Strega Nona

I almost forgot. There is a large population of Italians in Schreiber and therefore a lot of Nonna's. I have been talking about Nonna's fabulous cooking and how to entice the Nonna's in Schreiber to give me food by saying they couldn't beat my nonna's soup...and then them making soup for me to try/bring home and enjoy.

Well, Terri has been listening to me talking about the various ways I could butter up the nonnas in town and then she came across a book entitled 'Strega Nona'. Now, she didn't know that strega means witch in italian, so it was funny to see her expression when I told her. Anyway, the book is about a woman known as Strega Nonna, or Grandma Witch for all you non-Itals. She is from a small town in Calabria (which is possibly why Nona is only spelled with one n in the middle?) and cures all sorts of ailments and makes all sorts of potions in her magic pasta pot. She is getting old though and needs help around the house and so gets a man known as Big Anthony to help out with the animals and house work and gardening. When he sees her magically make pasta in her pot he tells the villagers and they laugh. Basically what happens is Strega Nona has to go up the mountain to talk to her friend Strega Amelia and Big Anthony steals the magic pot! He makes pasta for the whole village (even the priest and sisters the book says) and everyone is happy. But the pot doesn't stop making pasta! Oh no! Big Anthony doesn't know that he has to blow three kisses to the pot after saying the spell to make it stop and so the pasta just keeps coming and coming and invades the town. When Strega Nona comes back she stops the pasta and every one is happy. Then the towns people turn on Big Anthony and tell him he must be punished and they start to string him up! Strega Nona says the punishment must fit the crime and makes him eat ALL the pasta up.

THE END.


Sara