- from the local chicken market. The market was owned by a family that had more vowels in their name than we did. It was the kind of market where one could choose the chicken one wanted while it was still roaming the yard -- in the middle on suburban Clifton, New Jersey. Martha Stewart would just gag at the smell. When this step was complete the fun began, planting the vast array of vegetables. He planted rows and rows of all sorts of tomatoes, zucchini, long Italian squash, eggplant, several kinds of lettuce, cucumber, string beans and much much more. There were rows of beautiful green herbs such as oregano, chives, several types of parsley, basil or basilico, marjoram, and rosemary.

"Seeing Grandpa work in the garden was like anticipating a miracle. This is what the man conveyed. "

Grandpa Angelo made gardening seem simple. The man never owned a gardening book, magazine or catalog on the subject. He never watched a gardening show. Unlike me, his granddaughter who feels compelled to own every gardening book and magazine I can lay my hands on in the hopes of insuring gardening success. He created his garden with a knowledge that was innate. I really believe it is one of those Italian things. He learned it long ago from his father who learned it from his father in Sicily. The lesson being learned so far back it became second nature. Unfortunately for me this gene is one I did not inherit.

Seeing Grandpa work in the garden was like anticipating a miracle. This is what the man conveyed. There was a specialness about it. The seeds he used had a history. They were from last year's vegetables. It all seemed mysterious to me. It was Grandpa's magic. The vegetables that came from his garden were the best - so fresh and flavorful. At this point Mamma Maria became involved. She took the wonderful produce and worked her special kind of magic in the kitchen. Here was the division of Church and State. Grandpa's garden the Church and Grandma's Kitchen was the state. This is how it was. Simple things in their complex world.

Here is a recipe to try for this month. It is simple and guaranteed to reduce the stress in your life.

Reduce Stress
A bottle of wine... nothing fancy or expensive. Go for the one in the straw carafe for a change.
Some Asiago cheese
Any fruit in season of your choice. Cantalope is good
Your favorite crusty Italian bread
Friends - not many - just two or three of your buddies
Lawn chairs. As needed

Combine all these ingredients together. Add some music such as old Italian favorites.

Suggestions: There is one CD I found not too long called "Eh, Paisano" which contains all sorts of Italian American Classics such as Dean Martin singing 'That's Amore', Emilio Pericoli singing 'Al Di La' and the unforgettable 'Pepino, the Italian Mouse' by Lou Monte. You will laugh yourself silly. I guarantee you a good time. A smile will form on your face and the stress will leave your body.