Food, Family, and Fond Memories/Part 1

There are many wonderful things our Nana is remembered for, but by far the memories that bring her back most vividly is eating at her Sunday table. She was known for her Italian cooking, and was especially revered for her polenta and gnocchi. 

[Although I have heard many versions, in Jim's family, gnocchi is pronounced  "ny-yaw-key"]

Every time we get together with Jim's side of the family, these meals eventually come up in conversation.  It is love that emanates from the faces of my husband and his siblings as they recount so many special times around the table with their parents, their grandparents Nuno and Noni, (who were first generation Italian immigrants from the Italian region of Veneto), and eventually husbands, wives, and grandchildren arrived into that happy circle.

Every conversation about Nana's cooking did end with a tinge of regret, however. 

Because Nana learned how to cook polenta, gnocchi and other Northern Italian specialties by watching her mom, there was never a written recipe to follow. 

I started making polenta several years ago and have perfected a microwave version close enough to Nana's version that my husband nods his head in satisfaction after eating it.

Unfortunately though, since Nana has been gone (12 years now) eating meals of gnocchi have been nothing but a memory.

Occasionally we have tried restaurant versions hoping for a gnocchi "fix". 

But, alas, nothing has come close to those heavenly pasta pillows that Nana made.

 Until yesterday.

Jim and I have had many a discussion over these last few years about an attempt at duplicating Nana's recipe.

But, it has never progressed beyond the talking stage.

But several individual events collided recently (coincidentally) that spurred us to action.

1. Jim's dear cousin Father Donald Larkin died last month, and invariably, as happens at most family wakes, a discussion of Italian food came up, including Nana's famous polenta and gnocchi.

2. Two weeks ago, I was at my mothers townhome and was browsing through old issues of Eating Well magazine and found an article on making gnocchi..with pictures!
I ripped the pages out of the magazine (sorry, mom) and excitedly brought it home to show Jim.

3. We had already planned a trip this weekend to visit Lyndsay on the Cape,with Taylor in tow (who had a long weekend off from college) and about 10 days ago Lyndsay innocently asked,
"What should we make together for our supper on Sunday?"

 4. Last week Jim happened to be holding the remote and flipping through channels (ha!) and stopped on a show about restaurants in New England. They were profiling a chef at a particular Italian restaurant in Massachusetts (whose name escapes me) who was demonstrating one of his specialties. It was--you guessed it--gnocchi.

We watched  that segment 3 times, Jim and I, and decided right then and there that we were very capable of making it too.

After all, it had 3 ingredients! 

Potatoes, flour, egg.

Simple, no?

Deceivingly simple.

But we knew better. 

We knew there was lots more to it than meets the eye (or spoon).

We decided we would  honor Nana by 

trying our very best.
 

I peppered Jim with question after question on what he remembered about Nana's "methods".

I researched what kind of potatoes we should use, and what tools we would need.

We picked the day (Sunday afternoon at Lyndsay's house) and gathered our helpers.

The very best helpers of all: Nana's granddaughters.

We headed to Lyndsay's home this past weekend, gnocchi making supplies in tow.

Lyndsay had ready a bag of russet potatoes, AP flour, and eggs.

We brought along a very essential tool. 

The potato ricer.

My laptop was set up on the countertop, and we all boned up on gnocchi making by watching a YouTube demonstration about 3 times.

We were as ready as we could ever be.

....to be continued.