Site of Cammareri Bros. Bakery and The Little Chatter Box

Most people know Cammareri Bros. Bakery from the movie Moonstruck. I had the great fortune of growing up blocks away and was weaned on their bread. Crunchy, but not too crisp on the outside, and tender, pillowy tufts on the inside. Right next door was a beauty parlor called The Little Chatter Box, very appropriate in a neighborhood filled with Italian ladies that had a lot to say.

I remember the day I walked by after a long Labor Day weekend and the store was closed. I figured they were taking a few more days off. Days, then weeks, passed as the neighborhood learned the store which had opened in 1921 had closed for good. While the sons opened shop in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, there must have been some secret Pop took to the grave because folks I’ve yet to taste a loaf of classic Italian bread from any bakery, in Brooklyn or beyond, as good as the one I knew growing up.

I begged my husband to let me buy the original sign and hang it in our living room. Who knows where it is now. The space became The Red Rail, and the owner had tried to capitalize on the memory by bringing in Cammareri bread too. It never quite took hold, and later became Naidre’s, a coffee shop and congregation for free wi-fi.

Road Trip Memories has a great post with then and now pictures from the movie, where you can even get a glimpse of bread in the windows from the original Cammareri & Sons. Now, I must go wipe the drool that has collected in the corners of my mouth.

almond scones

I woke with scones on the brain and decided that would be my recipe testing for Cuisinart. I’d made them about two years ago but for the life of me could not find my recipe. While the old recipe was good, this one is great, so some things are just mean to be. We had a playdate that afternoon and my daughter’s friend said if I open a restaurant they belong on the menu.

day six: french onion soup

By now, you’ve guessed food is a huge part of my life. Besides the three meals and snacks I prepare for the girls everyday, I’m also a food writer. Trust me, there are no complaints here. On this particular day, I was catching up on some friends’ blogs and was tempted by Jen to make French onion soup. I’d actually had it on my mind for some time. I even bought a bunch of onions weeks before and stored them in our back room, where temperatures dip into arctic territory. Jen’s post gave me the nudge I needed, and in minutes I was in the kitchen slicing and caramelizing. It’s a combination of all my favorites: gooey cheese, sweet onions, crusty bread, but the best part is that cheese that crisps around the rim of the bowl.

I’ll be posting my recipe at In Jennie’s Kitchen soon. It’s a vegetarian version, and a very worthy rival to the classic beef broth based original.

day five: slow cooker brisket

I’m becoming friends with my slow cooker. On this particular day, I was also trying to sort through the freezer and fridge bins, making this a total pantry meal. The beef brisket was from Wilkow Orchards, and my secret ingredient was Dulcet Mild Indian Curry Ketchup. Forget any preconceived notions of Heinz. This is an artisanal product from Portland, Oregon. I must also remember to tell Shauna it’s gluten free! And, of course, the recipe will be posted at In Jennie’s Kitchen soon.

day four: a serious girl

Alice laughed when I told her my nickname for this cutie is the “evil one”. But doesn’t that look say it all? Really folks, hell hath no fury like this little girl scorned. Like her mama, she knows what she wants, except she’s fickle and what she wants changes quite often. Pray for me come the terrible two’s, and I don’t even want to think about her teen years.

I’ll let you in on a secret, though. I wouldn’t trade her for the world, because all it takes is one whispery little “mahhmmee” to bring me coming back for more.

project 365: day three

I gave this candle to my husband many moons ago, and it’s taken up residence in our fireplace. Yes, the shot is a bit blurry, but that and the rustic brick background, lend to the mysterious question on all our minds: just what trouble is this little lady guilty of?

apple ginger cake

After a good month of indulging in more sweets than my jeans care to admit, I decided to make something on the lighter side to bring to dinner at a friend’s house. I remembered I had some apples in the fridge (cold storage is much better than the tropical temperatures in my apartment). The natural sugars in the mutsu apple I used served as the ultimate alternative sweetener—the final recipe needed just one half cup of sugar. I’ll be posting it soon over at In Jennie’s Kitchen.

my favorite childhood Christmas ornament

Growing up, the holidays were singed with sadness since I was seven years old. After my nana passed away, my mother withdrew from finding any joy in the holidays. Combine that with an alcoholic dad, and well, the rest has already been penned in many a novel. It’s probably the reason I tried to boost the cheer factor every Christmas. Something about that time of year gave me renewed hope that things might be different one day.

And somehow, my dad managed to be sober enough to go out buy a tree, string the lights and we’d decorate it. After he left, trimming the tree duties fell to me, and it is still that way today. He taught me how to start at the trunk of the tree and work my way to the outer branches when hanging the lights.

Almost 30 years later, some of those original ornaments now hang on my own tree. This year my six-year old and 19-month old daughters helped hang them, and I can assure you their recollections will be nothing but happy ones. The picture above is of an ornament I’ve always loved. I feel a bit of magic when I glance at it, and see the way the lights illuminate the colored glass. They were a ray of sunshine at a time when I so very needed one.