Day 20
Shopping List For Lasagna
Lena sat at the kitchen counter staring at the blank paper in front of her. This was the day she knew was coming but not ready for.
"I can do this for you Mom," her son said. "Just make the list of things you need and Carrie and I will shop and get everything ready for tomorrow."
"It was my father's last wish," Lena said. "He said after his funeral he wanted his family to get together and have dinner. He wanted his favorite meal, lasagna, and wanted us to remember all the good things about him."
"He taught me to cook," she added, picking up her pen. "Lasagna is the first meal he taught me. He and my grandma pulled me into the kitchen and told me how to prepare it."
"First," she said as she began to write. "You need to make the sauce. Never use store bought sauce. So for this you need:
About 6 lbs of Roma tomatoes. Make sure they are firm. I used to love to help peel them.
One large yellow onion. It adds flavor. I used to laugh because they made my father cry.
Fresh garlic. Your father used to tell me he hated the smell of garlic. But I told him, 'I'm Italian. I have to use garlic. The more the better.
Fresh Basil and Fresh Parsley. Some people use dried but I prefer fresh. They make the house smell so good.
Then for the lasagna:
You need a good lasagna noodle. Don't use ready to bake. I think it's cheating
Mozzarella cheese. My Dad always used fresh. And always a little extra so I can snack on it while preparing.
Ricotta cheese. NEVER! NEVER! Use cottage cheese.
A good bread to make garlic bread and plenty of olive oil. Get a good brand.
Lena handed the shopping list to her son. He took it, hugging her tight.
"Is there anything else you need?" he asked
"Yes," she answered. "But you can't find it in any store. You just need to add plenty of love."
Lena watched as her son left to go shopping.
Later that evening they gathered in the kitchen making lasagna. Lena knew this is exactly what her father would have wanted.
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