The holiday lights are gone.
It's cold outside and it gets dark really early. This is the time of year when people turn to
comfort foods to sustain themselves both mentally and physically. These are the feel good foods of our
childhoods and often they come from our ethnic roots. Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio want to
share their favorites with you. Click on the headings for a link to the recipes.
Rick remembers those wonderful times with his
grandparents. The air would be filled
with the beautiful sounds of the Polish language and English. Rick's uncle was going to the Pennsylvania
State University (Penn State) and his grandmother would proudly proclaim in her
very accented English, "My son is going to the state pen."
Then his grandmother would fill a plate with stuffed cabbage rolls and right next to them would be his favorite, cheese and potato pierogies, sauteed in butter and with lots of sour cream.
Irish Beef Stew
Erin McGinity remembers the Irish stew of her childhood. Everyone would be sitting around the table and her mother would ladle the thick brown broth filled with carrots, onions, and beef into a bowl. Her mother placed the stew over buttered noodles which provided that extra touch.
Chicken Cacciatore
Teresa Spinelli remembers what it was like to be from a large family. Every Sunday the family would sit down together for conversation and pasta. Her favorite was Chicken Cacciatore consisting of a huge bowl of spaghetti covered with a red sauce and lots of pieces of chicken. She loved to cover her plate with Parmesan cheese and a piece of homemade bread just out of the oven with butter melting over every nook and cranny.