Mario and Mariesa had already spent a few weeks in Texas prior to Angela and I flying down. They spent a couple of weeks with Nana & Grandpa and a few weeks with Manize and Grandpa. Our week in Texas was spent fishing, cliff-diving, relaxing and trying to beat the 100° plus heat with Angela's parents and brother at Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas.
We were asked to prepare two of our favorite dishes (taking into consideration Grandpa's unique palette). Mario and I decided on the Spaghetti alla Gricia and The Black Rooster. We knew that purchasing guanciale would be a challenge, so we purchased it at Chelsea Market, froze it and shipped it overnight. Luckily for us it arrived on time and still cold to the touch. Thank you FedEx!
We had a special guest chef in the kitchen, Manize. Mario's grandmother had been looking forward to us cooking together and we all had a great time preparing the meals. All the "oh's" and "ahh's" as the house filled with the flavorful aromas confirmed that we had chosen the perfect recipies. Both meals were a hit, although we were told next time to ship more guanciale. We took that as a compliment.
As the week wrapped up, Angela and I could not believe how fast it had gone by. It was nice to slow down and spend time with family favorite activities, family favorite foods and of course family.
