Recently in New Jersey Category

Hello everyone!  Just a simple post today with some items from our New Jersey garden:

(photo: basil)

(photo: my grandfather and his sons in mid 1960 Pellegrina <Bagnara Calabra> Calabria)

The year was 1997 and I was a college junior applying for a prestigious fellowship for first generation college students.  The fellowship provided funds and a mentor to guide and prepare students for graduate work in the humanities and sciences.  The fellowship had strict academic and social-economic requirements.  On the socio-economic side, students were expected to be first generation college students, fall on the lower end of the income scale, and come from an ethic group that were/are underrepresented at US graduate programs.

In my view, I was qualified for the above fellowship and was excited to apply.  The question as to whether I was from a distinct ethnic group (underrepresented in academic circles) was not an issue in  my mind (the last I checked most prestigious universities had faculties brimming with Waspy sounding last names and not surnames ending in vowels).  After all, I did not learn to speak English until I was 5 and thought the American side of my Italian-American moniker was just a way of acknowledging that we breathed the air in New Jersey and not Calabria; I spoke, ate, lived amongst, and thought like an Italian, so I was a true Italian.  

(photo: typical Italian wedding in Pellegrina, <Bagnara Calabra> Calabria) 

When I got the call from the faculty advisor alerting me that I would not be selected for the summer fellowship program, my immediate reaction was rage.  Not because I had been denied, but rather because I had been denied for not being from an appropriate "ethnic group"; at least the groups that were currently in fashion as being minorities in the US and in turn at Academic institutions.  I pleaded my case with the advisor and asked, for example, how many of the students that had been selected spoke a second language or had been to the region/country that deemed them to be a minority, for example?  The answers that came back were disheartening and I felt betrayed.  

The incident made me think long and hard about what it means to be an Italian-American living in the United States today.  Unlike Geremio and his son Paul in Pietro DiDonato's classic novel Christ in Concrete, being an Italian American in New York at the turn of 20th century did not come with the added effort of proving one's status as an American with Italian ancestry.  After all, Geremio's son Paul was Italian, although born in New York (like the author who was born in West Hoboken).  No one at the turn of the 20th century would accuse Paul as being an American, rather he was an Italian who happened to be born to recent immigrants from Italy.  Suffice it to say, if such an academic fellowship existed in Paul's time, he would have surely qualified as being part of a true ethnic group.

(photo: my grandmother's family posing as though they were well off - they were not)

(photo: Meatball close up)





 

(photo: braised meats: spare ribs, sausage, and meatballs) 

(photo: notice the natural mold on the exterior of the Creminelli product; this mold imparts lots of taste on meat and also prevents it from drying out, along with the casing)

There are certain items or products that are immediately associated with a given country, for example: ice hockey and Canada, beer and Germany, haute cuisine and France, hot dogs and the USA, and vodka and Russia.  As a first generation Italian-American kid growing up in New Jersey, I secretly associated Italy with just one magical product, and it wasn't Ferrari or Soccer (calcio), but rather salami!  Yes, salami (or salumi, as the Italians would say), that seductive product comprised of salty / cured / spiced perfection!  

My love of salami started as a young child during summer vacations in Southern Italy, as I described in my recent Guide to Italian Cured Meats and I thought it was a short lived love affair until I rediscovered that there are, indeed, high quality salumi that are being hand crafted and sold in the US (one doesn't need to hop on an Alitalia flight to Rome to find pork perfection).  

With the above said, I recently had the pleasure of sampling eight distinct salumi from two US producers: Creminelli Fine Meats of Springville, Utah and Columbus Artisan Collection from San Francisco, CA.  On the Creminelli side, I sampled Cacciatore, Sopressata, Piccante and on the Columbus Artisan Collection I tried Cacciatore, Finocchiona, Crespone, Salami Secchi, and Sopressata.  Not only did I try the salumi but all of the varieties were tasted by immediate family including many salumi dignitaries who have produced and sampled hundreds of products both in Italy and the US.  Some of the comments I heard at the gathering included:

What follows, then, is an entirely subjective review of the aforementioned salumi (which were enjoyed with simple bread from Angelo's in Jersey City, NJ, homemade wine, and a variety of cheeses).  Let's start with the Creminelli products:

I'll begin by saying that the Creminelli packaging is top notch.  Each individual sausage is hand wraped in fine butcher paper and held together by an elegant sticker with the Criminelli logo, name of the product, and ingredients.  The passionate owner Christiano Creminelli understands that along with a great tasting product, a customer starts his or her food "user experience" with their eyes and hands.  Christiano uses no sodium nitrates in his products and his salumi recipes originated in Italy and are now being duplicated, by hand, in the US (Christiano is a Maestro of Salumi!).  The Creminelli products I sampled were naturally molded salumi and were soft to the touch out of the packaging.  I would have preferred to have had the salami age for 1-2 months in my cellar before sampling the product so that more complex flavor could develop, but I couldn't wait (I tried the product after having the product sit in fridge for 4 days)!  

