2019: W… A to Z Italian Famiglia Foods and Memories: Wheat “Easter” Pie

2019 A to Z: W… Wheat “Easter” Pie

Italian Famiglia Foods and Memories

I’m back for “Year 4” of the A to Z… April Challenge!

My first year of this challenge had me racking my brain for a writing topic… especially as I didn’t quite understand the process. But finally I came up with 2016: Southern Foods and Memories. They said write what you know… and being a girl born in the South… well this was what I knew.  2017: Conversations with Mama was a somewhat easy one for me as I’d journaled our conversations for years so I researched some of my favorite topics to write on.  2018: All About Nancy Drew has been my favorite topic so far, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come up with another to equal it. It literally had me researching every day for over six months… researching, reading and perfecting every post. I was totally consumed with Nancy Drew for months… and still am! I didn’t want to “not” participate this year, but I was drawing a blank. Finally, mid February, I came up with writing on my husband’s Italian family foods and memories. I did my Southern foods the first year, so it was time to finally give his family their due! I’m also participating in the yearly 52 Ancestors 52 Stories this year… I am really feeling over-extended this month. April is a tough month for me, as we usually are traveling to my mother’s and my son in Florida… but somehow I’ll manage!

Wheat “Easter” Pie… I tried to rush the A to Z for this to appear before Easter, but it just didn’t work out that way!

“Torta del Frumento”

Easter pies were an oddity to me as I celebrated my first Easter in Connecticut with Steve’s family… and if you haven’t wrinkled your nose yet at the thought of a Wheat Pie… well go ahead…as I sure did! All I could think of was the many rolls of “wheat” in the fields… and thinking… who the heck puts grains of wheat in a pie? Well, it seems that Italians do at Easter… and after many years of shaking my head… I finally had a slice… and I was hooked!

My mother in law didn’t often make this pie, but it was usually made at Grandma Minnie’s house every Easter and often more pies than needed were cooked… as she liked to give everyone a taste, and enjoyed sharing with the family. Aunt Nancy usually came to help her mother with the pies…. and it was an all day affair.

My recipe for Italian Cream can be found on Letter “I” on Ice Box Cake.

Was there a recipe for this pie in the beginning… NO! It was another family favorite that I had to create a recipe for. I went to watch, measure ingredients, and write directions… after all, Grandma Minnie didn’t need recipes… they were all in her head. Everyone would say, “call grandma and see if it’s 1 cup or 2″... but I wanted a recipe to preserve for the future generations. So on that day, as they cooked, I measured, and asked “lots” of questions… but the one thing I didn’t do that day… that I should have… was to take pictures of Grandma Minnie at the table… in her apron, making pies! I think I did a good job of capturing the ingredient amounts, as I’m told my pies always come out good! That’s a compliment… as I’m “not” Italian!

Note: I try and make my sweet pie crust ahead of time… and make extra, as no matter what I do, I always end up with extra filling. It can be baked without a crust… actually some people do just that, but I love, love, love my sweet crust… it’s just not the same without Aunt Mary’s sweet crust. Grease the pie dish well whether baking in the crust or plain with no crust.

I learned this year that they also sell wheat in a can that has already been cooked… so that means no soaking… or cooking… but until I taste it myself, I think I’ll opt for the original way of soaking and cooking it! If you’ve used the can variety, do let me know!

Continue reading more of the A to Z…  Cooking Famiglia Italian Foods and Memories

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