We invited friends to dinner over the weekend. I asked if they had any preferences. They suggested Italian. Mmmmmmmm, Italian! How can one go wrong with that? Mediterranean food is by far my cuisine of choice. What to make? We had a fresh supply of produce from our co-op, my canned spaghetti sauce, and a sack of potatoes.... Potato gnocchi! It was yummy! While I was preparing the dough, dropping the small bits into boiling water, I was struck how similar this was to what I did as a child with my great-grandmother making chicken and dumplings. Now, I realize dumplings are dumplings and their preparation is fairly universal. But it was more than that. I wondered if there were Italian thirty-somethings, standing over pots of boiling water, reliving the memories of their great-grandmothers?
My great-grandmother's hands were so much bigger than mine. She could measure with what to me seemed like great precision without ever touching a cup or spoon. "Oh, 'bout that much" she'd tell me with each of my questions. "Here, let my big hands do it" gently, but in retrospect, she'd likely had enough of my novice kneading ;) When I was *very* young, she would keep a piece of dough in the freezer so I'd have my own (and not contaminate the good stuff - ha!!) Never the less, there were important lessons I learned, spoken and unspoken. I could almost hear her telling me "don't over work the dough or you'll make it tough" with her North Carolina drawl. What she never said was anything negative or derogatory about her kitchen or the creations it produced. She'd sing softly as she moved from station to station while preparing meals. Her kitchen was not her prison as it seemed to be for others, it was her court, and she reigned! It was there I learned to feed the stomach and the soul.
Spending time in the kitchen, learning a new recipe, teaching my children to cook, or reliving old memories is what I call 'kitchen therapy'. Smacks a bit of Julie and Julia, doesn't it? (except I knew my master chef :)
If you're feeling adventurous, here is another gnocchi option :) Looks good and will likely be in rotation soon.
Enjoy!
