Greco Family "Cooks" Book

Preface

I have long thought about how important family has been (and is) throughout my life. I find myself relating the same stories over and over again as circumstances arise. I also have been feeling the need to preserve some of the traditions of MY past because I fear they might be lost. Although I try to continue doing the things I remembered and enjoyed the most, times and circumstances change, and we must make our own traditions in our own families. In addition, some of us live in different parts of the country, which changes what is customary, such as getting together on holidays, birthdays, etc. We live in California, and my children have been brought up in a much different environment. Whereas we were from a small town where most everyone we knew was Catholic, and a lot of them were Italian, my children have grown up where there are few Italians and where they have been exposed to a wide variety of religious beliefs. In addition, many of us (not me) married into families with different backgrounds that have completely different customs and, of course, must share both in bringing up their children. Therefore, it occurs to me that as we each make our own customs in our own families, eventually some of the past could completely disappear except for what has been written down. Therefore, this is my attempt at keeping these traditions alive. The accounts of the family and the holidays are written from MY perspective as I remember them when I was a little girl. Some of you will remember things just as I have (especially those closest in age to me), but some of you will wonder, where did she get that from? Some of you will no doubt, remember more and different things and could probably add your own memories.

This is the time to state some disclaimers. Some recipes may be “originals,” but they are mostly just “favorite” recipes of different family members. I’ve tried to check spellings of Italian words to the best of my ability. Also, I’ve tried to check that the ingredients match the information in the descriptions. I can’t be sure I’ve caught everything. I can tell you, it was a challenge to write and rewrite some of the descriptions because I was given recipes that included phrases like “a little pepper,” a “handful of breadcrumbs,” “work the dough until it is medium”, “it’s a feeling you get when it’s just right,” “use as much as needed,” and “you can just tell when you’ve added enough.” In some cases, I had to keep the recipes just the way they were. You’ll figure it out, if you are brave enough to try some of them. Then, you’ll know what that “amount” or “feeling” is. It’s empowering!

The pronunciation of the Italian words are the way I remember my family saying them— they’re not necessarily “correct Italian”, but it’s the dialect they spoke, and the way I want to remember them. I apologize for any mistakes in recipes—I tried to understand them and state them the way I understood them. If you have a question on anything, at least you know who to call—(not me!), but rather the “source.” Preserving the past is one reason for writing the book, but the main reason is to give tribute to the Greco familyľmy aunts and uncle who have graced the family with many, many good meals to go along with good times and wonderful memories. The family members who still live in Endicott get together often for coffee, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, communions, confirmations, whatever. When I’m with them, I realize how important they have been in my life, and how many of the things they said and did have shaped my life. Many of the activities and traditions I’ve had growing up in an Italian-American family revolve around food (for better or for worse). This book is my attempt to capture a collection of their recipes to remind you and me, forever, of the wonderful, nurturing family we are.

The journey has been better than I imagined. I have corresponded with the entire family, talked to cousins on the phone, and sent emails back and forth frequently. None of it was difficult; it was completely natural—that’s family—when you can go without seeing or talking to each other for a long time, but when you do, it’s like yesterday—no barriers, complete trust, no need to impress or pretend. Wouldn’t it be nice to treat everyone like “family”? Page vi will help you keep everyone straight. The younger members of the family may need to refer to it when they see a recipe and don’t recognize the name!

For the rare readers of this book who are not members of our family, I have made references to purchase certain ingredients at Jim Roma’s Bakery. Jim Roma is my first cousin, who owns and operates a very popular bakery in Endicott, New York. Actually, anyone living in or around Endicott will know that you can purchase delicious bread, sandwiches, pizza, cookies, etc. at that bakery/restaurant. I think when my Uncle Carl and Aunt Anna owned the bakery, they sold mostly bread and dough, but Jim has expanded it to include much more. Jim has employed practically every family member who wanted a job, at one time or another, while they were growing up.

I, in no way, intended to leave out the men who, of course, play a major role in the family. I could say more about my dad, John Dellos, and my uncles, Carl Roma, Nick English, Louie DiFulvio, and Joe Pisani. I could definitely say more about my husband, Steve, my children, my brothers and their wives, and my cousins who married into the family. I also have equally fond memories of my dad’s side of the family (the Dellos') and my husband’s side of our family (the Randesis), but those would all be different books! I had to draw the line somewhere and decided to keep it to the Grecos as much as possible. Sorry if I offend anyone. That’s me - in the words of my cousin - a “recovering pleaser”.