Cibo e famiglia

Food and family. That's what life is all about. This is day one of my thoughts and insights into life surrounded by good food and a wonderful family. I've been thinking about this for quite some time and today, being the first day of a new year, appears as good as any to begin.

I recently began a catering business that focuses on upscale Italian dishes as well as bringing new life to the dishes we remember with love from our past. My heart is filled as I focus on fresh ingredients, recipes and the tools used to create them along with the family that belongs to me - my taste testers.

The creation of Tre Corsi Catering was long in coming. At least in my mind it was. Like millions of men and women out there, I loved to cook whenever I had the chance and it always seemed like our family and friends enjoyed what I made. It is always important to me that I use fresh ingredients and good quality products. Last night, for example, Jim and I had our son Jimmy, daughter in law Janette and grandson Daniel for dinner. Small, but gave me the opportunity to create something special to ring in the New Year.

I had such fun going through cookbooks, online recipes and magazines to find something that would make our dinner exceptional. I decided on seafood and created Oysters Rockefeller, Coconut Shrimp (extra colossal), Shrimp Cocktail (for my son who doesn't eat it any other way), Scallops wrapped in bacon, Crab Rangoon and Lobster pot Pie. I even made small shaped stars with parmesan out of puff pastry! How excited was I to purchase a bottle of Pernod to use only 1/4 cup in the Oysters. Does anyone else get that way??? It only made me focused on finding additional recipes that use that liquor as an ingredient.

It was too much food for the four of us since Daniel eats only pizza, macaroni, PB&J and chicken, but we somehow managed to consume everything with the exception of some Lobster Pie. How do we manage to do that is a story line for another day. They left by 10:30 and I was asleep before 11:30. some things never change. I really do need to try and stay up one of these days for my husband. He loves the New Year and also doesn't sleep much.

Well i guess that is more than enough for day one of my story and thoughts. As Arnold once said, I will be baaack.

Fino a quel memento....... (until that time)

LID