As I said above, I would have liked to have tried the Creminelli salumi after the aging process has a bit more time to do it's thing and, in fact, I do have a few samples aging in my cellar and I'm excited to retry the product in a month or so (stay tuned for an update here).

(photo: The Columbus Artisan collection is top notch and miles ahead of the standard fair salumi, the taste, texture, and ingredients are all old world and fabulous) 

(photo: Columbus Artisan Finocchiona, my favorite amongst both the Creminelli and Columbus products)

(Photo: Along with the Creminelli cacciatore, the Columbus Artisan Salame Secchi would be an excellent overall choice for pre-dinner appetizers, small parties, and to enjoy with a glass of wine and good bread)

(photo: Columbus Artisan Cacciatore)

(Photo: Columbus Artisan Crespone, Sopressata, Cacciatore, and Salame Secchi, from left to right)

Growing up in New Jersey I was surrounded by people from all over the world (on my block alone I remember families from Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, England, Spain, etc.); needless to say, the aroma of food hovered on Oregon Ave like haze hovers over Los Angeles.  

One of my favorite food smells came from my next door neighbor Amelia.  Amelia worked in the New York City garment district as a dress designer, but her real passion was food (and the occasional Americano cocktail in the afternoon).  Amelia was also born in Genoa, Italy - the Pesto capital of the world. You see, in Genoa (given it's geographic position), basil grows like wild flowers.  And the basil in Genoa isn't the metallic, bitter herb you find in your run of the mill supermarket in the US, rather it's sweet, aromatic, and more equivalent to a succulent peach then an herb.

I was lucky enough to watch Amelia make pesto on several occasions as a teenager and to this day I still use her traditional Genovese recipe when I make pesto at home.  The following is Amelia's recipe with a few caveats:

1. Try to find "young" basil; that is to say, first picked basil usually tends to be sweeter and less bitter.  Growing basil is fairly easy and I would recommend purchasing seeds from Europe.  

2. Amelia included a bit of parsley in her recipe and while it's not usually called for in most Pesto recipes it adds another layer of complexity to mixture, which I highly recommend.

Ingredients:

- 1, large, bunch of basil leaves (washed and dried very well - no water)

- 1 handful of Italian parsley (washed and dried) - you can leave some of the parsley stem, but make sure to cut off about half the stem.

- 1 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated on a box grater) - see my guide to Italian cheese

- 3-4 tablespoons of cream cheese (yes, yes, don't laugh!)

- Handful of pine nuts

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2-3 cloves of garlic

You can combine the above ingredients via several tools, namely, 1. food processor, 2., mortar and pestle, or 3. chopping with a large chef's knife or mezzaluna.  Amelia used a mortar and pestle, but you can use a food processor (it does take a little bit away from the flavor of the pesto given the strength of the blade/machine, but, to be blunt, it's tough to get the right consistency with a mortar and pestle set up unless you're accustomed to the tool). 101 Cookbooks swears that a mezzaluna is the best tool, but I think if you use a knife for pesto you're getting more of an alio e olio type of pasta condiment.  

If you're going to use a food processor, start by adding the garlic and pulsing.  Thereafter, add your basil, parsley, and pine nuts.  Let the machine process the ingredients and slowly add your oil, salt, and pepper.  Thereafter, add your cream cheese and pulse again.  Finally, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining olive oil.  You are looking for a consistency just before the mixture turns into a paste.

I like serving pesto with thin linguine (or linguine fine) and tend to add a splash of fresh olive after plating and, of course, more Parmigiano-Reggiano. A dry red wine like Aglianico from Basilicata (southern Italy) goes well with pasta pesto. 

Photo: Hadley, MA

I've always had romantic notions about living in the country.  I've dreamed of waking up early and going for long walks and surveying the many acres on my "property" ; maybe encountering wild life and foraging for wild mushrooms (just like Mayle's book, "A Year in Provence").  I would certainly take refuge in the fact that I could not see another neighbor for miles and enjoy fresh country air entering a rustic, but chic, 19th century farmhouse (renovated with all the necessary modern conveniences, of course).  Our country home would be near the sea as well, so I could enjoy the water at the beginning of each day.  

The above is just a dream, of course.  And the fact is that suburbanites in American are significantly more satisfied with their living arrangements than are residents of cities, small towns or rural areas, according to a Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends.  Our family lives in a relatively small town (about 9,000 citizens) just 10 minutes outside of New York City in New Jersey.  Our town has a suburban feel with many trees, sidewalks, lawns/ivy, and an active, family-oriented, base population.  The proximity to a major city, however, does skew the town feel a bit towards the urban, at times.  

Choosing where to live is a major life decision and folks are usually influenced by several factors including:

- price of homes.

- quality of schools.

- proximity to job(s).

- proximity to other family members / where they grew up.

- safety.

- available social/recreation activities

- available commercial outlets (shopping).

