If Memory Serves Me Right

Monday afternoon I received a phone call I will never forget. My brother called to ask me if I had talked to my Dad and I told him no and asked what was up. He then blurted out, Grandpa Died!. There was no emotion in his voice as I'm sure he too was in shock to hear the news...he was in a hurry to find my Dad so we hung up. I spent most of the day in a zombie like state of remembering things we did as children and thinking of all the times we spent with all of my family. I missed him instantly there was no getting me out of this funk I was in.

Later that night I went to a dear friends house to do a Pampered Chef Show. My mind was able to think of something other than the passing of my Grandfather. I was kept busy and the thoughts of him were minimal until we were talking about the grill pan and press and my friend mentioned how a steak would have come out nice in that pan. I looked at her and told her that I thought the same thing and for a minute today I was going to get a steak and make it Grandpa Style.

I think making steak and feeding my family, extended and otherwise, is one of the fondest memories I have of my Grandparents and growing up. We spent many weekends and summer nights at 30 Stonehenge, Rochester NY... Irondiquoit to some, but that's only if you want to get technical : ) ... It always started out the same... it was my Dad and our family, Uncle Dom and his family, Aunt Andrea and Rory and Uncle Anthony and his family. It never seemed to matter what the occasion, nor did it matter that there was rarely an occasion our extended family wasn't thought of and for them to be there for cookouts or for them to just stop by didn't disrupt the natural course of human existence. Ok so here is the family that would come by.... There was Aunt Mary "Finary", Uncle Gumpy, Uncle Joe and Aunt Rosemary, Babe and Tiny, Uncle Sam and Aunt Verna, Babe and Tiny's daughter, Cousin Yogi, Sammy and Joann, Marion...Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Pete, Aunt Mame (pronounced May-Me) Uncle Paul, and Aunt Angie. I could never forget the people/family that helped to mold me into what and who I am today, I appreciate and value my family and I hold them with such high regard.

I was so little at the time so for me to remember that far back and who was always around brings a sense of pride and a bit of surprise. It was funny no matter how much food was made God provided and stretched it out and when the door bell rang and our extended family flooded through the doors there was still plenty of food. OK...so back to Grandpas steaks... When he made his almost famous steaks (they will be made famous someday, because this memory lives inside of me and I WILL pass this on to every person I meet and know...)  there was never a change in the flavor nor in the smell and it was duplicated so perfectly every time they were cooked. First you started off with Delmonico or T-Bone...poke it with a fork, squeeze fresh lemon over the top, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning...Flip and repeat on the other side. Make sure your grill is nice and HOT! Ahhhhh, I can hear the sizzle and smell that smell that comes off of any bbq grill in the summer.... STEAK!! Before owning a gas grill he used his Charcoal Outdoor Oven...alright so as my Dad corrected me it wasn't an oven but to me at that age it really looked like an old Italian Outdoor Brick Oven... Ok my brothers and cousins would know what I was talking about... : )....I want one when I build myself a house!!

We would gather in the dining room and Dad would say grace for everyone before eating...it was old school kids ate in the kitchen and the grown-ups sat around the LARGE dining room table (ok so it was Large to me because I was so small)...Oh and there were only rare occasions in which we would we be allowed to eat in the dining room with the adults but otherwise the kitchen was where it was at. My cousins, my brothers and I filled the table and we would laugh talk and polish of every moist tender delicious bite of our steak and potatoes. We never wasted food like many children of today, our Mom's gave us just what they knew we would eat and nothing more....if we ate seconds and thirds it was ok because there was always plenty...

Once they were grilled to perfection, (when I say grilled to perfection I really mean it these steaks were so FanTastiC that even the small edging of fat was pure perfection)...Grandpa would bring in the steaks and Grandma ALWAYS had baked and perfectly seasoned potatoes, if it was too hot out we would half the potatoes, season with salt n' pepper and grill face down on the grill with partially husked corn on the cob. Oh and we can't forget the large fresh, home grown, salad, (with tomatoes, peppers, and homemade dressing) there was NO bottled stuff made in Grandma and Grandpa's household...even when they got old and we went to the house for lunch there was NEVER a bottle of pre-made/store bought dressing...

Food was and always will be a spiritual experience for me... God would not have blessed me with a family who made such wonderful things and who taught me how to make these wonderful things if he didn't want me to bless those I know with it... I am a Foodie from head to toe and all of it began with a simple steak on a simple grill surrounded with my family...its just a little piece of heaven for me to have these memories. There is nothing I wont try and there is very little I don't eat.

Nothing could take that memory away from me and nothing will ever change the way the best steak, in all the world, tastes. And Grandpa if you and Grandma can see me now and read what I am writing....when you have your cookout tonight with all of our family who left this place remember us...Thankful to have been in Our Family, Blessed to have been Loved by You and Sad that those family get together's will have to wait until we are all up in Heaven with You!

RIP: Anthony "Tony" Morano Sr. 1926-2011