Introduction (Johnny - Catie's Dad)

I would like to cover a few things that Catie didn't cover. First this is intended to be a warm inviting, pleasant blog about food, family, and the things that make us happy. This is not a forum for politics or religion. Take those two topics elsewhere. That said there are many food related things that center around holidays like Christmas, we would love to hear about those and the traditions that surround them. Those are part of our culture. We ask that everyone respect others traditions. We are after food, culture and the things that we all have in common.

OK enough lecturing. A bit about me. I am a second generation Italian American. My grandparents came to the US between 1903 - 1905. All four grandparents came from Sicily. My mother's family settled in Mississippi. My father's dad came in through Ellis Island like so many others at the time but unlike some he moved south to Louisiana. The story is that he did not like the cold climate, so he worked his way south. He found work on a sugar cane plantation, he had no education or special skill. When he had saved enough money he sent for my grandmother and their young son. They came in to New Orleans. They lived in the Saint Martinville, Breaux Bridge area. This is the heart of Cajun country, my grandmother learned to speak French before she learned English. At some point both families made their way to Port Arthur Texas. My dad's family a little sooner than my mom's. My dad was born in port Arthur and my mom was born in Hattisburg Mississippi. Both grew up as kids in Port Arthur. My mom's father was a Blacksmith by trade, but ran a small business in Port Arthur. I remember that my dad really had a great deal of respect for my mother's father. In 1948 my parents moved to West Texas. We are at the edge of the Chihuahua dessert on the south and the LLano Estacado on the north. It is very arid yet not considered dessert. Technically we are on the southern edge of the plains.

Like many second generation Italian Americans I did not marry an Italian. In this part of Texas there are not many Italians. So even though I am 100% Italian in blood, I don't retain much of my Italian heritage. I don't speak Italian, my parents didn't speak Italian. I think it is a shame, but on the other hand I see myself as American, Texan, then Italian. My grandparents would not let their children speak Italian; they insisted that the kids learn English and become part of their new home as Americans. I respect this very much, yet I wish I retained more of our Italian cultural heritage. The little I have is mostly in the form of food, and a few family memories, and I cling to them tenaciously. So our food heritage is an odd combination of Italian, Cajun, and South West.