Scavone Family Cookbook: Bread Dip

04 January 2009

Bread Dip

Beau monde is an herb you may have trouble finding...

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. grated onion
2 tsp. beau monde
2 tsp. dill seed
2 tsp. parsley

Cut a circle out of the center of a large loaf of Italian bread (Mom's card says "warm home-made is delicious"). Hollow out most of the bread from the circle, using the pieces for dipping. Mix dip ingredients and insert into loaf.

2 comments:

BimScavone said...: Beau monde is an herb and you get it in the grocery store with the spices. - Bim; January 4, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Jimmy said...: I have to admit I have had trouble finding beau monde. Only some of our grocery stores carry it. You may have to do some searching around, but if your grocery store carries Spice Island spices you might have an easier time.; January 4, 2009 at 8:25 PM

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THE WOMEN

The handing down of recipes through the generations is a means of preserving family as an identity. One doesn’t simply produce offspring, one leaves them with the knowledge of who they are, with parts of those who’ve gone before and what they knew of life. In teaching her to cook, a mother teaches her daughter to nurture, to grow her children to be strong and good, and to preserve the tradition of family for them to take as their own.

When a new daughter entered the family, she went to her new mother to learn her husband’s favorite dishes, for to do his job of supporting the household, a man needs nurturing, too. Stella learned from Fanny how to cook for John; Barbara learned from Stella how to cook for Manny. The new daughter combined these skills with her own; thus, the family table was further enriched, and traditions grew.

It is to our lasting good fortune that these women were much more than students. Each was a talented chef. They knew how to follow a recipe and when exact measurements were important. But so much of it was instinctive. Mom would put "this much" salt in the gravy, and pour an amount into her palm. Was it a teaspoon? A tablespoon? It was enough so that the gravy tasted right. They were inventive. What matter if there was little in the refrigerator when times were tough? They could take almost anything and make a meal that more than satisfied hunger and taste. Experiment with the recipes yourself, add your own touches. Mom, Nana and Grandma won’t mind, as long as you enjoy what comes out. In our family tradition, food represents the bounty of the Earth. It is a gift, and our duty not only to use it, but to use it well.

04 January 2009

Bread Dip

2 comments:

Benvenuto!

THE RECIPES

Printing Recipes

Manny and Barbara (Valerie) Scavone

Nana Rosie

Nana Stella

Grandma Tressa

Grandma Fanny

THE WOMEN

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