Cooking Club—Italian

 

“Friendship is the butter on the bread of life.” 

Cooking Club-- October 2020.

If you recall, we last met a mere week before the pandemic broke out worldwide, on February 28th, 2020.

We waited patiently for there to be a break in COVID so we could get together again.

But...it was not happening.

So, we bent the rules. 

We chose to become rule breakers--we are a wild and crazy bunch of cookers and even tho the government and health departments all over the US were warning us to stay away from each other still, we just couldn't do it. 

So we gave in and had Italian food.

And as Sally said, "we'll never again take for granted the company of good friends and good food."

It never fails---one of us always buys a new cookbook for cooking club.

April always sets a nice table.

There is just one thing--and this has nothing to do with the table or the food, but rather, our hearts were sad because our friends, Shelly and Lorin were actually in the process of making a move. A move to another state.  It won't happen for another year, but being the future thinkers that we are, we invited Mike and Theresa Mavity to be the new 'substitutes'. 

“The love of good food and the love of good friends are two of the simplest yet greatest pleasures in life.”

It's so true!

It's so simple, and yet the best thing in the world.

This--THIS--is my kind of gathering. 

Food and friends.  In someone's home.

The new people laughing and having fun! 

   

Actually, there are only new to this group.  We've all known each other for years.

AND they are happy to be the subs.

See!  Theresa is so happy being a substitute---she's thinking "there is no way I'm making something that time consuming and complicated." 

We had lasagna and an antipasto salad and gelato and Neapolitan cookies...and other Italian dishes all made from scratch. 

Lots of good food.

(lots and lots of carbs)

Then enjoyed the evening with good conversation and discussions about Italy and food.

Scenes from the evening....of friends and food.

Giving away her honey.

She had bees.

(the bees liked the COVID year)

The end!

This was the best cooking club ever!

With the best friends ever!

And these cooking club meals were all good too... just click on the link to see.

Cooking Club #1 -Meals your mom used to make

Cooking Club #2- Cajun Cooking

Cooking Club #3 - Let's all go to Hawaii

Cooking Club #4 - American Regional Cooking --Great Lakes Region, featuring: SUPPER CLUBS!

Cooking Club #5 - Famous Chefs (long post with other stuff mixed in, but just trust me)

Cooking Club #6 -Meatball Madness -- or something round (long post combined with Famous Chef's.  Scroll thru some stuff to get there)

Cooking Club #7 - Breakfast for dinner

Cooking Club #8 - Slow Cooking

Cooking Club #9 - Mexican Street Food

Cooking Club #10- Your Christmas Cookie Heritage

Cooking Club #11 - Cooking from labels/back of box, can, or carton

Cooking Club #12 - It's all Greek to Me!

Cooking Club #13 - A Root Beer Tasting Holiday

Cooking Club #14 - Thai Food

Cooking Club #15- Pizza

Cooking Club #16- Pacific Northwest

Cooking Club #17 - Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Cooking Club #18 Milk Street Mania

Cooking Club #19 -  9x13 Cooking

Cooking Club #20--Jewish Deli

Cooking Club #21--Italian Dinner  

Coming Soon --

Cook from a Movie --CHEF

Fondue Party

End of summer rhubarb party

Paella 

Fermentation, pickled, raw, clean food. 

Indonesian

Friday Friend Recipe #342 and 343-my mom's chicken casserole and Mexican Lasagna

 

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself? Said, "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to recipes 342 and 343

My mom's

Chicken Casserole

and

Mexican Lasagna 

My mom had a well 'cheesed' rotation of recipes.

You know--that rotation of mainstay recipes you have routinely?  Well, I do believe that my mom's all contained cheese. 

One can't really go wrong with cheese tho.

These recipes are both really good. 

As I'm drawing nearer to the end of this cookbook, I am finding it hard to come up with more stories, so today instead of featuring my mom--I thought I'd make fun of my dad.

My dad:

He was a marine.

He was a policeman.

He was in charge of security for Hanford patrol (nuclear stuff--part of the Manhattan project in the 40's, etc.   Of course, he wasn't there in the 40's but rather the late 80's)

He had his own Private Detective agency as his last career move.

He ran the Bloomsday 12k one year.

He traveled the world, was a huge football fan, swimmer, Shriner, church goer, loved his family.

But one time---the one time in his life he is clueless of what he is doing--we had to document it for prosperity. 

Why would we do this? What could we possibly do with this documentation?

Well---here it is!  For the world to see.

It was in the summer of 2007, Phoenix, Arizona and we were getting things set up for my son's wedding reception. We were all busy with odd jobs--we, as in the whole family--many hands make light work and all that. But it left my dad with not so much to do. 

So, he leaned against the wall--or thought he did-- to visit and oversee the job.

Unbeknownst to my dad, (but not to anyone else) he had leaned against a water fountain (or drinking fountain, or even bubbler if you're from Wisconsin) and turn it on.  His butt was hitting the press button each time he leaned back against it.

And because we are a kind and loving family, never to humiliate or make a joke out of someone's misfortune, we (his kids and grandkids) would all walk by and ask him a question in a low voice, so he'd have to lean forward to answer.  Then he'd lean back, and the water would come back on.

