Lidia Makes Me Wish I Was Italian

I came home from New York on Sunday exhausted by a late night and by the miserable rainy weather. I fell asleep on the couch with the soothing sounds of Jacques Pepin in the background and awoke again to Lidia, just starting to work away in her kitchen on Channel 13.

I've been into Italian food lately, Northern Italian in particular, just like the rest of the world. But I prefer to think it’s my own discovery, like I’m the only one who eats at Al Di La and has dreams of slow-cooked onions and anchovies. So I was happy to see Lidia, at ease in her kitchen, cooking with her granddaughter on that dreary Sunday afternoon.

That day she was making hand rolled Makaruni in a simple rich mushroom sauce she recalled from her childhood in Istria, Italy. That show made me wish my family was Italian. Then I would know dishes like this from my childhood. I would call my grandmother Nonni, and we would have hand-gestured all over the place.

I tried making that dish for my American mother and me. I couldn’t get the Chanterelles the recipe called for, but made due with Cremini and Shitake. The pasta was simple to make using the Cuisinart. I had to fuss with the water and flour a bit but quickly got it to the right texture. The sauce took a bit longer to make then I expected, but I’m sure it would be faster the second time around. The smell wafting from the pot was earthy, mushroomy deliciousness seasoned by the concentrated tomato paste and sage.

I would call it a success. I might cook the noodles a bit longer next time but it was certainly a hearty, home-cooked meal. Click here for the recipe and enjoy. Thanks Lidia!