Spices of sweets

Spices of sweets

It is another Easter and although I am not the only one feeling this way, that family reflection is obvious.  It brings me to remember all those moments of how we prepared for this celebration. It was all about family and food. Friends and more food. Life was so simple back when they were all with us. The laughter was always heard from one room to another. No one really fussed as in which house it was celebrated in, it just happened. Somehow and someway, it just happened. Even with those who we rare spoke to or rather not see, we just did it. We literally, got through each celebration just for the peace of it.

I share this moment as my thoughts go to my grandmother, mamma' Rosa. She was this strong powerful spiritual woman whose four foot something in height was irrelevant to her persona.
Mamma' was the matriarch and she had it all worked out, each year without fail. The desserts and foods of traditional momentum always just happened. There was not doubting that any of the foods were going to be prepared - for they just were. Each year, the foods became more delectable and so much more fun to prepare.

My little hands were always ready to feel the dough and pinch the biscuits into its beautiful crown shape 'crostoli'. The dough was so soft and sneaking a little piece of it into my mouth was so naughty yet so exciting at the same time. Naughty as I would be looked at with that ' I have told you not to do that as it will give you a tummy ache' stare. Oh yes, mamma' our nonna or grandmother certainly mastered that look, not only towards myself but to all the grandchildren and her own children too. Her little eyes, became so alive and yet so large through the lenses of her glasses. She wore them with such elegance yet she knew she was the one who led the family, even though she may have denied it only but a few possible times to give the lead to her husband, out nonno as a man.

What a fabulous woman she was. She was always the one we associated festive celebrations with. So Easter became the moment of food and lots of it as it was the beginning of the church calendar as we knew it to be, this is a result of being raised as an Italian catholic. She certainly had a knack for what spices went with what, to bring out the flavors so each bite full will fill our mouths with flavors that danced and came together so deliciously that one mouthful was never enough. So how exactly did she do this? I only wish I was given more years to learn, not only the exact ingredients and process that were bought together to serve to my own family. She left my life too early for me to sit and talk this part through with her. She was the little woman with the biggest soulful directory with food. There hasn't been anyone that matches her yet that I have met. for even if there was such a person, I may have overlooked them as I only had eyes for her in this area of mastery. She was my teacher, She was our teacher. Mamma' was this woman of so much passion that no one ever stood in the way or in between her relationships with those she had in her heart and home, or home and heart, for both meant the same thing for her.

Spices and the sweets laid at her table were like nothing else I have seen nor tasted. I only wished now I could re create them and not only eat them but paint the flavors as I had the flavors in my mouth. Paint the colors that were before me. With every movement of the food inside of my mouth, I could paint the textures that I tasted. What a gift this would be for her do you think?

I miss my Mamma' Rosa. My nonna. My grandmother.

main ingredients : milk, flour, cinnamon, sugar & topped with an egg.