My mom was taking pictures the whole time and the rest of us would ask him a question and then laugh and laugh.

He had no idea what was going on.

I'm not sure he ever knew.

But now--you do!

Below is a picture of me and my dad in better times.

As in, me not teasing him.

But you know---if you do the crime, you pay the fine. Or do the time. (??)

It's fitting I think, as his whole career was based on a life of crime. 

Just in the good way 😄

So, friends, My friends!  These are recipes 342 and 343

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now) (it would have helped if I had gone in a linier progression instead of jumping all over the place)

2023 will be the year!!

Will it really tho?

(I'm slow going) (soooo  slow)

Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #341 Hot Apricot Punch

 

I must get this done!  At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

 because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

  e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to one of my recipes--Hot Apricot Punch. Number 341 on the countdown.

I searched high and low for apricot 'nectar'.  

Here is the deal--I turned this in to our Friday Friend Cookbook countdown editor (Barbara Brown) as one of my favorites--because that's what we were supposed to do--turn in our favorites.

But I have no recollection of every having made this in my life!

None.

It was good, but the first time I have ever had it or tasted it was when I made it for this countdown.

I must have imagined it would be good.

So, let's do some more imagining.

Go back with me, if you will, 22.5 years ago, when, at a graduation party for my middle son, Dustin, I went around to all the guests and asked them what their dream job was.

Now let me just say--it was late in the party and there might have been some alcohol involved.  Maybe.

BUT--YES, I have saved this handwritten list for 22 years.

In case you doubt me?

I couldn't put a photo of everyone who told me their dream job---that would be way too many photos, so I chose a select few from the party.  Where alcohol might have been involved.   Not saying it was or wasn't.  

But let me start with how the party was going---

It was 'warmish'.  It was only the 1st of June after all.

The Pacific Northwest family (in the kiddie pool was one of my favorite brothers-in-law, Mike) was HOT.

The Arizona family/friends were loving the cool and being able to actually be outside in the sunshine.  

The local friends and family were just happy it was a nice day.

And that there was alcohol. (did I mention there might have been?)

Now for the dream job list!

Those cute people in the photo above?

Gina--dreams of being a famous figure skater.

Larry--would have loved to have been a puffer fighter pilot.

Mitzi--missed her calling as a famous watercolorist and veterinarian.

Another of one of my favorite brothers-in-law, Scott--would love to be the owner of a cruise ship.

And Barb just wants to be a singer on stage or a checker at Safeway.

These were lofty goals my friends! Too bad you fell short.  

Look, it's two of my favorite sisters-in-law.

LeAnne always dreamt of being a Neonatal Nurse.

Cherrie?  A mistress to a wealthy person.

(I did say alcohol, right?)

My good friend Peggy!  She would have made a great traveling graphic artist.

And one of my mothers-in-law, (I had two of them! this is the Handyman's stepmother) Pat wanted to be a head taster--at a Swiss chocolate factory. 

If I had two mothers-in-law, it stands to reason I have two fathers-in-law.

The one above?  Phil? Since his younger years has always wanted to be the piano player in a whorehouse.

GEEZ LOUISE!!  I didn't even know he played the piano!

The one below (on the right) his name is Richard Stone (so is his son, my husband), well his dream is to be a wine taster or the center for the Lakers.

The guy next to him is Mike, one of my favorite brothers-in-law, who is still to this day, 22 years later, trying to live his life-long dream of being a professional recreationalist. 

Below--

There is Barb again, singer or Safeway checker?  You be the judge.

Another of my favorite brothers-in-law, Greg, who has always wanted (every since I've known him, 46 years) to be a professional chef.

And me-- a columnist.  OR a cultural sociologist/anthropologist/archeologist.  My dream job. 

and last of the photos but never the friends--

John and Robbie.

She always wanted to be a famous painter or sculptor.  

John's dream job would be to be a lawyer--another a-hole. (His words, not mine) (I did say that maybe alcohol was consumed?)

Again, not room for photos of everyone, but dream jobs?

Here you go:

Leslie--a singer

Don--pro basketball player

Ashley--worker at Disneyland

April--Cruise Director

Mom B (my other mother-in-law) wants to be a CSI.

My mom--to work in a baby nursery.

My dad-- PI (he said he's too old to dream.  He was a private investigator at this time)

David-- a sports physician

Charmie-- another CSI

Jeff--audio engineer

Marisol--teacher

Michael--a DJ

Doug and Rich?

one a playboy photographer and one a p--n star.

You decide.

And two of my children

Luke (who was 21 at the time) wants to grow up to win the megabucks.

Dustin (whose graduation we were all celebrating--with alcohol, did I mention that?)  wants to inherit the Dry Cleaners!

(we owned one at the time)

There were more people at the party, but I started late, so only the hangers on got to tell me their dream job.

So, friends, My friends!  This is recipe #341

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now) (it would have helped if I had gone in a linier progression instead of jumping all over the place)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going) (soooo  slow)

Then what will I do?