Thursday 13: My Italian Father

This is for my Dad, who died at home January 12 years ago, surrounded by his family loving him non-stop. He had red hair and was born in Lexington Massachusetts--not exactly an authentic Italian like his mother and father. None-the-less, I know he would chuckle at this write-up of Italian Sunday dinners. And not too far from the truth.

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(This came to me from the Internet and I don't know who to rightly credit. Thanks to someone named Dian, who adds her/his comment at the end)

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Sunday Dinner for Italians

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1.Italians have a $40,000 kitchen, but use the $259 stove from Sears in the basement to cook.

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2.There is some sort of religious statue in the hallway, living room, bedroom, front porch and backyard.

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3.The living room is filled with old wedding favors with poofy net bows and stale almonds (they are too pretty to open).

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4. And a portrait of the Pope and Frank Sinatra in the dining room.

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5. Meatballs are made with Pork, Veal and Beef. Italians don't care about cholesterol.

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6.Turkey is served on Thanksgiving, AFTER the manicotti, gnocchi, lasagna and soup.

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7.If anyone says ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP, let him/her know that there is no wedding, nor is there an Italian in the soup. Also, the tiny meatballs must be made by hand.

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9.No matter how hard you know you were going to get smacked, you still came home from church after communion, you stuck half a loaf of bread in the sauce pot, snuck out a fried meatball and chowed down - you'll make up for it next week at confession.

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10. Sunday dinner was at 2:00. The meal went like this: Table is set with everyday dishes...doesn't matter if they don't match...they're clean, What more do you want?All the utensils go on the right side of the plate and the napkin goes on the left. Put a clean kitchen towel at Nonno & Papa's plate because they won't use napkins. Homemade wine and bottles of 7up are on the table. First course, Antipasto...change plates. Next, Macaroni (Nonna called all pasta Macaroni)...change plates. After that, Roasted Meats, Roasted Potatoes, Over-cooked Vegetables...change plates.THEN and only then (NEVER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEAL) would you eat the salad (HOMEMADE OIL & VINEGAR DRESSING ONLY)...change plates . Next, Fruit & Nuts - in the shell (on paper plates because you ran out> > of the other ones). > Coffee with Anisette (Espresso for Nonno, 'Merican' coffee for the rest) with hard Cookies to dip in the coffee.

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11. The kids go play...the men go to lay down. They slept so soundly you could perform brain surgery on them without anesthesia..the women clean> the kitchen.

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12. Getting screamed at by Mom or Nonna - half the sentence was English, the other half Italian.

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13. Italian mothers never threw a baseball in their life, but can nail you> > in the head with a shoe thrown from the kitchen while you're in the living room.

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and one extra:

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14 .Prom Dress that Zia Ceserina made you...$20.00 for material. Prom,hair-do from Cousin Angela...$Free. Turning around at prom to see your entire family (including Godparents) standing in the back of the gym...PRICELESS!

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.As ever,Dian