My mother went to Goodwill this past weekend, and she picked up a cookbook for me. It is a fabulous, old-school Italian cookbook. All of the classics are there, but that's not the great thing about it.
There is humanity in the book.
The previous owner obviously used the cookbook, because there was a torn out recipe from a flour sack for a spice cake, an old business card for a realtor in Las Vegas, perhaps used as a place holder to get back to the pollo fritto recipe (fried chicken). Who wouldn't want to make that?
But I'm saving the best for last. This picture was also in the cookbook:
This polaroid was sandwiched between the recipes for Broccoli Florentine and Manicotti Tuscan Style. I wonder .... were they the cookbook owner's Nonni (Grandparents)? Did they perhaps send this to the owner, after moving to Las Vegas for the warmer climate? Did he ever remove that hat?
Were the cookbook owners Nonni like my Nonni? Did they accuse each other of cheating when they played cards or Rummikub? Did her Nonna hate onion? Did her Nonno do crazy things to make the famliy laugh? Mine did, and I am so thankful for the random memories.
On the back of the polaroid, someone wrote "Gess hoo" in phonetic English, just like my Nonna Rita would have done. So, I will keep the polaroid, comfortably nestled in the Tuscany section, between the Broccoli Florentine and the Manicotti Tuscan Style. I'm "gessing" that's where they would like to be.
