Directions: |
Directions:Chop onions and celery, sauté in olive oil, add sliced or cubed Cucuzza and cook until just starting to soften, then add tomatoes and cook until they start to soften, add salt and pepper. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: My maternal grandmother, Miss Lucy, had a grocery store in uptown New Orleans. She had a wonderful way with people and a great following by what could be described as the “foodies” of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. She had fresh vegetables in her store that no one else could get, along with fresh gulf fish caught that same morning, the best lamb, and prime beef hanging on the hook that was cut to order. She loved her store and went there every morning, except Sunday, at 4 in the morning and closed it at 7 in the evening. Every Sunday, Maw Maw came to my mother’s for Sunday dinner.
On one particular Sunday, my parents were out of town and Maw Maw called Rich to see if he would like her to come to our house and fix cucuzza for him. Now, we knew that Maw Maw knew good food and how it should be, but also that she had never cooked a day in her life and was looking for a Sunday dinner and a chance to see her great granddaughter, Robyn, who was 4 months old at the time.
Rich returned with her and the cucuzza and they went into the kitchen where Maw Maw immediately took a command seat and told Rich to chop some onions and celery and sauté them. Then to slice the cucuzza, “not that thick!.....that’s way too thin, you’re getting to thick again. Now put the squash in the pan and cook it. The heat is way too high, you’ll burn it, not that low, it will never cook. Now add the chopped tomatoes.” After several ups and downs with the stove knob and a short while, Maw Maw said it smelled just right. “Add the salt and pepper.”
When the rest of the meal was ready, we sat down for dinner and Maw Maw proclaimed, “Rich, I just luuve cooking cucuzza for you.”
I can’t remember the exact amount of ingredients, (I think 5 or 6 green onions), but all you have to keep in mind is her directions: “Not too much!.....not too little.
|
This recipe for Miss Lucy’s Cucuzza is from