Photo: Harris Farm, Hollis, NH

As I see it, living in a suburban/urban area has many advantages and while I dream of the rural life enjoyed by my Italian family in Calabria, I could not spend the majority of my time in the country (at least at this stage of my life). Living in a suburban area allows me to:

1. Enjoy my extended family and good friends.

2. Enjoy a short commute to my job (and the availability of potential future jobs)

3. Access to good food/recreation/commercial establishments (I can play tennis, go food shopping, and find virtually any product I may need all within ten miles of my home).

4. Access to different people and cultures (in today's world, if you can't speak the language of diversity and feel comfortable with folks from different part of the globe you might as well have no skill set)

5. Access to educational resources (this not only means good schools for our kids, but also access to libraries, universities, lectures, etc. for adults; if you stop learning, then you stop living)

The suburbs do have disadvantages and I'm sure the average New Yorker, for example, will rattle off many reasons why they're happy to exist only on the Island of Manhattan, but there does seem to be some difficulty in living, long term, in an urban environment (such as cost <see Free Money Finance's article on cities and cost of living>, proximity to other people, space, etc.).  

I'll stick to the Burbs for now and aspire to short stints by the sea and the chic countryside.  

Sport has always been part of my life; partly because of genetics yet mostly because of the hyperactive friends I made growing up in 1980/90's New Jersey. As a young kid, I played on our suburban block until dusk and only came in for dinner after my mother unleashed her fiery call: "il pranzo è pronto!"  As a 13 year old I spent my weekends traversing New Jersey and New York in a white Dodge van, running up and down a soccer field dreaming of becoming the next Roberto Biaggio or, if our deeply committed coach Frank was particularly inspirational that day, Diego Maradonna.  By the time I reached high school, I was in love with many sports and split my time as a wannabe Flutie-esque quarterback, a mediocre tennis player, and a way too skinny striker on the soccer team.  My senior year in high school I fell in love and shrugged off the athletic pursuits for romance - dropping the proverbial "ball" turned out to be a godsend as the woman I feel in love eventually became my wife.

I still have urges to run fast and throw an oblong ball down field, but I'm limited to the occasional run on my treadmill and weekly tennis matches.  Sport makes me feel good and along with the physical sensation of moving through the air and hitting good topspin on a forehand, for example, I enjoy the competition and how I feel the next day (namely, a bit tired and sore; there's something about using your body that makes the primordial brain release lots of good neurotransmitters!).

Are you looking for a few reasons to get back in shape?  Maybe you want to start playing club soccer again or want to train for a 5K race?  Whatever the reason there are some obvious benefits to keeping active, here are six:

1. Mental Sharpness  
Sustained physical activity makes your brain work more efficiently and actually improves neural performance. 

2. Stress Killer   
Does your work environment resemble a battlefield?  If so, getting in a morning workout will help combat your super aggressive, Patton-like, boss.

If you don't like to eat (and have a nice glass of wine) then you're not human in my book!   If you pursue sports as a hobby, then you'll be able to eat well (with the occasional, high fat, splurge) and have your nightly glass of wine without too much guilt or additional weight gain.  And if you're blessed with the metabolism of a humming bird and thinking, "I don't need to exercise", trust me that will most likely change at some point in your life.

4. Money Saver  

Being fit (both physically and mentally) will save you trips to the doctor's office and your local CVS pharmacy.  Keeping your heart rate, cholesterol level, and blood pressure in line can help you with your bottom line!

5. Better Sleep and, Yes, Sex!  

Consistent exercise can help you fall asleep faster and also provide for a much deeper slumber.  On the improved sex thing, exercise can help with circulation and energy level.

6. Overall Health  

Exercise combats chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain type of cancer (source Mayo Clinic).  Regular exercise can also help combat mental illness such as depression.  

(photo: via Naru Raghaven and his NJ backyard farm)

One of the reasons I love the Summer season is the availability of locally grown tomatoes.  Tomatoes are incredibly versatile and, like Olive oil, are a staple of eating well.  My favorite Summer time use for tomatoes is the tomato salad, here's my simple recipe

• 3-4 tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of high quality olive oil
• salt (Kosher), pepper (freshly ground), and dried oregano (if you can avoid the generic oregano from big box markets then do so).
• 1/2 red onion (medium sized)
• Fresh basil (minimum 10 medium sized leafs)
• (OPTIONAL) 1 medium sized cucumber (with seeds and skin removed)

Dice the tomatoes into small wedge and place in a medium sized bowl.  Next, slice the onions into thin pieces (large chunks aren't very good, as a fresh red onion will take a while to "mellow down") and place in bowl.  Add lots of salt (tomatoes and salt are best friends) and a dash of pepper, as well as the dried oregano (remember to crush the oregano in your hands to release the flavor). 

Finally, add your olive and basil (don't cut basil with a knife rather shred it with your hands to release the oils in the leaves) and mix well.  I usually like to let the salad sit for a few minutes so that all the nice juices in the bowl can blend together and do their magic.  Also, although I didn't cite the ingredient above you will need a good loaf of bread to go with the tomato salad.  In fact, I'd say good bread is a requirement as you'll probably want to mop up the olive oil in the bowl!