Let it snow.....

When the snow comes, I huddle in my house and cook. and eat. Tonight I am making Rotelle with a simple red sauce and sausage meatballs. The meatballs are a freezer staple for me, always a couple pounds ready to be dinner.

Since dinner is done, I will tell you about my newest passion and obsession, the panetone from Santini's Bakery in Orange. Every morning sliced and toasted with butter. This is not like the stuff in the box. This is the freshest sweet bread laced with citron and other fruit. Jeanie, who spends seven days a week in the bakery, has introduced me to so many fresh new breads. This is an old-fashioned Italian bakery where they bake every day: for me, a reminder of my childhood in Boston's North End. The boules and chiabattes and all kinds of sweet and savory rolls. They use whole wheat and white, and rosemary and sage and fruit. There are sweets from many cultures representing the cultures of the bakers.

I have been a frequent visitor dragging all kinds of friends and family with me. This is not so far from us: follow Valley Street thru Maplewood and South Orange til it turns to Scotland Road. Continue on Scotland to White Castle. Turn just before WC onto Central Ave. In two blocks follow the road around to the left. Stay straight for two blocks: you will pass the closed Orange Hospital. The bakery is on the right, a green storefront with tons of bread in the window.

The bread is so good and inexpensive. I avoid carbs and do not eat bread very much. I love this stuff, everything is fragrant, and the texture is wonderful. I have been getting all kinds of sandwich breads and rolls for the lunches I make for my family every day. The filling I make are really complimented by these great breads. Today was tuna salad on huge slices of whole wheat. Yesterday was Chicken salad on chiabatta.

They also make a little roll called a slider. They are used to make little slider sandwiches. The trend in the city is to serve three little sandwiches together as an entree. We are going to use them for our BBQ pork. What a great little party sandwich! Look for us at a certain school benefit in the spring...three hundred sandwiches comin' up.