Friday, December 18, 2009

Pink Saturday Tradition

For this last Pink Saturday of the Christmas Season Beverly from How Sweet the Sound asked us to share a tradition we have. I have so many but making these pastries called "Cuccidati" (Italian fig cookies) every year with my mom was the first thing that popped up in my heart and mind. I was born in Sicily in Palermo and moved to the US when I was 3. My Moms family all lived here and they started making these cookies when we moved here. My mom wanted us to have lots of traditions old and new. Cuccidati are so much work and take a very long time but we enjoy it so much. Me and my Mom sit with this wooden board and rolling pins my "nonno" (grandfather) and Dad made; on our laps for hours! They are filled with tiny chopped dried figs,honey, pignoli, roasted almonds, white raisins, orange peel, cinnamon and some other things I left out all cut and ground small. Then the pastry on the outside gets rolled out (always issues) and then we make different shapes and flowers and my Dad is the "Baker" and "Sugar Boy". We usually order Pizza and get it delivered during this day. Yes it is a huge deal because we make our own pizza and this is a fun treat! My Dad is 80 and my Mom is 70 with a bad knee but this Sunday since we are expecting a snow storm we are making these pastries... So my "Pink this week is a very cool tree made of pink glass balls that is proudly displayed in the Sony Building Atrium on Madison and 55th and 56th Streets. On one entrance all year long is Spiderman just peering down.




Pink ball tree at Sony and Spiderman who lives there all year long!



Lets go visit some other blogs and see what there Traditions are and let me know what are yours....

21 comments:

Unknown said...

Grace I didn't know you were born in Italy?!!? Do you speak some Italian? How cool that you still carry on the tradition of baking those cookies with your parents! I have seen them before but have never tasted them. Merry Christmas my dear!

Sandy xox

Sue McPeak said...

How wonderful to make those cookies with your Mom and Dad! I've never had them, but they sound much like a wonderful cookie pastry called Empanadas. They are filled with different fillings and can be found at the Mexican Bakery. Hope you can visit to see the Traditional Pictures in Front of the Christmas Tree at CollectInTexas Gal. Merry Christmas, Grace...stay warm!!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Grace, this is so neat! What a wonderful tradition, and I loved seeing you do this with your mother and father. :-)

Much love and Happy Pink Saturday!

XO,

Sheila... who lived Spidey! ;-)

Pam said...

What a wonderful tradition. The pastries sound delicious.
Thanks for sharing your holiday tradition.

Ginger said...

The cookies sound fabulous. What a great tradition. Would love to taste those for sure.

Merry Christmas
Ginger

Coralie Cederna Johnson said...

What a wonderful tradition! You are so lucky to have your parents to share this with! I did not know you were from Italy! How wonderful! I am very familiar with these delicious treats as my Italian grandmother (my father's mother) used to make these and all of my dad's sisters, my aunts, made them too. (They are all gone now but I can still taste the memories of long ago!) Thanks for this fabulous post! Wishing you all the wonders of a Christmas filled with blessings! Coralie

Anonymous said...

love cookies!HPS Happy Holidays

Betzie said...

Such a fun tradition and one you all can make together too...the best kind! HPS!

Thru Pink Curtains said...

those cookies look so good....have a very merry christmas

Char said...

Oh I just love this!!! Each year I am sure you anticipate with bated breath getting together and making these wonderful treats together. Even tho it takes so much time, I am sure the holidays would not be the same without them. Happy Pink Saturday to you and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, see you in the New Year, Char

Rebecca said...

What a wonderful tradition!! Thanks for sharing with us. Come by for a visit soon.

Back Porch Blessings,
Rebecca

Stevie said...

Alright I assumed you atleast had some Italian in you...you remind me of my SIL. LOL. What a wonderful tradition and to be able to share it with your parents; I bet they adore you!!! Merry Christmas!

xo Stevie

My name is Riet said...

What a lovely tradition and your cookies look delicious. Merry Christmas

Wendy said...

Grace, We are enjoying being snowed in here in Pa today, too!
I married into an Italian family and love every thing about them! They are full of so many great family traditions!
Thanks for sharing your cookies and your family memories!
Wendy

Anonymous said...

Oh...those sound so good!! And it's so cool that you still get to bake with your Mom and Dad. We have a new restaurant near me called Palermos. The family is from guess where?....that opened it. And the food is fabulous. Since my son is in Manhattan I have been watching the NYC weather. You guys really got hammered just like we did. A white Christmas...yeah.

Regina said...

Love your Christmas tradition and the pastries looks so yummy I want to try it:).
Cheers. Have a wonderful holidays.
Regards.

Regina

Natasha Burns said...

oh my gosh Grace, you are making me hungry! I didn't know you were born in Italy, let alone Sicily. My grandparents were from there, from a town called Vizzini. My Nonna often had friends come and visit and bring over their Sicilian biscuits and sweets and they were always things that seemed to take forever to make, but disappeared very quickly! Have a lovely Christmas, Buon Natale!

fitty's pinky rose cottage said...

Merry Christmas & happy holidays! you made yummylicious cookies it seem! yumm!!!

Angela Harris said...

Mmmm those look good. I so can not cook! or bake! That spiderman is freaky but my son would love it! Thanks for sharing your holiday memories! Merry Christmas !

Sara said...

Family traditions like your cookie day are awesome! I should have asked you to bring me one to taste last night! Have an amazing Christmas and you have all my best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous and love-filled New Year!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Grace my husband was born in Calabria Italy so I usually make these cookies every year for him! Do you do the Christmas Eve fish dinner also, with baccala? I do! I'm not Italian but I learned how to cook like one :-) It is nice to keep traditions and memories alive. I loved the photo of you with your parents.

I'm glad you enjoy my blog, as I do yours!

Buon Natale!