LEFTOVERS-A MEMORY

WHILE EATING SOME LEFT OVER TURKEY-TETRAZINI,,,,FROM THE AUCTION BUFFET, MY MIND TRAVELED BACK SOME 44 YEARS, TO A DINING ROOM IN THE POCONO MOUNTAINS...IN THE HOME OF THE FAMILY OF A FREIND OF MINE FROM COLLEGE. HER NAME WAS WENDY...WHY I WAS WITH HER IN THE POCONOS, I CANNOT REMEMBER....IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN JUST A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY, OR MAYBE I VOLUNTEERED TO DRIVE HER HOME.
I WAS ALREADY IN THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS...AND MY SISTER ARLENE WAS NOT YET MARRIED..BUT I BOUGHT A FEW THINGS FROM THIS FAMILY THAT I EVENTUALLY GAVE TO MY SISTER AFTER SHE WAS MARRIED... A GREEN MAJOLICA ASPARGUS DISH, A BLUE TO CLEAR CUT GLASS BASKET, AND A BLUE CUT TO CLEAR CUT GLASS WINE GOBLET.
WENDY TOLD ME HER FAMILY IS POOR. HER FATHER IS AN ARTIST, WHO CREATED FAUX WALLS, FAUX STONES, FAUX BRICKS,........BUT HE RARELY WORKED. HER MOTHER, WHO WAS GOING BLIND, STILL WORKED IN A HOTEL NEAR BY. THERE WERE TWO YONGER BROTHER IN THEIR EARLY TEENS,.....HENCE, ALTHOUGH THEY OWNED THEIR OWN HOME ON A FEW ACRES, GREW THEIR OWN FOOD, HAD A GOAT AND MADE THEIR OWN CHEESE....WERE POOR.
THE PARENTS INVITED ME FOR DINNER.... tHEY ANNOUCE THEY WERE MAKING PASTA WHICH ANCHOVIE SAUCE AND GOAT CHEESE. aNCHOVIES AND gOAT CHEESE...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THOSE OF YOU WHO READ MY BLOGS KNOW I LOVE ALMOST ALL FOODS....ALL MEATS, ALL SEAFOODS, ALL CHEESES, ALL VEGGIES AND FRUIT....AND ALL SPICES......BUT anchovies and goat cheese are two of the few items, that i hate..that make me gag....but together in one dish...OH MY GOD.... I cannot eat this. I will puke on the table.
I watched as the mother ground up the anchovies and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Then she added virgin olive oil...and mixed them all, then heated it. She made a salald from veggies from the garden. Made garlic bread from long italian bread. the feast weas on the table.. In those years, the entire meal for 7 or 8 of us, might have cost under 2.00. THEY WERE POOR, BUT PROUD, AND CREATIVE PEOPLE, kind and generous. We all eventually sat down at the table....an antique Italian round table supported by completly hand carved men with beards...sort of like Atlas holding up the world...there were 4 men holding up this magnificent table. I admired it...and he said he would sell it to me for 500 dollars....which in 1966, was like 5 weeks salary.....or maybe 5 to 10,000 dollars today. I complemented him on his treasure....
The mother lit candles. We sat down, and the father, folded his hand, and made a prayer with his charming Italian accent.
We started with salad and garlic bread...all the while, I was very anxious for the next course to come. Spaghetti with ANCHOVIES and GOAT CHEESE. The mother eventually cleared away the salald plates and put soup bowls in front of us...Then in a very large pottery bowl,she empties the pot filled with hot spaghetti...then she poured on the hot anchovie garlic goat cheese sauce..and started tossing it...adding salt and pepper.... I was apprehensive. How WOuld I handle this. I could not tell them I hate what they were serving..I couldnt hurt them.. I wasnt smart enough to think of saying I am alergic to seafood and lactose intolerant.....
THen, if you imagine the music from the movie, when the shark was approaching..mama served me and put a large portion...a very large portion...My heart was pounding...
I picked up the fork, looked up and waited for everyone else to start eating.I dug in, twisted the spaghettis around the fork, and as in slow motion, brought the fork up to my mouth. I and chowed down!! I didnt like it. But it wasnt that bad. Somehow the blending of flavors...salty fish, sharp goat cheese, fresh potent garlic, and virgin olive oil....blended into one flavor that was almost tolerable.
When "mama" asked me how I liked it..I smiles, and put on an acadmey award winning smile" and said, "its wonderful" Well, it was wonderful, that I didnt puke!!!So I didnt lie... They were proud....and poor. And on this YOM Kippur, I have been humbled by remembering these people.....over 40 years ago.
And, after writing this....I am going to recreate the meal..this week, and time travel back 40 years. I am sure, the minute I taste the meal....a mystical thing will happen.

POLENTA ALA YENTA (DISH I MADE FOR THE AUCTION)

POUR CORN MEAL INTO BOILING WATER AND STIR LIKE HELL SO IT ISNT LUMPY...FOLLOW DIRECTION ON THE PACKAGE...WILL BE DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT BRANDS AND GRINDS...

ADD CHOPPED ONE FINELY CHOPPED ONION, SALT,PEPPER, A HINT OF GARLIC POWDER.. ADD A FEW TABLESPOONS VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, HALF A CUP OR MORE DRY PARMIGIANA OR ROMANO CHEESE/
WHEN THICKEN, POUR INTO A BAKING DISH...BAKE FOR HALF AN HOUR. THEN POUR A TOMATO SAUCE ON TOP...LIKE THICK AND CHUNKY IS BEST...BUT THERE ARE VARIATIONS WHICH WILL FOLLOW. bAKE ANOTHER HALF AN HOUR....TILL SAUCE GETS A LITTLE DRY.....

VARIATIONS: ADD CAPERS,OLIVES, CILANTRO, JALAPENOS, CHOPPED WATER CHESTNUTS, RED OR GREEN SWEET PEPPERS, PIMNETOS, LITTLE CHUNKS OF HAM,SHRIMP,CHICKEN....SALAMI, OR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT. IF MAKING A MEXICAN POLENTA, ADD JALAPENOS,YOU CAN ADD SALSA WHEN COOKING...THEN COVER WITH SALSA...AND BAKE.

QUICK TURKEY TETRAZINI: COOK ONE POUND OF ANGEL HAIR PASTA...DRAIN ADD ONE CAN OF CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP...STIR, AND AD HALF CUP OF HALF AND HALF. ADD A CUP OF PARMIGIAN OR ROMANO CHEESE....AND TWO CUPS OF CHOPPED TURKEY...ADD SALT PEPPER AND GARLIC POWDER. yOU CAN ADD ONE POUND OF SAUTEED MUSHROOMS(OPTIONAL) LASTLY ADD A CUP OF FROZEN PEAS. TOSS AND THEN BAKE FOR 45 MINUTES AT 300. lET COOL FOR 15 MIN BEFORE SERVING...