 1000 Chapel Street New Haven, CT (203) 562-3888 |
"A Vegetarian Restaurant Since 1975"
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Summer Kitchens |
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When I was a young girl, so many Italian families I knew had second
and third kitchens. Usually, the second kitchen was in the basement, and
minimally equipped with a used stove and refrigerator and perhaps a used
kitchen table, generally "inherited" from a relative who was either
moving in with their children or updating their kitchen. This second
kitchen was used for pickling or frying the large quantities of eggplant
that were put up for the winter after the harvest, and for cooking
large amounts of potato and macaroni salads, peppers and onions and the
other foods prepared for big family picnics. And, most Italian women I
knew wanted to "keep the upstairs kitchen clean." The third kitchen was
outdoors and always included a wood burning fireplace (Our Dad with the
help of our "Goomba Migal" built a beautiful stone one for our yard)
for grilling traditional Italian and American foods, which meant hot
dogs and hamburgers, sausages, and lemon and basil marinated chicken,
and Florentine style steaks that were first marinated in fresh herb
infused extra virgin olive oil.
In our family, we had just two kitchens, one indoor and one outdoor.
And both got a lot of use. It didn't matter how hot it was outside
during the summer months, my Mother cooked, and cooked, and I can tell
you two things about that; her food was always fresh and delicious, and
all summer long, our kitchen was hotter than hot. Although she did a lot
of grilling for our main course, mainly a fragrant marinated chicken,
even then a vegetarian didn't have to worry because there was always an
abundance of potato and macaroni salads and string bean dishes, and
always broccoli with garlic, lemon and oil, brown sugar baked beans, and
corn on the cob. In true Italian fashion, there were plenty of
vegetables, but they were cooked inside. Oh yes, and Mom never did have
any air conditioning until long after I married and moved out, she
didn't like it then and doesn't like it now so it has to be blazing hot
for her to even turn it on.
And when we complained about how hot and steamy our kitchen was,
she'd always said the same thing; "Of course it's hot, it's summer, but
you know we'll be eating outside."
Today I'm taking advantage of the beautiful and local squash blossoms
and zucchini, using two quintessentially Italian recipes from my
grandmother, Anonna, and pairing them with a fiber rich and delicious
bean salad using canned organic kidney beans. And, I'm cooking the
squash blossoms and Zucchini Fritti outside in an electric skillet set
on a sturdy table on my back porch where I can listen to the birds
chirping, and see my beautiful garden, and keep my kitchen clean and
cool!
Note: For safety, be sure to use a sturdy table, and a high quality
extension cord that can be kept dry and out of the way, maybe tucked
under mat so no one will trip on it. And, bring it in after you are done
cooking to protect it from the elements.
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