To my 2012 foodies like me, who LOVE American Italian food, are in for a treat! Apparently, according to experts from the Today Show, it will be one of the “in” foods this new year. Which means it will probably show up more often at restaurants and on tables in America.... Since I was raised on it – it's been “in” for me since birth, and particular every Sunday as long as my grandparents were alive.
Sundays now are reserved for me to “make the gravy”. In an American Italian family, “gravy” is tomato or marinara sauce. Since I moved to the south nearly 15yrs ago, I have found “gravy” has a definition which I will call #2 here in the South – it's brown and I am not quite sure made from what. That said, we will stick with Italian gravy....tomato.
I make my gravy once a month on Sundays in extraordinarily large batches and then freeze it. I generally use Darren as an alarm to let me know when reserves are low. My boyfriend of English, Norwegian & Cherokee decent has become Italian by default and will inspect the freezer and exclaim, “WE ARE DOWN TO ONE THING OF SAUCE!!!” Then I know .... it's time.
It's not as hard as one would think – since my great-grandmother's time things have changed. She grew tons of tomatoes in her back yard and then boiled, crushed and made them into paste and from there made the gravy. Now – I still grow tomatos, I mean what self respecting Italian gal who has a patch of dirt doesn't? However, I buy good crushed tomatoes and paste in the can and cut out about 5 labor intensive steps.
A little garlic, onion, tomatoes and spices and you have something WAY better than anything you can buy in a jar in the grocery store.
I hope to share a ton of, what now I guess is trendy, family Italian American recipes that I have grown up with as well as some other things I might find in 2012. Maybe I will even make my own pasta for the first time since I got the attachment for my kitchen aid mixer for Christmas...3yrs ago. :) I got a new camera this year so my food pictures will be WAY better! And I got a new microphone, so I may let you hear some singing too!
Other foodie trends for 2012? Layer cakes over cupcakes – which is great for me because I now live in the South, the birthplace of the layer cake.
Also, meatloaf of all varieties, homemade pickles, which I have yet to master but my cousin-in-law is FABU at, carbon steel knives over Japanese ceramic ones, which is great b/c they are CHEAPER! And for your wine glass – I guess our love affair with California is over...I was never really interested but that's me.... I understand from my reading that other US areas with vineyards are on the up and coming like my home town on Long Island. Long Island wines have been a well kept secret and if you can get your hands on a bottle please partake because you will not be disappointed.
Also, meatloaf of all varieties, homemade pickles, which I have yet to master but my cousin-in-law is FABU at, carbon steel knives over Japanese ceramic ones, which is great b/c they are CHEAPER! And for your wine glass – I guess our love affair with California is over...I was never really interested but that's me.... I understand from my reading that other US areas with vineyards are on the up and coming like my home town on Long Island. Long Island wines have been a well kept secret and if you can get your hands on a bottle please partake because you will not be disappointed.
Happy New Year to all my foodies & friends and may everything you eat be worthy of the calories and taste FABU YUMMY!
