This family cookbook morphed into much more for me during the writing process. It began by contacting friends and family to collect recipes for what I thought would be a simple process. During those conversations and with my own memories, a flood of personal history evolved in my mind. What began as a repository of food recipes became much more to me, and I decided to collect the process in the form of this book, The Diary of a Mad Chef, to also include photos of those people and selected short stories. Food has always been the center of our family's common narrative thread, and I attempted to place the face and the stories of my friends and family with the recipes as I remember them. Along with the feedback and photos from my friends and family, it became a two-year-long effort to compile, edit, and publish this book. The journey has been a magnificent experience for me, and I am grateful to have had the time and opportunity to write this book.
THE DIARY OF A MAD CHEF
"A COLLECTION OF CULINARY TREASURES AND SHORT STORIES"By Daniel DellaVecchiaTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2012 Daniel DellaVecchia
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4669-4301-8Contents
AUTHOR'S NOTE..............................................................xiTHE BACKSTORY..............................................................xxiiiDEDICATIONS AND THANKS.....................................................xxviiCHAPTER ONE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.........................................1CHAPTER TWO GRANNY, GRAMPS AND THE JERSEY SHORE...........................137CHAPTER THREE OUR MOM, AKA "THE HEAD".....................................203CHAPTER FOUR DEREK, EVELINA, AND SOFIA....................................273CHAPTER FIVE JAMES, NICOLE, ADRIANNA, AND AUTUMN ROSE.....................333CHAPTER SIX BROTHER STEVE AND FAMILY......................................419CHAPTER SEVEN BROTHER TOM AND COUSINS.....................................471CHAPTER EIGHT IN MEMORIUM.................................................575
Chapter One
My Family and Friends
1. An Ode To Kim and George
In the fall of 1977 my parents moved into a large house in the wealthy section of Kearny, NJ. At the time I was restless and unfocused. I worked at Port Elizabeth as a day laborer with my Cousin Linda's boyfriend. The job paid at the end of the day $50.00 cash money, good money back then. At night I bartended at the local pub, the same pub I shined shoes at when I was a kid, more cash money. The "off the books" jobs allowed me to collect unemployment for one year from my work down the Jersey Shore during the summer season. The sum total of all three incomes provided me $600.00 per week. That is if the tips were good that week at the pub!
My parents recently sold our two multi-family homes on Highland Avenue in Kearny and we moved into the upscale section of town known as The Manor. The new house was enormous and I had my own living space on the top floor including a private bathroom and walk-in cedar closet. A far cry from our earlier days of sharing a bedroom with my two brothers!
One Saturday I decided to take a walk around the block and check out the new neighborhood. I noticed a beautiful little blonde-haired girl playing on her lawn near a big corner lot colonial house. I stopped and started chatting with the youngster and her mom appeared in the doorway. That was Kim Billingham, a beautiful women a couple of years my senior with long blonde hair, longer legs and a bright smile. I explained to Kim that I was new to the area and she invited me in for a beer.
Kim was an extremely intelligent and crafty, beautiful blonde with a real common sense. Kim had a difficult childhood and never let her past interfere with her happiness. Kim was the prototypical "hippy mom" of the day and we quickly became family. We sat in her kitchen talking and discovering the common people we knew in Kearny and our likes in music. Music was always playing at their house and music was a major influence in my life since 1968.
Then, into the room steps her husband George bearing a bag of food and more beer. George looked a lot like the late comedian George Carlin, and as I quickly found out, was as good a storyteller. The three of us bonded over a few bears and great music, and a strong friendship was born. I found myself taking frequent walks around the block to hang out with Kim and George. Their daughter Krislyn was a treat to be around.
George was an extreme guy, and didn't aspire to the typical goals of most people. He was not consumed with the concept of making money. George loved music and that became our primary connection. As far back as I could recall, music and lyrics helped me through some dark days and provided enlightenment. I hear music in my head all day long! It's like having a built in IPod. We shared a love of music and George began to teach me about the production process.
George opened the world of music from an insider's perspective. I met amazing people through George. Talented musicians and artists were always around. They respected George's ability to produce their Gig's and his overall music knowledge. George was one of the most intelligent and talented people I have ever known. Unfortunately, like many artists, he shared their common lifestyle flaws and that always caused conflict and drama. George was the older brother I always wanted and I loved him.
Soon after we met, George had an upcoming gig at a local nightclub with a local band. He asked me to assist him with the sound engineering for the gig and I jumped at the chance. We began to get the equipment together: A huge Kelsey mixing board, enormous speakers, microphones, and what seemed like miles of cables. I had become a roadie!
George taught me the nuances of music in terms of its production. Each cable connected to a microphone or instrument and then connected to the mixing board. Then cables from the mixer connected to speakers and sound was born! Each lever, knob adjusted the individual sound, and it was up to the engineer to determine when to raise and lower the sound. It fascinated me to watch George push up a lever and hear the guitar begin to wail, for example.
