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-- Anonymous, May 18, 2001

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aA FEW MORE IMPORTANT LINKS on this topic

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2001

No, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO........&^%*$(#*& SNOBS. No respect for tradition. Damn yuppies.

The STOVE-TOP POT (which they "pooh-pooh" as so much trash) is the ONE TRUE ITALIAN ESPRESSO MAKER. Do they think they had these damn $400+ machines fifty years ago?!?!

My Mom just sent me my Grandma's pot. Came from Italy maybe in the early 1930s (maybe Red Hook, Brooklyn some years later....not sure). It makes the BEST espresso. I have yet to drink machine-made "espresso" that tastes as good as what comes out of that pot. And I've been drinking this stuff since I was but a child of maybe One Year Old, so I should know. When I was that young, my Grandma had a demitasse cup, saucer and spoon **just for me**. My Grandpa taught me how to use that cup, saucer and spoon; how long to keep the lemon rind in there; how to put *just the right touch* of sugar in it; how to sip it after dinner at the table with the family. He showed me that if it doesn't leave a bit of a "film" on the side of the cup, it's no good.

I remember as a kid telling my Grandma that I wanted that pot someday. Well, now I have it.

Thanks Grandma!! I miss you and Grandpa :-)

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2001

Patricia, that just reminded me of the times I used to play in my grandparents back yard. The smell of basil and tomatoes, hmmmmm. Thank you!

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001

Next time we dine at your house Pats.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

Maria, my grandparents lived in an eight-family apartment building when they came here (well, to NY). But somehow, my Grandpa managed to grow most every vegetable we ever ate right in his little concrete garden. He even had grapes growing back there. He didn't use those grapes for his wine; there was (and still is, I think) a place on Columbia Street, near the piers in Red Hook, that sells wine grapes.

But the smell whenever we walked into that building..... There's an actual Italian deli/restaurant here in LV that I've found (the people who own/operate it barely speak English!). It has the exact same smell when you walk in. It's true; "scent" is the most powerful memory trigger. (The food is excellent, too.)

Carlos, the invitation is always open. Hope you like dogs -- we got three of them now :-)

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

Patricia,

Wow, so true. Yea, it wasn't a big yard (being in the city) but big enough to grow grapes too. They had a cellar and made tons of wine. We grandkids would be terrified to go down there, so dark and damp. But of course, we'd force ourselves to "play" hide and seek, scaring each other in the process.

Glad to hear you found an Italian place in LV. Not much of an "Italian" settlement here in Colorado; it's the one thing I miss.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001