Cam Grayson.
My heart skipped a beat.
“Cam? What are you doing here? Do you know the owner?”
He nodded.
I walked toward him. I hadn’t seen him in almost a week and had almost forgotten how startlingly green his eyes were. He smiled the same lazy half-smile he gave me the first day I ever saw him that had the ability to make me as giddy as a schoolgirl.
I seemed to have lost the ability to speak.
“So, Alexandria, what do you think of the place?”
I cleared my throat and sat on the stool beside his.
“I, um, it’s great, but the owner must have picked a bad night for an opening. Not a great turnout.”
“Oh, it’s a tremendous success,” he said. “The most important person showed up. You.”
I tilted my head quizzically.
“Alexandria, this is my place.”
“Your place? But how? Why?”
“Once again, I’ve managed to make you speechless!” he laughed. “Okay, let me tell you the story.”
He began, “You know my name, right?”
“Sure. Cameron Grayson.”
“No, Cameron De Luca Grayson.”
“De Luca?”
“Yes, as in Giuliana De Luca, my mother.”
“But that makes you half-Italian!”
“Yes, I know. And you would have, too, if you had asked.”
I looked down. I never did ask many questions about him. I just put him in the category of “jerk” and let it go at that.
“In any case, my father met his green-eyed sweetheart when he was stationed in Italy in the Air Force. He married her, brought her here to his hometown of Denver when he was discharged, and they lived around the corner here in Sloans Lake.”
“Sloans Lake! But I love it over there!”
“So did they. They made a home together in a little brick bungalow on the north side of the lake. I still live there today. Anyway, my dad became a firefighter. They were amazingly happy together in their little brick house and were even happier when I was born. But when I was about two, there was an awful fire downtown. My dad was one of the men killed.”
“Oh no! I’m so sorry!”
“It was really hard on Mom. She thought about taking me back to Italy but figured I would have a better life if I grew up here. She knew she would have to work to support a kid, so she took stock of her skills, took Dad’s insurance money, and started the best type of business she knew how to run—a restaurant.”
I looked around. “This restaurant.”
He nodded. “This restaurant. By that point, my nonna was widowed in Italy and came here to help with the cooking, and the two of them ran it together.”
“Your nonna?” I recalled when I had tried to lecture him on what a nonna was and blushed.
“Si.” He pushed a menu over to me. I read the front cover: Nonna’s Family Kitchen.
“Those two women were the heart and soul of this business, but more importantly they were my heart and soul. Nonna died when I was a junior in high school, and I just lost mom last year. I shut the place down until I could find a good enough chef, because cooking is not my thing.”
“But I’ve seen you cook,” I exclaimed.
“Ah, that was for one meal. I could pull it together for one meal that was planned by the real chef— you. Running a whole kitchen full-time, no that is not my strong suit. In any case, I’ve been searching for someone to run the place.”
I recalled his visit to the restaurant in Boston.
“My buddy who runs Joe’s Place suggested changing the restaurant into just a bar, but I can’t do that to my mother’s memory.”
His buddy at Joe’s Place.
I stood up and looked around. This was all so much to take in at once. Cameron Grayson, restaurateur! Fellow Italian! Oh, the times I lectured him on food!
“Why did you never just put me in my place when I went on and on and on?”
“Put you in your place? What do you mean?”
I leaned my head against the intricately carved pillar of the bar.
“Cam, you grew up in a restaurant. You know more about food than I ever will. And look at all the wonderful equipment you have—look at the equipment you brought over to use for the wedding.”
He shook his head.
“Alex, you don’t get it, do you? You have an amazing gift! You are a born chef. Without any professional training at all, you know exactly what ingredients work and don’t work, how flavors blend, and how to run a kitchen. I grew up with two women who were just like you. Just because I grew up in that atmosphere doesn’t mean I can DO it. I can appreciate it, sure, but I could never run this place. Your opinion would be valuable.”
It dawned on me then. He was interviewing chefs, and he wanted my help. My spirits fell.
“Well, sure, I’d be happy to help you evaluate chefs, Cam.”
“Evaluate chefs?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted me for?”
