Football Season, the Other Holiday Season

Aaahhh, the most wonderful time of the year in Western Pennsylvania. Football season just helps everyone forget that summer is over. Like Pavlov’s dogs responding to the bell, we start salivating when the air chills & the leaves change because we’re in the thick of the regular season. While the NFL hasn’t been without it’s controversies & political tensions, football still brings our family – and many others in the region – together this fall.

Charles III is wrapping up his 4th year playing football at Tufts University. Watching him play – representing our family and Western PA – has been the impetus for relatives from across the U.S. descending on Boston the last 4 years. In the Pittsburgh area - and in our family - football is a legitimate tradition, akin to joining for a family meal. For the Calabrese’s, we have some pretty differing opinions/preferences, but football and Italian meals are something we all equally love. We congregate on the cool metal bleachers in much the same way we do at the dinner table, teaching the young ones the customs of each activity. We joke, tease, and tell stories in front of both the gridiron and bowls of pasta. We draw pride from the lineage of Ital-YINZer football stars like Joe Montana & Dan Marino, as well as from our ancestors who supported their families through tribulations.

So as the football season warms up & the weather cools down, here’s a tasty combo that will stick to your ribs for a long tailgate…

-“Steel City Special” Black & Gold Creste Rigate Pasta

-Sautéed Mild or Hot Italian Sausage (we suggest Stone House Butcher & Provisions)

-Olive oil (we suggest Garlic-infused oil from Baker & Olive or Oakmont Olive Oil Company)

-Diced Hot or Sweet Banana peppers (we suggest from Backyard Gardens Market)

-Grated Pecorino Romano cheese (Calabrese family loves Locatelli brand cheese from Romeo’s Imports)