Let me begin by saying that this post does not contain a recipe. So, for those of you who were expecting a recipe in your inbox, please stay tuned until next week!
For those of you who have been following me along on this food journey, more specifically my mission to document and preserve my mother’s traditional Sicilian family recipes, I wanted to share with you that my muse, the inspiration behind this blog, my beloved mother left this world on August 27th, 2023.
Without my mother there would be no Mangia Bedda, and I felt it crucial to pay tribute to her here.
I had the good fortune to be raised in a home where we enjoyed made from scratch, healthy and varied meals seven days a week. Of course, I didn’t always appreciate greens from the garden, legumes and sipping whey from homemade ricotta. However, I am grateful to have been exposed to them at an early age, and these are now staples in my diet.
From a young age, I observed my mother in the kitchen. I watched her roll meatballs on Sunday morning for the sauce. The aroma of simmering sauce still brings me back! She always made sure to fry a few tiny meatballs for us to snack on while we waited for lunch to be ready. Homemade pasta was usually on the menu and if I was lucky it was gnocchi, my absolute favorite food to this day. I participated by cutting the ropes of dough and rolling each individual gnocchi on the side of a box grater.
We enjoyed homemade pizza and bread on a regular basis. This was always a huge production resulting in a table full of goodies to enjoy at the end of the day! I imagine her wearing a handkerchief on her head while kneading an enormous dough with punching movements.
This feast always began with fresh hot bread drizzled with olive oil and oregano and then an array of stuffed breads and pizzas including olive and cheese buns ; paprika and herb bread; or chicory, egg and cheese filled pizza. A few loaves were turned into hard bread (friselle) for topping with fresh tomatoes, olive oil and oregano.
And what can I say about her ragu filled arancini, except that they were the best I’ve ever had. I would make an entire meal out of her arancini!
I purchased my first cookbook before the age of ten, the Peanuts Lunch Bag Cookbook which inspired me to bake my first loaf of bread. My mother always obliged my sisters and I in the kitchen, never shooing us away or worrying that we would make a mess in her kitchen. And so we explored various types of cuisines and she willingly sampled everything we prepared with an open mind.
The lessons she taught me in the kitchen are invaluable and can be applied to so many life situations.
She taught me patience. When I made our traditional Christmas Eve sfinci with her, after waiting for 2 hours for the dough to rise I impatiently decided that we had waited long enough and it was ready to be fried. No, she said. And alas after a total of 4 hours, she lifted the blankets she used to keep the dough warm and it bubbled right before my eyes! Be patient and don’t rush things, good things come to those who wait.
She taught me not to sweat the small stuff. Sometime in her last few months with us, we decided to make a batch of her white wine taralli. I had prepared the dough on this particular day and added a tad too much flour therefore making the dough difficult to roll. Frustrated, I was prepared to toss out this hard to handle dough and start over again. But she laughed it off telling me there is no need to become frustrated over small insignificant things. And the next day she handed me a bag full of the taralli she concocted out of that dough!
She was meticulous and never took shortcuts whether it was with her cooking or any other task she undertook in life.
Her approach to feeding our family was always "why buy it when I can make it at home" instead of "why make it when I can buy it"! And this rings true for me today.
As a result of my parent's influence I still maintain a small vegetable garden in my backyard each summer. Although I don't preserve vegetables nearly as much as she did, I do make my basil pesto each year; shell and freeze beans for our pasta e fagioli and I will now preserve my own hot peppers to serve on our pasta dishes!
Most importantly, my mother was supportive and did not question me when I gave up my previous career in social work to pursue my passion for cooking and create this blog. Each time I dragged my camera, lights, and notebook over to her home to document a recipe, she patiently waited for me to measure each ingredient and take my step-by-step photos of the dishes we prepared.
She offered advice and tips for me to pass on to my readers when preparing a recipe. On a regular basis, she asked whether I had shared a particular recipe. Until her final days she shared recipe ideas with me, some which I had never even heard of before. Don't worry, I carefully noted each of them!
And so, dear readers, I look forward to sharing this collection of recipes she recited to me as well as continue to decipher her tiny, handwritten black book of recipes.
I hope I have made her proud in my attempt to preserve her legacy that will live on through Mangia Bedda and most importantly, through her grandchildren.