He laughed. Great. Not only had I lost the chance to go out with him, I was blowing the chance to work with him or to even get to know him at all.
“Ally-Cat, for someone as bright and funny and sassy as you are, you are totally missing the boat. I want YOU to cook at Nonna’s Family Kitchen.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“But I haven’t gone to culinary school.”
“Neither did my mother. And she was tremendously successful. AND she didn’t have a marketing degree.”
Was he serious? Did he really want me to run this beautiful little gem of a restaurant? I walked over to him and looked up into his eyes.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“You bet I am.”
“But what makes you think it would work?”
He took the menu from my hand and opened it. The dishes on it were very similar to the ones that I had grown up preparing and eating—good wholesome Italian fare. My eyes stopped at the dessert section.
“Cameron’s Favorite Tiramisu?” I asked.
He nodded.
“My mother and Nonna always made it for me because it was my favorite. Everyone who ate here loved it, too. I never tasted any as delicious as theirs after they died. Until last week at Natalie’s wedding.”
“What? No.”
“Yes. The only person who could ever take over thisrestaurant kitchen is someone who could make thatparticular dish as well as Nonna.”
“Come on. Aren’t you taking a giant risk basedsolely on dessert?”
“It’s not just that. I know enough about you to knowthat you won’t quit at anything you try. I have eatenenough of the food you make to know that you are anamazing cook.”
It was like a dream come true. Could I do it? I’d never know if I didn’t try. Plus, it would give me a chance to at least get to become friends with Cam. Maybe, just maybe, something could come of that someday, too. I stuck out my hand to shake on the deal.
“Uh-uh.” He pushed my hand away. “No handshake on this deal.”
He pulled me toward him and kissed me. It was the same kiss I remembered from the kitchen after Natalie’s wedding. I was flustered.
“Cam … I don’t understand.”
He kept his arms around me and looked into my eyes. His endearing lopsided smile told me everything I needed to know.
“I told you before, I knew you were the one for me from the minute we met. When I make up my mind, I don’t change it.”
I reached up and pushed the errant curl over his forehead.
“Do I even have a say in this?”
He kissed me again. “No.”
“Well, I guess if that is the way it is …” I murmured.
“That is the way it is,” he asserted.
I pushed back a little. “But, wait, I’m totally the boss in the kitchen, right? I mean, just because you OWN the place doesn’t mean you get final say on the menu. After all, the chef decides—”
“Aaand she
’s back,” laughed Cam.
I pinched his cheek. “What made you think I ever went away?”
Epilogue
“When are they delivering the cake?”
“Calm down, Alex,” said Celia. “You’ve asked that fifty times and I’ve answered you each time, the cake is on its way. There, he’s walking in the back door now.”
“Has she always been like this?” asked the baker with a shake of his head.
“Yes!” chorused my mother and my brothers.
I glared at them. “Am I the only one who understands the significance of this occasion?”
“Yes, Alex,” drawled Keira, “you and you alone are the only one who can feel the tremendous amount of pressure of the day.”
“Keira, you realize that you could have been put on cleanup detail instead, right?”
“Pfft. As if.” She strolled off in her stilettos to perch prettily on a chair and munch on a cookie.
“I thought marriage was supposed to calm people down,” Elliott said in what he thought was a whisper.
“Ha!”
“What was that, Cam?”
“Nothing, dearest.”
I walked over to him and Elliott, and opened my mouth to say something, then burst into laughter and pinched each of them on the cheek.
“My husband and his partner in crime—when will you two ever change?”
They both rolled their eyes innocently.
“Pop, hand me the baby.”
Pop reluctantly handed his namesake over to me.
“Marco! Mama and Daddy have a big party today! Are you ready for it?”
He blinked his shining green eyes and grinned his toothless grin, and Cam came over to kiss the top of his son’s head. Elisabetta ran over in her sassy four-year-old style to reach up for a kiss from Uncle Cam as well.
“Okay, everybody. The doors open in 10 minutes. Where’s Nonna?”
