It all stems back to my family traditions. Being Italian, there are very high standards in my household when it comes to the taste of a family delicacy. I learned so much from my family. Especially from my Mom and Grandma. They are the chefs of the family. When I was younger singing and cooking were always hand in hand. If I was cooking with my Mom or Grandma I would be singing some random song that popped into my head. Most of the time I wound up making up my own song. Whom ever I was cooking with, wether it was my Mom or Grandma, they would put on the radio for me. It made the family time more enjoyable.
Since the holiday season is right around the corner, there is one family recipe that we make just for the holiday/Winter season alone. It is called Struffler. Aka called Struffli, Struffoli and honey balls. It is basically small bite-sized cookies that are fried and topped with honey. That might not be the best description of it, but it sure does taste wonderful! I've been making that recipe with my Grandma ever since I was 5 years old. God forbid, but if anything were to happen to my Grandma, she said the family recipe will be passed down to me, so that is a great honor. But god forbid anything happens!
When I was in high school deciding on a college to go to was very stressful. I looked at Farmingdale State, New Paltz, Old Westbury and the Culinary Institue of America(CIA). Yes, I was very close to becoming a CIA student. I had an extreme passion for cooking, still do, but back when I was 17 it was my number one choice at the time. I was the girl who watched only the Food Network and movies. That's all I watched back then. Unfortunetley, I did not wind-up going to CIA. The beggining of senior year was very stressful. I had just lost my Grandpa to a horrible accident a month before the new school year, and my family and I were still mourning. I put cooking on the back-burner and decided to pick a college close to home. My family is my rock, and the loss of my grandpa whom I was very close to, was no longer with us. I guess you can say I feared being away in college godforbid another incident were to happen again. Saying goodbye for me is never easy.
Though I'm not a CIA student, I am still cooking and enjoying the new recipes I create. The loss of my grandpa taught me something important.. to move on and become stronger from every experience you encounter. For now, I'll cook for fun, and who knows what is in store for me down the road. Life is a mystery. Word of advice- It is never too late to dream. Follow your arrow.
-Kim (The French Fry Foodie)
Those of you who do not know what Struffler is, here's what it looks like:
