More food!

Today we are having a delicacy in my house- what I have affectionately termed "Vovo fries."

I'm pretty sure this is how all people made fries before fryolators, but Eric's Grandma (Avo or Vovo in Portuguese) made them for me the first time & they are one of my favorite things she makes.  Greasy, carby goodness.  They are rough cut potatoes, dropped in oil & fried.  Not much of a recipe, I know.

We are lucky enough that Eric's Grandma, Dolce, is still with us & healthy as a horse.  When Dolce cooks, she talks.  She loves to talk, tell stories, and spend time with her grandchildren.  She is so at home in the kitchen, it's beautiful to watch.  She loves feeding her kids.  So we sit in the kitchen as she moves about, and we talk, and laugh.

My favorite story, told to me over a "snack" of cheese, bread, and stuffed peppers, is of how she and her husband met.  I'll retell it here but I don't have quite so many years of practice, so bear with me.

Dolce lived in Lisbon, in a home with her parents.  She grew up in the city & still talks about the life she had there.  One summer night, she went to a carnival with her cousins and her aunt (young ladies had to have a chaperone in those days.)  At the carnival, she saw a handsome young man.  They exchanged a few flirtatious glances, but that was it. He rode their bus home, but didn't speak to her.  For a few MONTHS after, Vasco would get off the bus one stop early, and walk by her house, hoping she would notice him.  Months, he waited, until finally, she spoke to him.  The rest is history.

When she tells the story (more eloquently,)  you can see and hear the excitement of the city, the thrill of that summer night.   It's magical.  And all the while, she cooks delicious food that I can only hope to replicate!

I'm pretty sure Eric stole this right out of Grandma's kitchen. If you don't have one, you should find one.  I think it's called a Spider.  Extra points if you find an old school one at a yard sale/thrift shop.  I like to think about all the memories created while this was being used.








And here is my handsome hubby cooking them.  What a technique.  (Don't tell him I posted this pic!!)

We also had some awesome kale soup that my sister in law brought over.  (love her! :)






Anyway, these are the random things I think about on a random Wednesday.


Not much in the way of informational but here's a super funny video about a Portuguese grandma.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSwXgJ06S3E&feature=related

Enjoy! :)