“Right here.” Elliott dusted an invisible speck off the drawing that he had done in tribute. He hung the memorial picture on the wall where the inspiration for my cooking could best look out the window onto the streets she knew so well.
We stood silently for a moment.
“There, bella mia, like you said, when I opened a restaurant here, you would be here every night,” I whispered.
“All right then,” I said briskly. “Open the doors.”
And we opened the doors to the latest in the Nonna’s Family Kitchen chain, on main street in my hometown.
Recipes
I have been fortunate enough to inherit many wonderful recipes from the best cook I have ever known: my own mother, Teresa Oliverio. I have shared the recipes she taught me with Alexandria in this book. Other wonderful cooks have shared recipes with me throughout the years, and I have approximated them for Alexandria as well. Also, I received permission to reprint several other recipes verbatim for Alexandria.
Mama’s Lasagna
Sauce layer:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork (not sausage)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14 ounces) chicken or beef broth
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheese layer:
1 container (24 ounces) ricotta cheese (never cottage cheese!)
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
About 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pasta layer:
1 package lasagne noodles, prepared according to package directions (for best results, use the “no-boil” type)
Mozzarella layer:
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
Extra Romano or Parmesan for sprinkling
1. To make the sauce layer: Brown the beef and pork in a large pot, then move to a separate dish.
2. Add the oil to the pot. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until soft and translucent.
3. Return the meat to the pot.
4. Add the tomato sauce, broth, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the thickness is satisfactory, stirring occasionally.
6. When the sauce is done, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
7. To make the cheese layer: In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, Romano, salt, and pepper.
8. To assemble: In a 9” x 13” pan, pour one layer of sauce.
9. Place one layer of pasta, then one layer of the cheese mixture, then one layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle on a bit of Romano.
10. Continue alternating layers until the pan is full. Make the last layer the mozzarella-Romano layer.
11. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
12. Remove the foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more. It should be bubbly on the sides and brown on top. This tastes better if you let it sit for a few minutes before you cut and serve.
Tiella (Tee-yay-lah)
2 or 3 small zucchini, peeled and sliced very thin
5 or 6 medium to large potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin
3 cups spaghetti sauce (preferably homemade)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
Grated cheese (Romano or Parmesan)
Seasoned bread crumbs
1. Place the zucchini and potato slices in separate bowls.
2. Pour just enough sauce in each bowl to coat the slices without drenching them (usually about 3/4 cup for zucchini and 1 cup for potatoes). Set aside the remaining sauce.
3. To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Pour the oil in the bottom of a 9” x 13” pan to coat.
5. Layer in this order: potatoes, zucchini, sprinkle of onions, sprinkle of cheese, sprinkle of bread crumbs. Repeat until the potatoes and zucchini are gone.
6. Pour the reserved sauce over the top. Add a final dusting of the cheese.
7. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly, then uncover and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
Pasta Amatriciana
(in the style of Luisa Antonucci, Montichiari, Italy)
1/2 pound pancetta or bacon, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) unseasoned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon (more if desired) red-pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound pasta of your choice
1. In a large sauté pan, brown the pancetta until nearly crisp.
2. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until translucent.
3. Add the sauce, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. When the sauce is nearly done, prepare the pasta according to package directions.
6. Drain the pasta. Remove the sauce from the heat, and add the pasta to the pan.
Chicken Piccata
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and split into 4 pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off the excess.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butte
r with 3 tablespoons of the oil. When they start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When the chicken is browned, flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to an ovenproof pan, being careful not to layer.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet, and repeat the cooking process with the remaining 2 pieces of chicken. Add to the pan with the other chicken. Place the pan in the oven to continue the cooking while you make sauce.
5. To the same large skillet, add the lemon juice, stock, wine, and capers. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until boiling.
6. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes.
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the mixture to thicken.
8. May be served over pasta or with vegetables or mashed potatoes. Garnish with the parsley.
Wedding Soup
Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan plus extra for garnish
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all of the ingredients and make very small meatballs. Brown the meatballs in a frying pan or in the oven at 350 degrees F. Drain and set aside.
Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots)
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup acini di pepe pasta
Love on the Back Burner Page 23