Italian tradition lived out in Lodi
A guest blog by Wendi Warren
I have been blessed to be married to a wonderful Italian man for the past 16 years. During that time I have learned many things from him regarding his Italian heritage. One that is lived out every holiday is the assurance that I will be making some Italian dish to go along with the rest of the holiday feast.
See, growing up in an Italian household in Revere, Mass., Bobby and his family would have all the “traditional” fixings as any family in these great United States of America would enjoy, but then they would also have gravy (spaghetti sauce), ravioli, lasagna, eggplant parmesan and the like. So, we have continued this tradition in our home since we have been married.
I have tried many different recipes. Sometimes easy and sometimes more complicated. One of our favorites is stuffed manicotti. We have used the America’s Test Kitchen recipe and it turns out great every time. (Incidentally, I don’t think I have ever had a recipe turn out badly that I have followed from America’s Test Kitchen. Which I guess is their point—they make a dish dozens of times to find the best way to do it so that cooks at home don’t have to find it by trial and error.)
This year for Easter I wanted to try my hand at chicken parmesan. So, I turned to our trusty America’s Test Kitchen cookbook and found their recipe. (You can see the recipe here, but it requires a subscription.) It was a little involved, but totally worth it. I bet it would have been even better if I had remembered to mix the parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs. (I had them measured out, but forgot to add them. I had to sprinkle the cheese on top of the already breaded chicken, but it worked out OK.)
Bobby was pleased, as was the rest of the family, and I felt good that it was so well-received. Another holiday, another Italian dish, another chance to share Bobby’s heritage with family in Lodi; what more can a girl ask for? I know ... enjoying another Italian tradition — “the sweetness of doing nothing.” I think I’ll go and put that into practice right now!
About the author: Wendi Warren is an executive project manager at The Village Network in Wooster, Ohio. She and her husband, Bobby Warren, live in Wooster with their dog and six cats.
