efoodie

Thanksgiving of days past and Grammy's Sausage Stuffing

  Thanksgiving is a bittersweet holiday for me. I love it, and I'm so thankful for the family that I have, and thoroughly enjoy going to my sister's mother-in-law's house, and being part of a big, happy crowd of food lovers. But, I also miss the way it used to be, when my mother was still here.

  We celebrated the holiday on Cape Cod back then. My mother and grandparents still lived there, and I'd head down from Boston for a long weekend. My mother always had to work. She waitressed at the Riverway Lobster House, and you wouldn't think a 'Lobster House' would have much of a crowd on Thanksgiving, but they did. It was a very traditional restaurant, and attracted an older crowd who brought their families in for the holiday. I worked there for many years myself, and actually never minded working on this particular holiday. There was a set menu, a choice of 5 things, including turkey and ham, and everyone was in a good mood, and tipped generously.  It gave us a chance to run around, and make a nice bit of money, before heading home to visit with the family and stuff ourselves.

When I started working in the city though, we changed our routine and instead of going to my grandparents, who would do the cooking while we worked, I took it on, and enjoyed it so much more than I ever thought I would. I never got stressed out, even the first year, when I had no sense of how to time it. The rest of the family was quite alarmed though, when they arrived and there was flour everywhere, and dishes and pans all over the countertop, but it somehow managed to come together. By the next year, I fell in love with it, and developed a rhythm that worked.

My best friend and her sister would pop by around 11:30 for coffee cake and a mimosa, then they would head off to their families, and my mother went to work. And I would start to putter. I went at a leisurely pace, peeling, chopping, boiling, baking, mixing, etc.  By the time the family arrived, my grandmother with her thermos of carefully mixed manhattans, my grandfather, aunt, and eventually mother, and occasionally a few surprise guests, everything was ready, and the kitchen was clean. 

There was something just so relaxing, and enjoyable about having the whole day and kitchen entirely to myself to just play, and make all of our old favorite dishes, and a few new ones.  The one absolute must have, was Grammy's sausage stuffing. Spicy and rich with sausage and bread, it was my favorite side dish. I'd stuff the bird with some, and cook the rest in a small ceramic casserole, and my favorite part was the top, a nice, crunchy crust.  So, I've decided that even though I'm going elsewhere for the holiday, I just might pick up a small bird, and make a batch of stuffing to snack on over the long weekend. And perhaps enjoy a mimosa and a toast to my mother, aunt, and grandmother, who will be missed. 

Meanwhile, my 89 year old grandfather is going strong. Each time I talk to him lately it seems that he has to climb down off his stepladder and stop scraping wallpaper or painting. His latest project is painting each wall of his bedroom a different color. He is a colorful guy, with amazing energy. He'll be swinging by tomorrow, and then we'll be heading off to our Thanksgiving feast with the family.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.  If you're so inclined to make a new stuffing, check out Grammy's recipe, below.

Grammy's Sausage Stuffing

1 pound package of Jimmy Dean bulk original sausage (looks like a giant sausage)

2 loaves white bread, day old, chopped into small cubes

2 onions

1/2 box Bell's Seasoning

6 stalks celery, minced

1 egg, beaten

1 stick butter, melted

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken broth or water

In large saucepan over medium heat, melt the two tablespoons butter, and add chopped onion and celery. Saute about five minutes, until softened. Then add sausage, break up and cook for another five minutes or so, until browned.

Meanwhile, in a big bowl, add bread, seasoning and beaten egg, then add the sausage, celery and onion mix, along with the melted butter. Mix well, then add the chicken broth or water, a little at a time, until mix is moist, but not too wet. Add a little more or less, as needed.

Stuff into turkey, or into a buttered casserole dish, and cook at about 350 for 45-60 minutes, until top is nicely browned.

Enjoy!

:) Pam

Simple Bliss--Tortelloni Soup

  I'd almost forgotten how good this is.  I went out with friends Friday night and we had reservations at one of our favorite restaurants, Isaac's, on the water in Plymouth.  It's one of the most popular places in town, and the earliest opening we could get was 7:30. We had some time to kill, so we met up with another friend at The Vine for a glass of wine. I think I've mentioned The Vine before, as it's a Wine Bar, and I adore it. A tiny place at the end of Main Street, it overlooks a newly created park with a walkway along a rambling creek that leads into the ocean. It also has outside seating, heaters, and thick blankets on every chair. Good thing, because it was our first really cold day. We sat outside so several of my friends could smoke while we sipped our Pinot Noir. A few more friends joined us, and after several people raved about a hole in the wall Italian place called Arthur's, we all decided to head there. The Isaac's reservation was canceled, and off we went.

Arthur's is a tiny place, cozy and warm, with an inexpensive menu. I was told to order the soup, that it was a 'must have'. My meal was a typical Veal parmesan, but my Tortelloni soup, was as good as they said it would be. It was pure comfort food. A cup of broth, nearly overflowing with plump cheese tortelloni and a dash of parmesan. It reminded me of the first time I'd had that soup, at a romantic little restaurant called Rabia's, on Salem street, in Boston's Italian North End. Their soup is a beautiful thing. Pillows of fresh cheese tortelloni in a fragrant chicken broth with a hint of lemon. The crowning touch was a generous dusting of just grated parmesan.

This is a meal in itself, and a wonderful one at that. It's perfect for those times when you need to pamper yourself, when you want the comfort food feeling of chicken soup, without all the work. Nothing is easier or more satisfying than this simple soup. It can be ready in ten minutes. Just pour a cup or two of your favorite chicken broth, (I like College Inn, in the resealable cardboard carton)  in a sauce pan, and when it starts to boil, add your favorite tortelloni, ( I like the ratio of 1 cup broth to 1 cup tortelloni) reduce to medium, and heat until the pasta is cooked through. Add a squeeze of lemon if you like, and a bit of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and you have dinner, and an elegant one at that.

I like to use tortelloni for this, rather than tortellini, because the tortelloni are bigger and I just prefer them in this soup, but tortellini are fine too. You can use your favorite brand and variation. I am having this tonight with a new one I discovered by Buitoni, that is a blend of Mozzarella, Parmesan and Pepperoni.

Oh, and a glass of Oyster Bay Chardonnay, because I'm not sick, just in the mood for tortelloni soup.

Enjoy!

:) Pam