If you can’t tell by some of the references to cooking in my hiking documents, I love food. The cooking, the eating, the enjoying of it all with friends.
Part of this love for food could be my southern Italian heritage. The stereotype is that we do indeed put an emphasis on the meals. Eating is not just for physical sustenance or something to do before attending social activities. The meal *IS* the event. A wonderful way to spend a Friday evening with friends. Where dinner is not just about the eating..but also about the conversations, the laughs and the good memories.
More than my ethnic background, I think the seeds of these thoughts can more appropriately be traced to Sunday dinners at my grandparents’ house. More than an Italian tradition..it is a Magnanti tradition. One I try to keep going in my own modest way.
Here’s an article that features people of Italian descent talking about their fond memories of Italian “Sunday Gravy”.