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Between 1930 and 1950, my parents and grandparents migrated to America from a charming town in Italy, Bagnoli del Trigno, located in the Province of Isernia, within the region of Molise. Bagnoli is known as the “Pearl of Molise” for its picturesque setting on a rocky hillside overlooking the Trigno River valley. The town features a medieval village with stone houses, the unique Church of San Silvestro, and at its crown sits an ancient Lombard castle, Castello Sanfelice. 

 

Italian cooking expertise paved the way for my grandfather in the U.S. Army, when he enlisted at the age of 16. It didn't take long for the Army to recognize his culinary skills and creativity in the kitchen, so they assigned him to the role of Cook. I remember Grandpa once told me to "use your imagination in the kitchen with the ingredients on hand". I never forgot that. 

 

My parents and grandparents were all savvy in the kitchen, carrying on their learnings and recipes in many types of dishes. My three sisters and I were fortunate to be taught those skills from a young age.  

 

Grandpa's homemade tomato sauce was the base for many wonderful entrees, pizzas and appetizers. We have fond memories of visiting my grandparents, walking into an aroma-filled kitchen, as something was always cooking on the stove. And we often helped to gather the fresh tomatoes and vegetables from their large garden, as well as garlic, basil and parsley, which flavored the sauce.

 

Sunday gatherings were the best. Grandpa would be stirring the large pot of sauce and meatballs with his favorite long-handled wooden spoon, releasing intoxicating smells that made your mouth water. With Italian music playing in the background from the Sunday radio program, our family gathered around the large kitchen table to start the meal with a Molise regional favorite of “Scattone”, which was invented years ago by field workers, who would come home at the end of the day, but were too hungry to wait for dinner. So they grabbed a bowl, forked in some spaghetti from the pot cooking on the hearth, added in a little pot water, then poured in a large splash of homemade wine. Scattone continues to be a tradition with our family here in America, and with paisanos today in the Molise region of Italy.

 

On Sunday, the  Scattone was followed by a heavy antipasto platter of prosciutto, salami, provolone, artichokes and olives. Following the antipasto were bowls of pasta (then referred to as “macarone”), meatballs, sausage, at least two other entrees, vegetables and a salad. (Our Italian tradition is to eat the salad at the end of the meal.) After a hearty meal, dessert was served, made up of Italian cookies, such as biscotti and taralli, fruits and chocolates. This was accompanied by espresso and liquors, usually anisette and strega.  And don't forget that the homemade wine flowed throughout the whole dinner! Amid all of the clanking of dishes and utensils throughout the meal, everyone enjoyed themselves, all talking (or arguing!) at once, with no one listening! 

 

Those family gatherings will forever hold heartwarming memories for our family and are shared over and over in many stories. And throughout the years, my sisters and I continued to pass on those same family traditions to our own children. 

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