My Thought About Rigatoni by Werner

Werner Lowell, Guest Contributor

Werner Lowell commented on my post “I Brake For Rigatoni.” I thought his comments were superb.

Thank you, Werner.

And so he writes . . .

The "I Brake For Rigatoni" reminds me of my days in New York, when I went to school with many ethnic groups, including the fast-talking Italian teenagers, when I learned Basic English at a high school in downtown Manhattan, where the nice ladies teaching English through the application of phonetics reminded us, new immigrants, that New York was "like a huge mixing bowl" of many people from all over the planet.

Rigatoni, I understand, is often served in large bowls and shared dishes, symbolizing communal comforts and the sense of belonging, as the author so gallantly captured. It invites us to reflect on our reminiscences and, in Sartre's expression, brings us to the essence of being for others and a sense of togetherness. In this setting, our lives gain meaning through interaction and coexistence.

Like many traditional dishes, rigatoni carries cultural memory and serves as a bridge between generations. It embodies Heidegger's notion of "dwelling," where food and its preparation become a way of being at home in the world. My own experience manifests the sensation and feelings of a home shared with my spouse that we built together into "our castle in the woods."

Making and sharing rigatoni reflects an interconnectedness and continuity with those who came before us. If we observe the textured ridges of rigatoni, they are not purely aesthetic but functional, designed to catch and hold onto sauce. Philosophically, this can represent how humans, like the ridges, carry the "sauce" of our experiences and relationships.

To see us as textured beings, marked by life's experiences, demonstrates our capacity to hold onto meaning and connection. By extension, individual pieces of rigatoni, a seemingly simple object, hold within it a microcosm of Italian culinary tradition, history, and human creativity.

Family bonds: even when physically apart, love, memories, and shared experiences keep the family "entangled." "Even if grandpa is far away one day, every time you eat rigatoni or remember this moment, it's like we're still connected—like two particles communicating across space!"

My hat off to the author, Dr. Ed Iannuccilli, for sharing his family with us.