Perhaps the most famous "sound engineer" of the day was Tom Dowd. Tom worked with Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, The Eagles, Aretha Franklin, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more. Without Tom's expertise, we wouldn't have the classic sounds featured in the song Layla and many more! Tom Dowd invented the 8-track method of recording. He was a genius and George provided the same levels of genius to local bands. George was a local legend. It was good times!
George and I worked pretty steady with different bands for several months and I learned quite a bit from him about music. From band practice to gigs I would help George get set up. We had a blast as my friendship grew with George and Kim. She would get a baby sitter on the nights of the gigs and attend the gigs with George and me. George was busy working the sound on the Kelsey mixing board during the set and Kim and I would hang out. George liked that because it kept other guys from hitting on Kim. We became family!
One day I took a stroll to Kim and George's house with a heavy heart. That day my grandfather died. Gramps passed away in his sleep and I was emotionally devastated. Gramps and I formed a tremendous bond during our times together at his Jersey Shore estate and the day-to-day conversations and card playing we both enjoyed as neighbors. My grandparents moved next door to our family when I was young and I practically lived there. Now, Gramps was gone!
Kim and George helped me through the funeral and my grieving period with great love and kindness. They could see in me that it really hurt. A week or so passed after the funeral, and I found myself sitting with Kim and George in their kitchen and having a discussion about the status of my life. I was making money and dating a nice girl, but I thought I could do more. More importantly, I thought I could get more out of life and find my bliss.
George was the perfect advisor for me that day. After a quick assessment of my education and work experience, we focused our attention on the local classified ads in the newspaper. We settled on two jobs I could do and probably do well. The first was a plumber's helper, the other a telecommunications installer. George, Kim and I compared the opportunities each offered.
George was a licensed plumber and formerly worked for Ma Bell, the only telecommunications company in America, or so I thought. George explained that a plumber is a great job and makes lots of money, however, in the beginning I would get the "shit" jobs until I gained experience. Literally, going into people's homes and pulling dirty diapers out of stuffed toilets, clearing clogged drains on a daily basis for the first few years. To me, that wasn't very appealing so we focused on the ad for a telecom installer.
A local Kearny company was looking for an installer. George explained that telecom was always changing with advancements in technology and an industry where I could learn and earn at the same time. What was installed today would be upgraded or replaced within a couple of years. So I set my sites on getting a job interview as soon as possible. I called each day and spoke to Lisa, a young woman, and tried to get an appointment. The fact that I had zero experience was a problem, but I was eager and a local Kearny guy. Come on, give a guy a chance! I called every day during Lisa's lunch break and tried to schmooze her into helping me.
Unfortunately, over the years I lost touch with Kim and George and their four kids whom I believe were raised by George's parents at the Jersey Shore. In 1985 I relocated with my new wife and two boys to Miami, Florida and when we moved back to New Jersey in 1990, I had difficulty finding Kim and George. George's parents sold that big home in the Manor section of Kearny, and they were last known living in a 2 bedroom 2nd floor apartment over a tavern in a rough section of Kearny.
I looked for some time and eventually ran into Kim at a local pub one evening. Sadly, the move from the big house had a negative effect on their marriage and their overall lifestyle. Eventually, their four children were sent to live with George's parents in Toms River, New Jersey. That change gave the kids a much better chance for a normal family life. Kim and George had fallen on hard times and the kids were better off living at the Jersey Shore without them. It was hard for me to wrap my head around. To my surprise this all occurred within the short timeframe of 5 or 6 years. I was stunned when Kim explained to me that night that they split-up, and she was living with a new dude. George was nowhere to be found and I searched for some time for him. I wanted to help him, but unfortunately that wasn't in the cards. My great friends were lost to me but never forgotten!
2. An Interview with a Future
After hounding Lisa with phone calls, I got an interview at Johnston Communications. So I put on the new grey pinstriped suit I bought to bury Gramps earlier that month and went to challenge destiny. At the time the telecom industry consisted of AT&T or Ma Bell and very few competitors. Ma Bell dominated the market with perhaps 95% market share as George had described it to me. The little guy battling the giant was the story of my life so I was really excited to land the job. I drove up to a nicely groomed single family home in Kearny, NJ, for my interview with Phil Johnston, owner of Johnston Communications. Phil was just starting out and his home was headquarters. I liked that.
Finally, I met Lisa. She was on crutches at that time due to an injury during a ballet dance. Lisa was quite a beauty with green eyes, long curly brown hair, and the body of a dancer. I was instantly smitten. She was all business and had me do the job application paperwork. There I was in my best suit, sitting in the unfinished basement of a house in Kearny filling out paperwork to get a job. As George would often say, "Shit happens!" I completed the paperwork, returned it to Lisa, and waited to meet Phil.
Lisa reviewed my application and noticed I didn't fill in my Social Security Number. I explained I couldn't remember the number but would find the number at home and call her later. That was a complete lie. I was reluctant to risk my unemployment income until I fully checked out this telecom stuff because I thought at the time, what could be the big deal about telecommunications? You pick up a phone and make a call. How long can this job last?
