Italian Moms: Something Old, Something New by Elisa Costantini

Author:Elisa Costantini
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter Five

MEATS AND SEAFOOD

(SECONDI PIATTI)

TIME TO MAKE THE SAUSAGE

Traditions are customs or beliefs that are passed down from one generation to another. Much of this book has been dedicated to my Italian food traditions and how they both shaped my new life in America and were altered by my life here, too. The tradition of making sausage, in particular, is an example of how my country of origin influenced my thinking about food in my new homeland. And, certainly, the practicalities of living in America caused me to rethink how I prepared traditional foods.

Every February, my brother Nicola and I make sausage, something we have done every year since we were children. When we do this now, it is a good excuse for us to be in each other’s company, perhaps enjoy a few glasses of wine together, and to tell old stories in our native tongue. As we approach our golden years, I know Nicola wishes I would retire so we could have more time to spend together. But he also knows how important the people that I work with are to me (I share my time with special needs people, helping them with daily tasks, laundry, cooking, etc.), so he is willing to share my time as long as I honor our February date.

Making sausage is a communal experience, with friends and in-laws helping to grind the meat, stuff the sausage, and tie off the links. I must say that, after more than fifty years, our family has formed quite an efficient assembly line of operations. The work comes naturally to our fingers, and this allows our minds to wander and our conversations to linger. It is not that our work requires no focus; it’s just that the steps are so practiced that they are second nature to us. This is the beauty of traditions: Their familiarity makes them comforting. As is the case with most traditions in Italian culture—and it is certainly the case in our sausage making—they unite families, or at least serve as an excuse for the family to gather together.

There are certainly many humorous (some might say bizarre) customs associated with sausage making. According to certain members of our family, the work must always be started on a Monday after a full moon. There is also a certain order to the operation, and it must never be changed, lest the final product be ruined. Superstitions aside, sausage making was incredibly important for our family. Every year, our humble family would butcher one of our prized pigs. Because the meat was so valuable, we had to make sure it lasted as long as possible. So this particular tradition grew out of necessity. When we would gather the family members and work together to make sausage and dried and cured meats, it was done to ensure that we would have meat to eat throughout the remainder of the year. Sausage could be broken apart and the meat re-formed to make meatballs to be used with pasta or in soups.

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