Bootheel Roots and Food Preferences

Like many others, I enjoy the entertainment and practical information provided by cooking shows. Listening to a recent NPR interview of Stanley Tucci sent my mind hopscotching around childhood memories and added a movie and a memoir to my ‘gotta check this out’ list.

The movie - Big Night (1996). It’s a food movie. Two Italian immigrant brothers open a restaurant named Paradise, which zooms toward an ugly demise with differing mindsets toward customer service. Tucci played multiple roles as screenwriter, director and actor. It’s a comedy-drama I want to see.

The book - Taste: My Life Through Food - a memoir of the role of food in Tucci’s Italian American upbringing, along with this foodie’s battle with oral cancer. He has authored a couple of cookbooks, too, so he writes with a chef’s perspective. It’s on my Kindle.

Conversations about various aspects of culture development intrigue me. NPR’s interview of Tucci focused a lot on the contribution food makes. Here’s where the hopscotching comes in. One might think I would be a fan of Italian food having spent my formative years on The Hill in St. Louis surrounded by Italian households. Not so much.

Italian influence did not override the culinary preferences of my Bootheel parents so mealtime aromas from our kitchen differed greatly. Chef Boyardee did most of the prep when we sometimes ate spaghetti and pizza. Mom never fixed lasagne. We had gravies, not sauces. Breakfast could be served for any meal. Cornbread was served with beans, fried potatoes. Onions were a main side, not an added ingredient. Pasta did not prevail in our kitchen but processed meats did. Braunschweiger with crackers - what a treat! A favorite lunch was a baloney sandwich with onions, dill pickles and mustard with chips on the side. Guess what I’m having for lunch today?

PS. October 24 is National Bologna Day. Plan accordingly.