31 Comments

Ditto in Brooklyn: Every Sunday, sheets on the beds, 15 at the table. Made them once when I got married. Took me 5 hours. They were eaten in 5 minutes. That was the last batch of my homemade ravvies!

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Funny how those homemade ravioli have a way of disappearing in minutes after hours in the making.

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Ed,

Great writing. It made me so hungry I am craving a great dish of homemade ravioli. Sunday dinner was so important but sadly a past memory that should be still continued because of the psychological bonding that occurred. The fast pace of life, the distance of family and the lack of interest of the grandkids, make it difficult to do. However my daughter Alison two years ago said she wanted to start doing it again like we did at Nannies. I think it was prompted by your book. It is now at my house but on a monthly basis because of busy lifestyles. However many, they are wonderful. All the old traditional recipes are used. Regardless of the dinner be it chicken, veal or pork roast, pasta be it ravioli,manicotti , penne is still a requirement. See what you started? Thank you.

Paul

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Yes, Paul. so hard to hold them together. Kids on the move. Who ever heard of a ‘travel team’ when we were kids. My travel team went to the next corner where there was a wire hoop nailed to the telephone pole.

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Paul is Valerie your sister and was Dorothy your mom?

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Ravioli making was so time consuming that it was a dish made only for special occasions!

I still remember all the details….and the fantastic tastes!

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You bet. Well worth the effort, especially if you were on the receiving end, Eh, Joe?

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Yea!

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Your Mom and Dad were a beautiful couple. I could taste that ricotta filled slider going down while I was reading it.

My mother did the same thing

She had a 3' x 3 'oak board and when whatever macaroni she was making that Sunday she put the board on the bed for safe keeping.

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Thanks, Greg. So many stories are similar. And delicious. And delightful.

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Loved the sharing of your precious memories. Thanks

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Thanks, Roger. Precious they are.

I'll be speaking at OLLI on Monday. Might you be coming?

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Excellent !!! My maternal grandparents, living on the first floor of our "triple-decker" would make home-made raviolis at least once a month. Usually only ricotta but if there was "company" they also made a mixture of ground beef and spinach.

Ah, the memories.

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I can taste them.

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Ed, a very neatly dressed ravioli team. Yes, Sunday dinners where special with all the family together to enjoy. The days when belts were loosened to help digest and make room for the desserts are memories. Good memories.

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Yes, many a belt loosened to make room, Peter.

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Ed.

My 3 brothers, a sister and I grew up on Franco-American Spaghetti. I loved i. When asked why, I said, "Because it tastes like licorice." Unbelievable!

It wasn't until half way through college when I was invited home to meet John's family that I experienced the 1pm Sunday pasta dinner. When we married and moved back to Rochester , we continued to drive across town to attend sporadically. Families expanded and life got in the way. When our 4 went out on their own and established families, I tried to resurrect my version..... first Sunday of the month dinners (usually pasta). We putted along for awhile but the grandchildren arrived exponentially to the tune of 16 and with them came sports, rehearsals, friends' parties, etc. Our 4 children raised those 16 here in Rochester but the grands are moving away. I keep trying but to no avail. We have our memories and we hope they do, too.

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Beautiful story, Diane, but the Franco-American Spaghetti story broke my heart. But through John, you saw the light. Bless him, and you. Lovely memories. Thanks for your note and for subscribing. Une grande abbraccio.

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Great story!! My husband still makes homemade ravioli believe it or not but with spinach and hamburger (he is strictly Italian but doesn’t eat cheese of any kind). We mostly make them for holidays as they do require time and work. So delicious but I have had Venda and they are good.

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Love it. But, but, spinach and hamburger?? OK.

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I'm hungry now :)

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So what’s new?

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Very good story, Dr. Ed. Brings me to tears.

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Thanks, Mike. A writer’s best compliment when he evokes emotion. Just what I want to do. Tears of joy.

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Ed,

Too bad you can't make it to the Hill, my wife and I travel up there periodically to go to Angelo's.

Their gravy is the next best thing to my Grandma's that I have found.

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Tom, I DO get to Angelo’s and YES, I agree; the gravy is excellent.

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Loved reading about home made ravioli. We're so lucky to have access to it in RI at great stores. Keeping a can of Chef Boyardee's meat ravioli in my pantry brings back a nostalgic feeling from when I was a kid. Nothing like home made of course!

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Well, a can?? Maybe for nostalgia it’s OK, Mary. HaHa.

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Greg,

Dorothy and Pat were my dad’s first cousins. Valerie was one their children.

Paul

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My Mom always made macaroni with her "gravy" on Sunday. She never made lasagna or ravioli. Don't know why? I never had either until my eldest daughter, Cheryl made lasagna and shared it with us. Love her lasagna!

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