top of page

Mangia! Mangia! --- A La Famiglia

  • Writer: Elizabeth Chirico
    Elizabeth Chirico
  • Apr 15, 2019
  • 2 min read

Updated: Oct 15, 2021

(http://bourdainmediumraw.com/essays/view/1465)

About my essay: Have you ever cooked something that you think was an excellent dish only to be ridiculed with sarcasm? And what would your reaction be? Meet my FBI (full-blooded Italian) in-laws...



We just got married when my husband and I went to Fort Lauderdale, FL to meet his side of the family. They were bona fide, FBI's or Full Blooded Italians. His father's side came from Calabria and his mother's side from Naples.

Every single story, discussion, argument or any advice will be centered on one thing....food! Who makes the best putanesca, the best ravioli, the best marinara and so on. Back in the dining room as they all gathered for their daily discussion of events surrounding their idle-retired lives, I heard someone say, "Yeah, she's too skinny for him. What would she prepare? Does she even know how to cook Italian?"

I was being scrutinized from every single angle. One of the sisters, the "Matriarch," from his mother's side, was the most important person to please. Whatever she says becomes the final decision among the eight siblings. So her approval of me as now part of the family was a matter of life or death! Will I get tricked into going with a family member, say Uncle Joe for example, through a remote area and get whacked for not making the perfect baked ziti? On top of that, his brother in law was the most peculiar eater of all and would not eat anything other than a bowl of macaroni. But my husband was very proud of my cooking and wanted to impress his Italian family. I prepared a Filipino dish called Chicken Adobo (stew) served with white rice. We all sat down and started eating and I was just waiting for someone to initiate and throw their dishes one by one to the old mutt who was begging for food.

Everyone ate but kept their silence making hand gestures and signals, a simple eye contact or shrug of his or her shoulder. It was a very awkward silence knowing these paesanos can argue anything under the sun when surrounded by families, wine and food --- there's no question about it. I even cringed at the sight of his brother in law's every agonizing bite of my adobo.

How can you not like this heavenly stew marinated overnight in soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorn, bay leaves, red onions and garlic then cooked until the meat is tender then transferred to a frying pan to brown the skin and then pour the sauce or gravy on top? C'mon all you garlic eaters! But I just kept my cool and finished everything on my plate. I have come to a conclusion that no matter how good the food might be if they are not accustomed to it, they won't try it, if they do, they may or may not like it and will continue to eat the same regional foods forever. Despite that, you somehow just know that you have cooked food well, whether the result might be bittersweet or otherwise. You just go on and continue the tradition. Family gatherings surrounded by food keeps everyone connected.

Comments


© since 2021 by Elizabeth A. Chirico

bottom of page