Ti voglio bene mamma.
Lisa
Your mother lives on in you. What a wonderful tribute that is to her. Those of us who bond with. family and all of humanity over food are fortunate indeed. I am sorry for your sadness and grateful that you carry forth and share her memory in your life and work. I wish you peace.
Nadia
Dear Lisa, thank you for this kind message. And yes indeed it is a priority for me to continue sharing these time honored traditions. Grazie!
Lilla
Sorry to read about your dear mom’s loss. We saw each other at the Jewish hospital, remember?
She will always be with you Nadia. Forza e coraggio bella.
My deepest sympathies to you and your family. May she rest in peace. 🙏
Nadia
Hello Lilla, yes I do recall, thank you very much for your kind words. I hope you are doing well!
Marisa
Nadia, my sincere condolences on the passing of your mother. I’m sure she’s looking down on you with such pride with all you have accomplished!
She may be gone from this earth but she’ll live on forever in your heart.
In food there are memories…ones you’ll carry with you always as you too will pass these precious moments to your children! Big hugs to you!
Nadia
Thank you dear Marisa for your condolences. I truly hope she is and more than ever I'm so grateful that I was able to spend so much time with her documenting her recipes. Grazie!
Pat
Nadia, I am so sorry to read about the passing of your dear mother! I recently went through the twelfth anniversary of losing my mother, so I share your sadness. WE were both fortunate to have loving mothers who shared so much of their wisdom and love with us. May perpetual light shine upon your mother and may she rest in peace. Amen! Prayer for you and your family.
Nadia
Thank you Pat, I think with time the sadness does not necessarily diminish or disappear but we simply learn to live without them. That is the case with my father. Yes, we were fortunate and I hang on to those memories to carry me through. Thank you for reaching out and for your kind words!
Rosemarie Sciuto
Dear Nadia
My heart goes out to you, how blessed you were to have such a precious bond with your beautiful mother. I pray that you will be comforted with your wonderful memories. I have been flowering your blogs for some time now. My husband was Sicilian. He passed away 4 months ago and he loved everything that I cooked from your recipes, Thankyou.
Rosemarie Sciuto❤️
Nadia
Thank you dear Rosemarie, indeed I was blessed and I hang on to the wonderful memories. I am so sorry for your loss as well, I'm flattered to hear that he enjoyed my recipes. I wish you all the best as you move forward.
Carmel Brazzale
Dearest Nadia,
Today I am feeling sad, it is the second anniversary of my father passing. My children and I have been reminiscing and missing him. and then I read about your mother and the wonderful legacy she has left you and your children, the legacy of family and Sicilian recipes and traditions, and I remembered all the things my father taught me, he was the master of fried potatoes, always cut in circles and fried until crisp. it was my father that would fry potatoes with tomatoes and pickled pipi. he made the best granita and would always make sure we had our annual feast of Fichi D'India. He didn't cook a lot but the few things he did we looked forward to. I am so sorry to hear about your mother, it is a tough time adjusting but every time you cook, she will be with you.
Nadia
Hello Carmel, I don't think it ever gets much easier, but we learn to go on without them because we have no choice. We keep them alive by reminiscing and telling these stories over and over again. Like you, many of my wonderful memories are food related and I am doing my best now to keep up with those traditions, especially for my children. Thank you for your kind message.
Sarah Hoyt
What a beautiful tribute! You were blessed to have such a mother, and we are fortunate you share her recipes with us. Thank you!
Nadia
Thank you Sarah, I truly was and must focus on the positive!
Susan Weaver
Dear Nadia,
My sympathy to you and your family.
Your Mother left you a wonderful gift.
Sincerely,
Susan
Nadia
Thank you dear Susan!
Lalia Nuzzolo
Thank you for sharing this piece of your life with your mother. It is a wonderful testament to her skill and love of the food that enhances our lives because you share them through your stories.
Nadia
Thank you Lalia for your kind words!
Angelo Curro
Nothing compares to the loss of a mom. All days as a child watching her preform actual magic in the kitchen with basic ingredients as if it were nothing at all. Later in life following your nose to kitchen on a Sunday morning after a “rough” night out with your crew. Hot stand straight up a spoon coffee and chunks of the best bread turned in to Popeye eggs, while keeping an eye on that wooden spoon in h we quick hands. Than come magnetic like draw of the simple words “I’m making manicotti for dinner tonight” and there Piped Piper like effect. My most sincere condolences for your loss. Please keep the connection alive.
