The Thanksgiving holiday is over and we are ready to put up the Christmas decorations.  Now for me and my family, there is one event that marks the beginning of the Christmas season.  That is the making of the pita piata, the traditional Italian Christmas cake.

 

Many years ago when I was about ten or eleven years old, my mother sent me to stay with my godmother,  Lena  Garrett, who lived in Rosemont.  The purpose of my visit was to help her make pitas.  For many years I would  go there and she and I would go down in her basement where we would work for several days preparing these delicacies.  Hers were different than many of those made by other Italian families, who generally made them in the shape of a jelly roll.  Aunt Lena made hers in the shape of a rosette.  This type of pastry was very time consuming to make and required a lot of rolling of the dough as it had to be very thin.  

 

Well this was the beginning of a family custom for me that I have continued every year for about 65 years. The tradition of making pitas the first weekend after Thanksgiving started with my visit to Aunt Lena's and has continued in our family every since.  We try to get a lot of help so that we can get it all done in one day.  

 

As I started my own family, I started making pitas with my two sisters, Joan and Cathy, and eventually it grew to include our daughters, Bridget, Vanessa, Lisa and Leslie.  Soon it included our granddaughters, Jenna, Victoria, Hollie, and Miranda and this year included a great granddaughter MaKenna Robey.  This tradition means that we are now teaching the fourth generation.  This year we were assisted by MaKenna.  Of course by brother-in-law Dan Fisher and my son-in-law Dixon Pruitt did a lot of the grunt work to help us get started.  The final task of tasting was done by my son Mike and grandson Ben Queen.

 

It is now eleven o’clock and as I sit here writing this column. I am filled with the wonderful aroma of the spices, raisins, cinnamon and wine that goes into these pitas.  I know now I am ready to continue the customs of Christmas.  I only hope that each of you have family traditions that have a special meaning to you and your family.  Remember the true spirit of Christmas.

 

Now is the time for everyone to plan your Christmas Eve dinner.  Plan a menu that will include the seven traditional different fishes.  I will suggest a few for you:  shrimp, oysters, crab, lobster, salmon, tuna casserole, tilapia, haddock, sardines and include some of your favorites.

 

Most of you who know me know that I sometimes set lofty goals for myself.  Back in the late sixties I decided that I wanted to do ceramics.  I decided I would do a nativity set which included about 25 pieces. I did them all in a pearlesque finish. I must say I consider them to be beautiful and every year since then this ceramic nativity set held a predominate place in my holiday decorations.  By the way, that was my first and last ceramic project.

 

Please support the Quarter Auction being sponsored by the PWA.  It will be this Sunday at two o’clock at the Uptown Event Center.  You will never be able to guess what beautiful items have been secured for auction.  Remember all items are sold in increments of a quarter.  This auction is a great way to supplement your holiday shopping.  Get your bidding paddle by calling 304-624-6881.

 

Be sure to stay healthy and most of all happy.  Make a promise to enjoy the season and be sure to share with your family and friends.  Stay in touch and until next week “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”

 

Editor's Note: The author, Rosalyn Queen, is shown in the middle with one of her Pita Piatas.