Phil stepped from behind an area rug which hung from the ceiling performing the duties of a room separator, and we met and discussed the job. Phil was a smart looking guy with my mother's blue eyes and a keen alertness to every word. I thought, this guy is going places, as Phil described the opportunities telecom deregulation provided, and we had a pleasant chat.
After the interview, we walked around the cheesy room divider, and I thanked Lisa for putting up with my harassing phone calls. I thanked Phil for his time and the opportunity of a lifetime. I felt really good about the chemistry between Phil and me. I liked him instantly. As I drove home I knew I wanted this job more than anything in the world. I thought Gramps would be proud if I finally got a job with a future. Maybe, just maybe this telecom stuff could work out just fine.
Back at Johnston Communications Phil asked Lisa for her feedback regarding me. Lisa mentioned that I hounded her for an interview. Phil liked that so that was good for me, but Lisa had a major reservation—I didn't know my own Social Security Number. As Lisa put it, "He must be an idiot to come to an interview without his Social Security Number." Luckily, for me that didn't bother Phil, and I got the job and a start to a great 25 year career in the telecommunications industry.
The most ironic thing about that day was Lisa's concern for my intelligence because within one year we were living together in an apartment in Kearny and later got married. We were married for over 23 years until we divorced in 2005. Phil, my boss, became my brother-in-law since Phil was married to Lisa's older sister Jane. For the next 20+ years we did everything together. Vacations, holidays, and family gatherings were very enjoyable as our families grew and our kids got older.
Phil gave me my start in the telecom business and I enjoyed the work and benefits. I was making good money at the start and learning every day. The telecom business is quite complicated. Who knew! I worked hard for Phil and he taught me well. Life was good and Lisa and I were hoping to start our family. We were living in a second floor apartment located on Davis Avenue, Kearny, with a clear view of the Manhattan skyline.
After about two years, the work got slow and Phil had to lay me off from Johnston Communications. Not a problem for me. I had actual experience by then so I opened the yellow pages book to telecom companies and called the first company listed. I was hired over the phone and worked and got paid overtime that Saturday. It was in the beginning of the telecommunications deregulation of AT&T and technicians were in demand! Good thing I chose telecom over plumbing! As my father-in-law Big Jim would say, "My rocket was lit!"
Phil and I haven't agreed on some issues over the years but we remained respectful of each other's opinions and remained good friends. I completely understood why he laid me off and we were cool. We worked in the same telecom industry and shared business opportunities if they came along during the next 25 years. Johnston Communications will celebrate 35th years in business next year, a great accomplishment for any business of our generation. Phil has several loyal employees that have worked with him over 30 years. Phil gave a lot of opportunities to local Kearny kids like me. What a lucky break for me!
One thing I will always remember about Phil was his kindness to me during my 1998 post-accident recovery years in North Arlington, NJ. Phil would often stop by and check up on me in an attempt to cheer me up a bit. I was in bad shape physically and emotionally. The accident and surgeries changed Lisa's and my life forever. Often, I found myself deeply depressed and those short visits from Phil helped. Also, Big Jim came by every day for a visit. Thanks Phil and Big Jim for being there!
3. Lisa Joy's Oven Pancakes
Ingredients:
4 - large fresh eggs 3 - tsp. of unsalted butter 1 - cup of all-purpose flour 1 - cup of whole milk 1 - tsp. vanilla extract 1 - tsp. cinnamon 1 - tsp. sugar 1 - tsp. sea salt 1 - &fra14; cup of confectionery sugar 1 - cup of your favorite fresh fruit 1 - 9" x12" baking pan Your favorite pancake syrup
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the empty baking pan in the oven to warm.
In a large bowl mix the eggs, flour, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth.
Next carefully remove the hot baking pan from the oven and add the butter. When the butter is melted add the wet ingredients to the baking pan. PLEASE DO NOT MIX!
Now, place the baking pan in the oven and cook for 13 to 15 minutes until the mixture is fully cooked and the edges are golden brown.
Next, CAREFULLY remove the baking pan from the oven and top with the fruit and confectionery sugar.
Slice up the Oven Pancakes like a pan pizza and pour a bit of pancake syrup on top.
Guaranteed to feed 6 hungry kids who will lick their plates!! Enjoy!
4. Lisa Joy's Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients:
4 - bananas (overripe are better) 2 - cups all-purpose flour 2 - fresh eggs 2 - tsp. baking soda 1 - cup chopped pecans (or your favorite nut) 1 - cup brown sugar 1 &fra12; - sticks unsalted butter 1 - tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 - tsp. sea salt 2 - muffin tins or pans
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Now, peel and place bananas and sugar in an electric mixer bowl fitted with a wire whisk and whip together until well combined.
Next, add in 1 - stick of butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix well scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Now, add in the flour mixture and give it a quick mix to combine and then remove the bowl from the mixer. DO NOT OVER MIX!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE DIARY OF A MAD CHEFby Daniel DellaVecchia Copyright © 2012 by Daniel DellaVecchia. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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