Nope, not channel surfing with the remote, or putt-putt-putting slowly through the channel so as not to create a wake….   I have no way to explain this except to say I must be channeling my mother.

A few weeks ago I had a HUGE craving for hot dogs, beans, and sauerkraut. Not something I ever liked, but my father did.  Actually, I never really liked hot dogs, but loved sauerkraut, and Heinz Vegetarian beans.  So, what did I do?  I bought a bunch and ate it for DAYS.  Talk about strange cravings, and so sudden!  Must have been channeling my father.  No other explanation!

Now, I’ve got a craving for sausage and peppers.  Again, something I’d never think of making.  Interesting, though, my mother used to make it a lot when I was growing up.  Sometimes “straight up” and other times in a red sauce.  Sometimes on pasta, and sometimes on a delicious sub roll.  I must be channeling my mother this time!

My parents grew up in a mixed Jewish and Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, so my mother learned to cook Italian before Eastern European Jewish, and I grew up on Italian food.  (Yup, I’ve mentioned before that the Rabbi, who lived across the street, dropped in out of the blue one day when my mother was making sausage.  She threw a towel over the pot and did her best to ignore the delicious aroma.)

I spent my first few years in Brooklyn and we soon moved out to Long Island, but I remember the food festivals we’d go to, particularly the San Gennaro Festival in the Little Italy area of NYC.  I remember the crowds, the smells, the foods, and in particular the sausage and peppers (and fried zeppoles).  Coming up soon, a super “sausage” and peppers sub!

Memories of Brooklyn, and definitely…. channeling my mom this time!

“Pretty Veggie” Mindy