Hurry Up… The Bride’s Getting Out of the Car!
With the recipes for Sausage and Peppers and Bread Salad.
The greatest sporting event in the neighborhood, and the only one nonnas sprint for is the weekly viewing of the brides. Just like baseball, football, and hockey, there is a season for this activity—spring, with time out for Lent; fall, with time out for Advent. As predictable as pro boxing matches taking place on Friday nights at 9, the ceremonies take place on Saturdays and Sundays between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
The Saturday events attract more nonnas than the Sunday ones. With their kerchiefs firmly tied beneath their chins, and their snug black coats hiding their house dresses, most of the nonnas are going to be in church anyway, to “go to” their weekly confession. (They do not “make a confession,” they attend one.) And after they say their penance—for the sins they have confessed, generally three Hail Marys suffice—they finger their rosaries, sit back in the pew, and wait for the first strains of the Wedding March.
Now for the few nonnas who are not already in the church, the dash down the long hill to the church begins. They tug at one another’s sleeves, “Hurry, up,” one says, “the bride’s getting out of the car!” And their short legs propel them forward, until, exhausted, they slump in the last pew.
In that pause between the sprinters catching their breath and the confessors putting away their rosary beads, they spy granddaughters, nieces, and neighbors’ teenagers sitting across from them. The girls, who are speaking quietly and laughing, are also wearing kerchiefs, but draped over their heads and tied behind the neck to hide metal, rubber-tipped curlers.
To attract the girls’ attention, “Pss-ss-st,” says a nonna who has begun to breathe easily. As the girls turn toward them, three nonnas raise a finger to their lips, gesturing for the girls to pipe down. But the girls ignore them. Hearing an even louder “Pss-ss-st,” the girls turn again, and wave off the “keep quiet” gestures. This does not sit well with the nonnas. And when next they catch the girls’ eyes, all three nonnas make a menacing gesture. Each opens her hand, holds it parallel to her mouth, and bites down on the first finger, all the while shaking their heads. The girls stop talking.
It matters not at all that the nonnas have no invitation to this ceremony, or to the 35 or so others they attend during the year. By right of being neighbors (even though this particular bride lives 15 blocks away) and parishioners, the nonnas believe they are entitled to attend. And following their example, so do the teenage girls.
The music begins. The bridesmaids, all in pastel colors (this is a rainbow wedding), accompanied by fellows in white tuxedos in spring, black in fall, make their way down the aisle; the maid of honor and best man follow. Then the flower girl approaches, holding a small basket and sprinkling petals as she goes.
Forget the bride. The nonnas can’t contain themselves. They cry tears of joy; their exclamations of “bella, bella,” ring out through the church. They admire aloud her dress, her hair, her all-around greatness. The teenagers turn to the nonnas; each girl opens her hand, holds it parallel to her mouth, and bites down on the first finger, all the while shaking their heads. The nonnas stop talking.
The bride sweeps in on her father’s arm. As soon as her father gives the bride away to the groom, activity in the nonna- and teenage-pews begins again. It’s time for the nonnas to go home and cook dinner. It’s time for the teenagers to go home and take the curlers out of their hair.
As they walk up the hill. the nonnas eviscerate every aspect of the bridal party’s attire—save for that of the flower girl. Each dusts her hands off, signaling the end of the event, and their talk turns to dinner. They have sacrificed an hour of the three hours they usually spend preparing dinner. (That’s three hours spread out over the entire day; they roast peppers first thing in the morning.) “Tonight, we have sausage and peppers,” says the first one. “Good,” says the second one, “maybe I’ll make a bread salad.” The third one proudly pulls herself up to her almost five-foot height and says, “I don’t have to cook tonight. My daughter invited me over.” The other two nonnas raise their eyebrows, glance at each other, and share a grin.
Sausage and Peppers
Serves four
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, quartered
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds Italian green frying peppers, seeded, sliced into 1-inch strips
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 clove garlic, peeled, quartered
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausage with fennel, cut into 1-inch slices
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
1. Over medium heat, in a large, shallow skillet, heat the oil, garlic, salt and pepper until the garlic is golden.
2. Add the peppers; cook undisturbed for 10 minutes. Stir; continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until peppers are golden brown.
3. Over medium heat, in a large, shallow skillet, bring the wine to a boil. Add the sausage, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Simmer sausage until wine evaporates and sausage releases its own fat. Increase heat to medium-hot. Saute sausage, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and cooked through.
5. Transfer peppers and their juices to skillet with sausage. Stir well to release bits of sausage from bottom of pan. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes, or until all ingredients are heated through. Transfer to serving dish; sprinkle with parsley. Serve.
Bread Salad
Serves four
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 1-pound loaf Italian country bread or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds very ripe beefsteak or plum tomatoes, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, diced
1/ 4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons fresh basil,torn into shreds
1. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the first six ingredients. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until bread cubes are golden. Set aside 20 minutes to cool.
2. In a large salad bowl, toss the remaining ingredients. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
3. Add bread cubes to salad bowl. Toss. Serve.