Weekly specials 02 6 to 02 12

Weekly Specials 02-06 to 02-12 “Soup of the Week” $6.60 Qt ~Chicken Noodle Soup ~ Or ~ Minestrone ~ “Sangwitches” of the Week $9.44 “Corned beef dinner in a sangwich ” “Homemade Non Gluten Zucchini Burger ” Weekly Specials & Sides $14.15 each Monday* Large Beef Pastie /Salad Tuesday * Fried Cabbage with Sausage & Fettuccini Wednesday* Dijon Tarragon Chicken / Roasted potato Thursday* Porketta Tender/ Cavatelli and Broccolli Fridays Specials Seafood medley fra diavo over angel hair Pan Roasted Cobia with pesto /Rice Old Forge style white pizza

A Very Particular Catering Co.

www.jdefrancoanddaughters.com Email portipasto@epix.net Open 7 to 7 Seven days a week

Growing Up in the Butcher Shop:

Italian Cuisine “Ciccioli”

Ciao Amici, When Italians immigrated into the Slate Belt they came from different areas of Italy.

Although Italians are known throughout the world for pizza, pasta, and tomato sauce, the national diet of Italy has traditionally differed greatly by region. Prior to the blending of cooking practices among different regions, it was possible to distinguish Italian cooking simply by the type of cooking fat used. Butter was used in the north, pork fat in the center of the country, and olive oil in the south. Staple dishes in the north were rice and polenta, and pasta was most popular throughout the south. During the last decades of the twentieth century (1980s and 1990s), however, pasta and pizza (another traditional southern food) became popular in the north of Italy. Pasta is more likely to be served with a white cheese sauce in the north and a tomato-based sauce in the south.

Once in the United States especially during WW2 when olive oil from Italy was not available, my dad told me that Grandpop would get olive oil from Spain. Being butchers my grandparents made and sold lard. My dad told me that the lard they made was so good that they would have to butcher a pig just to make the lard. One of the by products of making the lard is the “ciccioli” or cracklins which is used to make the Crackin Bread or Pizza con Ciccioli. As Grandmom prepared to make it all the ingredients were “mettere in posizione” (put in place) the ingredients were ready and measured but when it came to actually making the bread it was her cooking skill and experience with the method, to know when the ingredients are added but only “Quando Basta” (when there is enough.) The temperature and humidity of the house determine the rising and kneading of the bread. Like many of my readers who miss their departed family I have to say I wish she was here to show me. I do not recall her way but this week I am going to start making it again so that I can enjoy it again and remember Grandmom again, which is always a good thing to do.

Con Cordiali Saluti, Joe

J . DeFranco and Daughters Catering & Deli To receive menu specials and our newsletter Join our mailing list at our WEB PAGE www.JDeFrancoandDaughters.com Click on Mailing List and enter your e-mail Send us your Roseto stories, recipes and comments to E-mail: portipasto@epix.net Or call us 610-588-6991