Saturday, March 6, 2010

My Cantina - 5 Mar 2010

Mom and Dad were over earlier today to check the homemade salami's they have been making over the last few months. Several years ago, after we all got married, they sold their house of 25 years and moved in with my sister. One of my parents biggest regrets about this was the loss of their "Cantina" which is like a pantry - but better. My parents kept *everything* in the Cantina - the homemade tomato sauce, giardiniera, roasted peppers, olives, wine and of course, the "salami".

While my sister did have somewhat of cold room it was quite small and could not fit the amount of food and drink that serve to keep my father entertained (and my mother busy) for many months of the year. Of course, it wasn't long before they discovered that my little home had the perfect Cantina and so, each year, for at least a few months, I inherit the salami's while they cure.

Salami's of course include cappicola's, sausages, prosciutto's and just about any other dried and cured Italian pork meat you can think of. Once dried, my parents vacuum seal some of the meats (because putting them in oil is no good for the "colestraolo") and they slice the rest throughout the year as company comes over.

6 comments :

Lynn said...

Thanks for your post, it brought back great memories of my mother-in-laws cantina. My mother also had one but being a 5th generation Canadian family we called it the fruit cellar. I remember seeing Nonna's and thinking how much more exotic her's was then my mother's or even mine today.

nuccia said...

Mine is not as great as my Mom's was either but all things considered it is serving it's purpose! lol

Thomas MacEntee said...

Wonderful! Well I guess my Irish great grandmother had something of a cantina in the basement but her products were different:

anything canned from peaches to green beans even pie fillings like rhubarb

sauerkraut in the crocks - I remember on hot days when they would explode from the fermentation

pickles in similar crocks or canned (bread and butter style were the best!)

nuccia said...

I would have loved to be in that Cantina Thomas. I remember canning peaches the first year we bought this house. They were so good! Unfortunately the tree fell over the following year so good bye peaches!

NickMGombash said...

That's awesome! If I wasn't sick to my stomach I'd so be craving salami right now.. haha

nuccia said...

I heard you were sick Nick. Thought it was strange when I didn't see you online Saturday morning. Feel better *sending hugs*