Posts Tagged ‘Breezy Point’

I was nervous as we approached the door but in true Italian flare, we were welcomed as family.  Mrs. A explained what Susanne and I would be cooking. “I want to start with something easy, I cook dinner for myself every night, it doesn’t have to take a long time.”  We got straight to work after walking in the door of Mrs. Abbracciamento’s Breezy Point home. Mrs A. is the wife of the late Sal Abbracciamento, acclaimed New York City restaurateur. I was sincerely honored to be invited into her home, to […]

We would like to share with you our posts from this past year, that speak to Superstorm Sandy. And we want to thank you, our family, friends and neighbors who have helped us rebuild our homes and our beloved community. Sandy stories: The Music Box  A water surge and 4 feet of salty smelly sand flooded it nearly to the ceiling. We couldn’t save much. It was hard to imagine that all the “things” we had been saving would find their way to the curb and the garbage dump.  In […]

In my mother’s house in Breezy Point, we thought we were pretty prepared for disaster. First aid kits, bottled water, canned food, camping gear, even desalinators, all part of our disaster survival kit. And then we stored them IN THE BASEMENT! Needless to say, we were prepared for the wrong disaster. In Breezy Point we had an outpouring of support from the surrounding communities, so between that and FEMA, food and water were on the ground pretty quickly. Which was a good thing compared to the similar disaster in New […]

I had a great post about apple pie in the queue for today but it didn’t feel right sending it out. So many of our friends and family live in Breezy Point and Rockaway – it’s been a difficult, sad, strange week. Having said that, the folks on the peninsula are positive people – who love their community. I was in Rockaway today helping my husband’s parents clean out their basement. I heard joking and laughing on the streets, I saw people working hard, shoveling and moving debris. Others were […]

It is always a little sad when Labor Day rolls around and the summer evenings turn cool and begin to hint at winter’s arrival. However, one of my favorite things about the beginning of fall is the beautiful plum tomato harvest. This year I jarred (canned) 150 pounds of tomatoes, which yielded forty quarts of fresh tomato sauce. It is a long process, but if you enjoy cooking and working with fresh ingredients, it is a very satisfying way to spend a day. In late August and early September most […]

I am so very pleased to have this wonderful opportunity to share with you a recipe that my mother handed down to me. My maternal grandparents came here from Palermo, Sicily in the early 1900’s. They brought with them many typical Sicilian recipes that became family favorites that my family is still enjoying today. This particular dish called Pasta Piselli is my life saver dish. It’s my go-to dish when I’m running late or I have nothing planned to make for dinner, or if I get an expected guest for […]

Some people say they love rock ‘n roll –  but I say, I love olive oil!  I think most Italians do and have had a kind of romance with olive oil that dates back centuries. We always seem to have this glistening golden liquid in our kitchens. It’s usually the first thing I grab when I begin to prepare a meal for my family. I love the way it tastes and the way it enhances the flavors of other foods.  I love the scent – it has a fruity, earthy […]