Italiano

In my last post I said I don't like talking politics. I also don't like talking ethnicities. Maybe it's because I grew up in NY and it's the so-called "Melting Pot." Everyone here is so diverse and people are so eager to find out "what you are" so they can, in turn, pigeon-hole you into this stereotype they've created in their mind of what kind of person that is. There is so much more to a person than what countries their families are from. Truth be told, I'm a complete mutt. I'm a full 1/4 Italian, 1/4 Russian, and the rest is a mix of English (close to 1/4, if not more actually, but from 2 different sides), Portuguese, Dutch, Belgian (I recently discovered that one), American Indian and possibly Irish (my great grandpa was adopted but he and my grandpa, his son, have red hair and freckles and drink like fish). Almost no one in my family placed any type of importance in marrying someone from the same ethnic background as them. I consider it a blessing. I feel like I'm made up of a lot of great parts. Unfortunately I don't know much about any of them. The only two that I've been educated on and that I've celebrated are my English and Italian roots. I love both.

My Italian comes from my Grandma Kay's parents. She's my mom's mom. Her real name is Catherine but I couldn't pronounce that when I was a baby so Kay just sort of stuck. My great grandma (my Nana) was from Piemonte (the home of Agnolotti pasta, a.k.a. Priest Hats, one of my favorites), and my great grandpa Luciano (I never got a chance to meet him) was from Genoa (home of awesome salami). They came over separately when they were young and landed at Ellis Island. My great grandpa's paperwork wasn't in order so he had to go back on the same boat he had just came on, and then make the trip to the U.S. a second time. I have so much respect for people who want to come to America and do it the proper way. I know it's a long and arduous process and you have to really want to be here to go through it.

Growing up, my Grandma Kay always made the most delicious food. She took a lot of my Nana's recipes and "old world" cooking styles and somehow did them with a little bit more modern flavor. I always looked forward to the holidays because I knew I'd be eating well. To this day my favorite thing to cook is her homemade caesar salad and pork cutlets in homemade sauce over pasta. My mom tried mine once and said I really did it justice. Italian is my absolute favorite type of cuisine ever.

Where I work I'm really lucky to have this amazing deli/restaurant/cafe around the corner. It's called Gracie's Ravioli. They have a whole assortment of different pastas, homemade sauces, a pretty extensive deli counter with imported and really high-quality domestic cold cuts (my favorite brand of salami is Columbus, from San Francisco) tons of Italian imports like pasta, olive oil, vinegars and so many delicious hot dishes. I get lunch from there on a pretty regular basis. Today's Ravioli-of-the-Day was Wild Mushroom and Truffle Ravioli with Garlic Butter Sauce. SO insanely good. I usually get a San Benedetto peach iced tea with lunch, too.

I already ate half when I took this photo.