your personal stories about your Italian heritage or family

[Diane]

This whole conversation is boggling my mind.How funny about the time capsule thing. As I mentioned my sister Mary (55 years old) used to be good friends with Joyce. Do you remember her grandmother that lived upstairs that always sat looking out the window? She also had a dog named Tiny that I was so afraid of. I remember too, walking down to Vessio's and buying popsicles for a nickel! I sure wish I could recall you and which house you lived in. Do you recall who your teachers where at Elizabeth St School? Do you also recall those pizza sales the school would have? I gather your first name is Mary? I am going to ask my sister if she remembers you. It's so good chatting with ya:)

[Robin Patriarca]

Hi,

Here's the annisette cookie recipe

1/2 lb butter
1. Place the beaten eggs in a large mixing bowl and while the eggs are still beating add the melted butter, oil, anisette and last the sugar. Mix until well blended.

2. Then, using your hands add the flour and baking powder until you get a good firm ball. Let it rest ona board for 10 to 15 mintures and then proceed.

3. Break off small pieces and roll like a pencil to form a knot or shape into balls or rings.

4. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a preheated oven 375 for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

5. These also can be made into loaves, bake until brown, remove from cookie sheet and slice diagonally.

Icing for Anisette Cookies:

for 100 cookies

1 box confectioners sugar
1tsp lemon flavor
4 to 6 tbsp of cold water
color tints for pastel colors
non-parelles for decorating

Add the water a little at a time. Put all the cookies in a large pan and add all the frosting on top and with both hands cover all the cookies. When they are well coated place them on cookie sheet lined with wax paper, sprinkle with non-parelles and allow to dry.

[Robin Patriarca]

sorry, screwed that up, I'm going to make a new topic just for Italian recipes. Sound like a good idea?
Robin

[Diane]

Hey Robin, sounds like a great idea:)

[MaryLand]

Hi Robin,
that is great to give the recipe thank you, and I LUV the idea of posting more....as I can see already it has more people reading.  GREAT to share.  I must tell you New England has fantastic Italian food.  You can't find it everywhere.
Thank you, I'll watch for more.
~MaryLand

[Barb Knox]

Late comer here - hope some of you are checking on replies.  While not being Italian (Polish) and not living on Shrewsbury Street, I recall most of the places that you talked about.  I also remember the religious festival where the statue was carried and recall going to one of the "festivals" with an Italian young man who worked with me at my summer job at a local sweatshop.

Remember Speedy drive-in (I think that was the name).  That was my first teenage encounter with the kids who lived around Shrewsbury Street.  Hung out that for awhile, although the names have gone.  I actually lived closer to downtown in the King Street Area (City Hospital).  I graduated from South High in 1964 and attended Salter Secretarial School for one year.  I worked at Paul Revere Life Insurance Company for awhile and then left when I was pregnant with my first child.  I have lived in Sunny California, not too far from Elsinore, since 1978.

Barb (Siergie) Knox

[Diane]

Hello Barbara, nice hearing from someone from Worcester! I no longer live in Calif. May I ask where in Calif you live???

[Diane]

Hi Barbara, nice to hear from someone from Worcester. I no longer live in Calif. May I ask where in Calif you live??
Diane (Bellione) Morgan

[Barb Knox]

I live in Cathedral City, and my office is in Palm Springs.

[Diane]

Hi Barb, what a small world uh?? What brought you to Calif.?? I loved Calif and miss it very much, I lived there for 28 years. I am going "home" to Worcester in May for a visit with my family. It's been about 5 years since I've been there.
diane

[Barb Knox]

I escaped from the Worcester area (Northboro) in July of 1978 after telling everyone who would listen that I had experienced my last blizzard.  I just ended up in the Palm Springs area and have enjoyed living here - even during the hot summer.

I have two brothers who still live in Worcester and a cousin in Brookfield.  I haven't been back in years...

Barb

[Natalie]

Hi:

My name is Natalie (Bargnesi) Siedentopp. I lived on Camassa Terrace, (Off Shrewsbury St.) From 1946 for many years, I hung around Speedys and East Park. The Zona family, Errede Family were close friends. Any one know  of these families? I went to Adam Street School and remember a teacher by the name of Mr. Riley.
My father had a trucking company and came from Farno Italy thru Ellis Island in 1911. I miss Shrewsbury Street so much, I go back often, just to eat at the Parkway, go to Scanos for Italian cookies weekly.


Natalie

[Barb Knox]

You are one of the few people on these boards that has even mentioned Speedy's.  Lots of teenagers hung out there in the 60's.  I recall one my older friends taking her boyfriend's car out and then driving it over one of the islands where a speaker had broken off - took lots of the guys to get the car off there, but the driver was pretty so they were happy to do it.  One of the guys that hung out there had lost his license and one of his friends was driving him around.  He got into the trunk of his car and, after asking if the driver had the other set of keys, shut the car door.  The driver had said yes only kidding around, and the owner was locked in the trunk.  He was eventually gotten out, but it took awhile and it was entertaining to watch.  I think the non-licensed person was related to someone who owned Worcester Sand & Gravel, but I'm not sure.  Didn't Worcester Sand & Gravel have a "bottomless" pond that we weren't supposed to swim in, but did?.

Speedy's had a "special" sauce onthe hamburgers and car hops.  Gas could be gotten for $.25 per gallon on the other end of Shrewsbury street during the gas wars. 

Barb (Siergie) Knox
Palm Springs, Ca

[Natalie]

You are absolutely right about the bottomless swimming hole. The sauce was great, the hamburgers had cole slaw on them, and it was the Merit gas station that had gas for 25cents a gallon. I ghuess now we are giving our age away. Did you live on Shrewsbury street?

Natalie

[Barb Knox]

I didn't live on Shrewsbury Street, in fact, I lived in the King/Queen Street area - but after getting friends started getting driver's licenses became much more mobile.  I guess that was the Merit gas station, I'd forgotten that.  Did you ever go to a dance in the Lake Quinsig area where the Black Orchids were playing.  We followed them when they played to some extent. 

Barb