food smells/other scents that remind you of s.p. or ur mom

[marie-elena (ferracano) r]

HELLO OLD & NEW FRIENDS,

WAS RECENTLY TALKING TO SOME NEIGHBORS ABOUT FOODS THAT REMIND US OF OUR CHILDHOOD. IT GAVE ME THE IDEA, TO START A NEW TOPIC, ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MOST OF US LOVE "FOOD"! ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THE HOLIDAYS AROUND THE CORNER. SO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK ABOUT THE "SMELLS" THAT BRING YOU BACK, TO THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN WALKING IN THE DOOR OF YOUR HOME, WAS ONE OF THE BEST FEELINGS YOU CAN EVER REMEMBER.

I REMEMBER BEING VERY LITTLE AND STILL LIVING AT 1512 BEACH AVE. SOMEBODY IN THE BUILDING HAD GONE FISHING AND CAUGHT A LARGE AMOUNT OF TUNA. IT WAS DURING LENT. SO YOU KNOW, ALMOST EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING, HAD FRESH TUNA THAT FOLLOWING FRIDAY NIGHT. THE WHOLE BUILDING SMELLED SO FISHY. I REMEMBER MRS. KATIE SULLIVAN, SAYING THAT ALL THE STRAY CATS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WERE GOING TO COME TO OUR LOBBY. BUT MY FAVORITE SMELL IS PUMPKIN AND APPLE PIES. BESIDES BEING A SEAMSTRESS, MY MOM WAS AN EXCELLENT COOK & BAKER! ( A TRAIT THAT VINCE/JUNIOR, DINA & I HAVE INHERITED) EVERY YEAR MOM BAKED PIES FOR THANKSGIVING. I DON'T MEAN 2 OR 3. SHE WOULD OPEN THE "FOLDING TABLE" IN THE LIV ROOM AND ROLL OUT 18-20+ PIE SHELLS. THEN BRING IN THE LARGEST POT (STOCK POT) FILLED WITH SOUPY PUMKIN. SHE SAVED EVERY DISPOSABLE PIE TIN, THAT SHE GOT DURING THE YEAR, FROM VISITING RELATIVES, OR WOULD ASK THE NEIGHBORS TO SAVE THEM FOR HER. SO NOW THAT APPLES AND PUMKINS ARE IN SEASON, I SMILE AND THINK ABOUT THE WONDERFUL AROMA, COMING FROM MY MOM'S KITCHEN.

[Lydia58]

I lived on the 4th floor and of course nearly everyone kept their apartment doors open. So walking up or down the stairs was a treat. When I was about 11 or so, an old Italian woman named Sadie moved in next door and the aromas that came out of her apartment were heavenly. Believe it or not, before age 11 I never knew what eggplant was! I was intrigued and she used to let me come in to her apartment & give me Italian cooking lessons. (Take that Lidia's kitchen). To this day I make the very best eggplant parmigian & eggplant caponata (even if I can't spell it?) in the world! especially for a German/Irish girl. Whenever I make my 2 specialty dishes nobody believes they weren't made by an Italian. She also taught me to make lasagna without ricotta cheese. She told me there's no such thing as ricotta cheese in Italy & that was just a short-cut Americans made up, instead she made a beschemel sauce with cream, eggs and flour.

[Marion Farrell Cronin]

Yummy, Lydia. I think I'll be coming over for dinner tonight!!!