Continuing Traditions

Ever since I was little, I can remember my grandfather cooking. He is the stereotypical portrayal of an Italian, his father coming from Italy as a boy. It’s safe to say that our loud family gatherings have centered around food. Growing up, he would have an abundance of food prepared, far more than necessary for the small group of people it was intended for. You are expected to eat as must as possible, and it was never enough for him. Multiple variations of each dish is made, various pastas, meats, and vegetables (always with plenty of sauce and butter). Over the years, he has become increasingly unstable and is now confined to a wheelchair. However, this has not stopped him. On his visits to the doctor’s each week, he watches the Food Network and copies down recipes for later use. A couple weeks ago, my whole family took a Saturday to be together for dinner. While some of us spent the day New York City, he spent it preparing what can only be referred to as a feast (he can be somewhat unrealistic about the amount of food to make). We returned home to three types of homemade pizza on thick bread, fresh sausage and peppers, and an elaborate antipasti platter along with the traditional dishes: pasta. He has always been able to maneuver around the small kitchen and cook from a wheelchair, a difficulty anyone who has made any meal in his or her life would need to appreciate. Since he learned I am taking a culinary class in school and occasionally make dinner for my mom, he has been creating a stockpile of recipes to make together. Personally, I think this shows the ability cooking has to bring people together as well as become a passion that is impossible to let go.
-Allie H.