A tale of Italian Life and Love

Tommasa

Tomassa Rizzolo, my great grandmother, was born in 1869 in the small hill town of Calabritto, Italy.  In the mid to late 1800’s, traveling from one town to another involved traversing a mountain or two. As a result, those who lived in these tiny hamlets were self sufficient. They had gardens, livestock, and lived in rustic homes. Some homes had walls that were part of the mountain side.  While the region had communal vineyards, Tommasa had her own. 

The people of the town were well versed in wine and cheese making. Similarly, their prolific tomato crops produced unrivaled sauces and stews. Surrounded by olive groves, lemon trees, acorn and hazelnut trees, they were richly endowed with an abundance of high quality products to feed their families.  Italian life, the lure of cool, misty summer mornings and mountain vistas, along with prolific food production made this part of Italy a destination. Moreover, in recent years, it has been frequented by food and wine aficionados desiring a more organic, less populated experience.

Angelo Michele

Angelo Michele Garippo, my great grandfather was born in 1861 in the town of Senerchia. Senerchia was a mere 6 kilometers from Calabritto.  Like the people of the neighboring towns, his family worked the land. His family was larger than most and the need for food and resources was greater.  Consequently, as one of the eldest children, he carried the burden of finding outside work. He was a skilled laborer, farmer, wine maker, and while he had no formal education, he had dreams of leaving Italy to forge a new life in America.  

The Legend

One story of their Italian life that never made it to my mother’s vast repertoire of family tales, was the story of how my great grandparents met.  Likewise, as is common in the family, no one every has all the elements of the story. In particular, some stories are told mor dramatically than others.

Legend has it, Angelo Michele stole his neighbor’s goat. As a result,  ended up in jail in Calabritto, as there was no jail in Senerchia.  Tommasa, my great grandma, was the daughter of the Prison Warden, Vincente Rizzolo,  Hence, it was her job to cook for, and feed the prisoners. While Angelo Michele never admitted to stealing the goat, and was only borrowing it to get milk to make cheese, his neighbor didn’t believe him and had him thrown into jail.  During his brief stay at the Calabritto Prison, he fell in love with Tommasa’s cooking. Similarly, he fell in love with her.  You know the old saying, “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.

Family Traditions – Italian Life in America

When I think about the recipes passed on to me from Tommasa to my grandmother Elizabeth, and from my mother Rosa to me, and I imagine what may have been prepared for the prisoners in Calabritto. I envision her gathering jars of cured olives, pickled eggplant, and hot peppers from the cellar to create an antipasto.  She might have selected a sopressata or prosciutto from her rustic pantry to add to the spread. My mind envisions her siphoning jugs of homemade wine. I can see her in her hand sewn dress, hair pulled back into a bun, drying gnocchi on screens laid on tables in the sun. The thought of smelling the pots of freshly cut tomatoes steaming on the wood stove fills my head. I can picture her squeezing and straining ricotta in the sink.

Ah, to be a prisoner in Calabritto!

I love that they met this way. Consequently, Tommasa and Angelo Michele, settled in Chicago where they raised a family. They became respected members of their community, assisting other immigrants in their quest for life in America.

Stay tuned, as I will be sharing some of her techniques for canning and recipes that my family cherishes to this day!