Let's Talk Food

by Lauraine Alberetti Lombara

When I was a youngster, sitting down to dinner with my family each night strengthened my mind and the nutrients in the food did the same for my body. I believe this because I have survived into my seventies with nary a major surgery(discounting a tonsillectomy as a child and cataract removal from my eyes a few years ago).  I must give credit to my parents for providing me with delicious, basic, whole foods, teaching me their importance and above all, how to prepare them. I ate gourmet food(not realizing this at the time) in a warm, loving family environment.

My father and mother never skimped on food but I will say they were frugal as they lived their lives providing for my two older brothers and me.  We did not have the “extras” but we did have comfortable furnishings, amazing clothes sewn by my mother or bought at Filene’s Basement and meals my parents cooked that were extraordinary.

My father was a salad/sous chef at Warmuth’s Restaurant in Boston.  He was adept at choosing inexpensive cuts of meat and poultry and knew fresh fish, fruits and vegetables. Our main meal always began with soup; name it and papa made it. He knew the cuisine of Northern Italy, from which he and my mother emigrated, and learned the cuisine of other countries from working in  restaurants most of his life. I think he probably inherited an amazing gene as he was able to create so many outstanding dishes. My mother grew up in Italy also and learned to make pasta by hand, rolling it out to thinness in tablecloth proportions. She also knew how to make the traditional rustic desserts of crostadas, tortas, biscotti and other cookies plus pies from American friends and the most yummy brownies ever, thanks to Baker’s Chocolate!

I learned the basics of prep and cooking from watching my father as he made our meals. He was out to work very early A.M., home at 3 P.M., nap for an hour, then into the kitchen. I was in charge  of cleaning up after him as he swept the counters with his cloth and I rushed to catch the crumbs. He washed, chopped, seared, sauteed, boiled, broiled, braised, roasted, fried and composed his repertoire of soups, salad, entrees and sides, but never desserts...that  was mama’s domain.

I strived to provide the same example for my three children as they grew to adulthood. Eating home-cooked dinners as a family each night was the norm with very few sweets, sodas, processed and fast foods. I guess my children learned to cook from watching me...at least they developed an interest in cooking which has stayed with them.They picked up ways to improvise and we had  many discussions about ingredients and sources of ideas to adapt recipes, mainly hand-me-down treasures from my parents and my husband’s mother which gave them the ability to jump into cooking on their own. I quoted my mother’s words to them, “If you use good ingredients, your food will be good.” My two daughters have raised their children likewise, providing wonderfully delicious and nutritious meals for their families. I love to relate how among my oldest grandchild Claire’s first spoken words were; tortellini, artichoke and polenta.  All our family are “foodies” in that they will try new foods, compare menu preps and styles(taste tests are common), critique meals at restaurants and have learned to cook for themselves and others.They appreciate food and their parents’ efforts to provide healthy,tasty varied menus for them ...a great joy in my life.