Life Lessons from Aunt Bruna by Giovanna Eusebi of Eusebi Deli in Glasgow
Whilst my mother was a child of the ‘50s, my aunt, Bruna embraced the vibrant ‘60s and ‘70s with carefree bohemian zealous. She trained to be a hairdresser, later opening her own salon on the Rue du Jacobin in Toulouse.
It was the small details of everyday life I remember with Bruna. Breakfast was bowls of warm milk tainted with cocoa and served with a fresh pain au chocolat. As children, our afternoon ‘casse-croute’ or snack was bread and butter with her homemade mirabelle plum jam. A few years later, she came to visit for my first communion. The celebratory spread included foie gras and caviar that she had sneaked into her luggage. She was the life and soul of any party, singing French drinking songs and getting the whole family to join in with her doing the birdie dance - I loved her craziness!
When I returned in my late teens to stay with her for a few weeks, the afternoon ‘casse-croute’ was substituted for a glass of Ricard and pork scratchings. Meal time preparations were a time of inclusion, love and nourishment. I learned so much watching her prepare and taste dishes whilst sharing her vast knowledge of wines and cheeses. She taught me to work with nature, showing me on one occasion how to clean and eat mussels with no other utensil than the shell itself. On the same evening, she taught me how to play poker and drink whisky… my mother would have been horrified!
Bruna lived in the moment and was great fun to be around. She was seldom seen without a cigarette in one hand a glass of wine in the other and her little dachshund, Kiki. Family friends who stopped off in Lyon to visit her were mesmerised when she spontaneously did the Lambada in the street with them, halting rush hour traffic as they danced. Mostly she taught me that it was more important who you were eating with than what you were eating. She loved entertaining and would spontaneously throw dinner parties for 20 plus friends with ease. I once watched her dig a pit in her garden to cook a pig in the ground for guests she had coming round that evening.
She spent her last months with her sisters, my mother and their little sister, Franca. She had spent her life dedicated to nurturing and feeding all of our souls. Her love was expressed in her food, enriching the lives of all her family and friends. Her idea of a meal was not just about the ingredients on the plate, but how it made others feel. It went beyond a taste memory; it was a moment of shared happiness forever embedded in all of our hearts when we ate with Bruna.
Zucchini Linguine
At this time of year, summer is just on the horizon and we need to celebrate with dishes full of flavour and vibrancy. We’ve just launched our brand-new summer menu at Eusebi Deli with tastes of the Italian summer sunshine. This recipe is perfect for summer as the courgette adds a lovely lightness to the pasta and the simple addition of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, herbs and pinenuts are a classic flavour combination that marries together for a meal that the whole family will love!
Eusebi Deli is located at 152 Park Road in Glasgow’s West End. For more information and to book your table, visit http://eusebideli.com/.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
300g dried linguine
2 yellow courgettes, cut into ribbons using a potato peeler
1 large clove of garlic
150ml extra virgin olive oil
120g pinenuts, toasted
8 mint springs, stalks removed and roughly chopped
8 oregano springs, stalks removed and roughly chopped
A generous handful of basil leaves, gently torn
1 lemon, zest and juice only
Seasoning, as required
To garnish:
Freshly grated pecorino
Method:
1. First, cook the pasta as per the instructions on the pack.
2. While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a large pan and then add the garlic. Allow the garlic to colour slightly and then remove it from the pan.
3. Once the pasta has cooked, drain the water but reserve a ladleful of the cooking water as you will need it later.
4. Add the courgette ribbons to the pan with the garlic infused oil and then immediately add the cooked pasta.
5. Add the herbs, pinenuts and lemon zest and juice to the pan. Next, add the ladleful of reserved pasta water and stir everything together gently. Taste the sauce and season with sea salt and pepper.
6. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes and then divide into four serving bowls. Finish with grated pecorino and serve.
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