Nadia
Indeed Angela, you are right, nothing compares to this grief I am feeling and I guess it will take time. Thank you for your kind words!
Pina Vito
Such a beautiful tribute to your mom, Nadia. She would be so touched by all these wonderful memories shared.
Nadia
Thank you dear Pina, I do hope she is proud!
Flora Savino
Beautiful, emotional, well-deserved tribute Nadia. Your love for your mom was very special. No doubt she is definitely very proud watching over you. A parent’s love & all they teach us is so difficult to lose but forever cherished. ❤️
Nadia
Thank you dear Flora, I truly hope she is. I only want to make her proud. Grazie!
Lina
Please accept my sincere condolences - Your story brought tears to my eyes - it reminded me of my upbringing by my beautiful mother and all the traditional cooking we did together. I had flashbacks of us making the gnocchi, sugo, meatballs etc. together also - I could 'smell the aroma' while reading too. Unfortunately, death is part of life - we have to come to terms with it. When my mother passed away, half of me went with her - that's how it felt then and still feels after 11 years later. I miss her dearly - my heart aches when i think about her passing. On a lighter note, we are so very lucky to have been brought up Italian, by italian mothers who have taught us how to cook the absolute BEST food ever. I hope that my daughters, and son, appreciate learning how I cook and pass it on to their children too. God bless and stay strong.
Nadia
Thank you Lina, we definitely share common memories. And I agree, a part of us is ripped away when we lose our parents. We truly are lucky to have been blessed with such amazing parents and now it's our turn to pass on these traditions to our children and one day (I hope!) to our grandchildren!
Silvana Lo Giudice
Ohh Nadia, this brings tears to my eyes. So beautifully written. So sorry to hear of your Mums passing. This brings memories of my own Sicilian mother and all her beautiful cooking, which I miss soooo much ☹️.
A big thank you for following up on these traditional recipes, as I didn’t do it and regret it. Therefore am very appreciative of every single post and recipe you provide.
Keep up the awesome and amazing work you do and know all your efforts are very much appreciated!
God bless and wish you a wonderful 2024
Silvana
Nadia
Thank you dear Silvana, I can't imagine missing her less as time goes by but somehow we must get used to this new reality! Thank you for your kind words and all the best to you too!
Mirella
What a beautiful dedication to your mother . Thank you for sharing this very
Intimate moment with us all .
I anxiously await your new posts!
Mirella
Nadia
Thank you dear Mirella, and do stay tuned as more recipes are definitely on the way!
Ezia Rigoli
So sorry for your loss 🙏🕯🌹Il lost both my parents to covid in 2022 , they were from salaparuta & Poggioreale in Sicily . Mum had dementia the last 5 years and I have used your recipes to recreate the food she used to make . Every special occasion we make a few dishes my mother used to make .This year Sfinci & Pignolatai .The loss of your mother is like no other May God give you strength and peace and May she rest in eternal peace 🙏
Nadia
Thank you Ezia, I am sorry for your loss as well. I'm flattered to hear you are using my recipes, it is how, in my opinion, how we keep them alive. I also made the sfinci this Christmas Eve and plan to do so each year as my mother did. Grazie!
Franca Genio
My dear Nadia, I am so sorry to hear about your mom passing. May she rest in peace. She left a wonderful legacy behind with all those wonderful recipes. Sending you hugs.
Nadia
Thank you Franca, she truly did and I intend to keep this legacy alive!
Linda Treffiletti-Serafin
I lost my Italian 11 years ago. Nit a day goes by that I don't think of her, especially the holidays. It's so hard, I feel every pain for you. They say you nver forget them tou try to learn how to live without them. Please keep you post. I reaslly enjoy the receipes and feel my Italian heritage. My morther added tomatoes to soup she would said for the color just like your mom said one time. Let prepual light shine upon and may she rest in peace
Nadia
Hello Linda, indeed the holidays were tough this year. To forget them is immpossible but we have no choice to get used to this new reality. I fully intend on continuing with Mangia Bedda with more of her recipes and others inpspired by her! Grazie