About
An Italian Cookbook of Family Treasures
As the title states this is more than a cookbook but a book of Family Treasures. The Authors opens up about his Italian family and the history of them making their way from Calabria and Sicily Italy to America and settling in upstate New York. In a different and unique way Schuler has tied his family roots to recipes dating back 100 years. These include such family favorites as the original family sauce recipe and home made pasta to family favorites prepared daily in their home.
Not only are his grandparent’s part of the story but, aunts, uncles and close family friends are tied to recipes and interesting stories that make each recipe a true treasure. The theme is Italian cooking but other popular entrées have found their way to the dinner table, desert tray, and holiday gift baskets and yes the family bar. Drinks found to be family favorites and each having a special occasion and special person associated with the drink is described in the story and recipe sections.
Richard Schuler
Born in Oswego NY, Dick lives in Minnesota with his wife Debbie of 25 years and their two sons Trevor and Tyler and two dogs Boo and lilly. When not in the kitchen trying out new dishes to serve to family and friends Dick can be found in the garage building custom Hot Rods.
Dick States:
"Cooking has become a great passion for me. I love to experiment with new and old recipes, read cook books from many different types of chefs and watch cooking shows. I felt it was time to share my experiences and recipes so I am offering them to you here today."
Each recipe comes with a story or person that influenced and helped contribute to that recipe. Each recipe has an importance to our family and is prepared by occasion or in some cases daily or weekly family dinners. With that said you will find very easy to prepare foods and drinks and hopefully enjoy them and share them as much as we have for many years to come.
Perparing and serving food began 100 years ago with my grandparents:
Louie’s bar “The Red Onion” and Nona’s “Spaghetti House” became popular stops for a hot meal, quick drink, and a card game. Patrons were well served with hot Italian meals by my great grandmother and grandmother. Back in the day these types of establishments were common and found corner to corner in neighborhoods. They were usually connected to the family home.
About our Sauce and Pasta: Nana’s three specialties were her sauce, homemade pasta and the ultimate family recipe fried meatballs. The unique thing about Italian cooking is each family has a slightly different recipe. Our family sauce had several variations from household to household. Some of Nana’s siblings would use Olive Oil, some would use Pork in place of Beef. Nana did not add oil to her sauce so it was always seemed smoother and thicker. She would also change up the meat she would use in her sauce. She would use either ground beef, stew beef or meat balls.
Pasta was served twice a week in our house. I carry on that tradition of having pasta twice a week with my family. Nana would make her homemade pasta noodles the old fashion way. She used an old broom handle and the dinning room table as a work space. She would roll out large sheets of dough with the broom handle and with a knife cut the sheets into long strips. To dry them she would hang them over clothes bars, clothes line and the backs of chairs. The pasta would dry for a day before she would cut it into short lengths and send off paper bags of pasta to our relatives and friends. I can still smell the flour and egg mixture from the old house and hear her hands scrapping the dried dough and flour off the old broom handle between each stroke of the roller.
Sample Recipes:
Sauces and Pastas
The Family Spaghetti Sauce
Meatballs
Home Made Pasta
Bread and Pizzas
Cookies and Cakes
Family Favorite Drinks