Piazza Bella - Aperitivo: I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII
Piazza Bella - Antipasto: I | II | III | IV | V
I got my run in, helped Sam arrange the cafe tables, and devoured breakfast with my family, Liam, and our friends. Family show-and-tell Keady style was planned for the mid-afternoon lull between lunch and dinner, so we needed to create a window for a few of us to escape the kitchen.
Sam looked anxious, but I was so rushed; with little time to take breakfast upstairs to Angelo and get to my workstation, I decided to check in on her later.
Shortly after our shift started, my mother popped her head around our kitchen back door, offering her help as a replacement for Angelo. Luca delightedly accepted, proposing she move in permanently, and I laughed at the irony, considering my father’s relationship with this Trattoria and its owners, past and present.
While my mom expertly peeled and chopped vegetables, Bella sat between her and me on a stainless steel prep table. We talked about our Dad.
My sister seemed pensive about the conversation, and I guessed she was concerned about discussing our Dad and her mother in front of mine. I knew the ice must be broken, so I launched myself two-footed through the glassy surface.
“Mom, you should browse Mama’s recipe collection upstairs in her old apartment sometime.”
“Are you sure, Carla? I mean… I’d love to, but might Bella feel a bit awkward?”
“She’s like a cat on a hot tin roof wanting to ask you questions about Dad, but she thinks you’ll feel upset.”
“I’m not at all bothered. Every season in a person’s life yields treasure, and Bella is one of my beloved Jacks; you are another.”
“I recognized Dad’s handwriting in some of Mama’s recipe books. I’m sure you’d enjoy a treasure hunt in my apartment with Bella.”