The Nunni

Nunni with my oldest when she was only 3 months old (10/07).

Love and Miss you Nunni.

My maternal grandmother, Nunni as she was affectionately called, was born Carolina Rita Camilli on April 1, 1916 in Gallitzin, PA.  Where is that exactly?  Its a small town in Central Pennsylvania, near State College.  She had many names...Lena, Lee, Nunni, Caroline just to name a few.  Most of my (and my brother's) love of cooking is from her.  I grew up eating her food; whether it was her famous homemade gnocchi's and pitzelles or her famous breakfast goulash with eggs, zucchini and fresh tomatoes.  She was the ultimate clean eater.  Although it didn't dawn on me until she passed away and I started to eat clean and learn what it really was.

Nunni was like a mother to me.  She lived close to us and since my mom was a single mom - we spent a lot of time at her house.  Her house always seemed so big and warm and cozy.  It was always filled with good food.  You would never go hungry there!  She was always whipping something up.  She had little tricks of the trade that I still use today.

 Like this one...for really crispy, fresh lettuce - clean the lettuce thoroughly, dry as much as possible, put a paper towel on top of the lettuce and then cover the lettuce in a Tupperware type container.  Flip over the container and put it in the fridge.  It keeps the lettuce very, very crisp and cold!

Nunni never had milk chocolate in her house.  It was always super dark and bitter.  We used to complain that it tasted chalky and wondered why she would never get us the "good" stuff.  The many times I went to the grocery store for her - she never let me buy anything that was "fat free" or "sugar free."  She said that is tasted "fake."  She was also the first organic eater I knew (even though I had no clue what that meant at the time!)  Almost everything she ate came from her garden.  She cooked almost everyday and very rarely used ingredients that were unnatural.  She was actually still living by herself in her home even after she broke her hip.  Still cooking in her kitchen and still living independently.  I didn't know it then but almost everything she ate was in a natural form.  She could have written the original book on clean eating!

She had the largest garden I had ever seen.  It took up most of the back of her yard.  My Pap and Nunni grew everything from tomatoes to fresh mint. Dinner at Nunni's always consisted of a fresh salad, veggies and dip with her famous homemade yogurt, fresh Italian bread, some type of pasta and/or a pork chop. She loved her pork chops. She told us to chew on the fresh mint that grew along side of her house. It was actually quite good!

She also always made pancakes with Buckwheat flour. I honestly thought it was gross. Now all I eat is Buckwheat pancakes!  I owe my love of fresh veggies and fruits to Nunni too. We were always told to make sure we ate them. We did and we liked them.

She was a child of The Great Depression and NEVER threw anything away.  We used to joke about the mystery bags of food that she had in both her freezer and fridge.  She also taught me about not wasting food.  To this day, I make a meal big enough for two-three nights.  Leftovers are just as good as a fresh meal!  And you are not wasting anything.  I might only have two or three bags of mystery meat in my freezer!

Other memories are of taking the "T" into the Strip District to visit Penn Mac and other fine food stores.  We would get some fresh cheeses and meats and breads there.  On our ride home, we would break off pieces of Italian bread and stuff fresh slices of salami inside it!  It was delicious!  The combination of the food, the ride on the bumpy trolley and spending time with Nunni was the ultimate treat. 

It's no wonder she lived to be 93.  She was indestructible.  Even when she broke her hip in 2006 she didn't slow down. She actually got stronger after that accident. My youngest daughter was due on her 93rd birthday. She was born two days before. Abby's middle name is after Nunni - Lee. She never met her but I know Nunni sees her everyday.

She spent the last few years of her life living in Xenia, OH with my uncle.  He and my aunt took incredibly good care of her.  I will forever be thankful to them for that.  The day she died my uncle had brought her some dinner.  He made some pasta for her and some fresh bread.  They had a nice visit.  Later that day, she did was she always did, sat in her chair, reading a book (probably a mystery) or the paper, drinking tea (out of a very light mug).  When the aid came by to check on her in the evening, she had already passed.  Quietly and in no pain.  She was very healthy considering her age.  I know it was because of her diet, I swear. 

She died almost a year ago on February 22, 2010.  I miss her dearly and think of her every day especially when I am cooking.