It was recently brought to my attention that I don’t say, “Mom.” I say, “Mum.”
This would be the result of my horrific Pittsburgh accent, which has a tendency to amplify after a few drinks. And on a late Friday night at Bumbo’s in Detroit, it was all mum and wunt and I ‘unno about all ‘at. The accent gets a spotlight on certain holidays, and Mother’s Day is the perfect audition for me to sound like some backwater, terrible-towel-waving dirtbag.
Yesterday was the first time I’ve been home for Mother’s Day in about 13 years. While I do miss certain things about Los Angeles—mountains, Armenian bakeries, getting high and driving down Sunset—there’s just no substitute for being close to family. I picked up me-mum some flowers, a hand-written card, and a big-ass box of pastries from Sister Pie in Detroit.
Sister Pie has a number of iconic pastries, but for me I associate them most with rosemary cookies. Rosemary is an unusual flavor to see in a cookie, but Lisa Ludwinski has tamed it with aplomb. These wild & woodsy square sweets cost mere cents, and are otherwise lovely. While the salted maple pie is always a must, I’m a more ardent fan of their savory galettes, which usually features a rotating assortment of seasonal ingredients.
Though my Mom is always happy with sweets, I know it isn’t what she really wanted. Her heart longed for her favorite pasta dish, a vegetable ragu which goes by the name of sugo finto. A simple, humble sauce consisting of chopped up vegetables, herbs, tomatoes, and olive oil—sugo finto is sweet, spicy, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. In the video below, I pair it with orecchiette, but the ragu’s traditional partner is mandilli, an egg pasta cut into squares which literally translates to “silk handkerchiefs.”
I made the sugo finto above a while back with cactus, which if I’m being honest, was a bit of a mistake. Watch the video to get a sense of what sugo finto is, but you should omit cactus altogether. Though, I am actually probably going to update this recipe at some point. I would not cook nopales this way again, as I don’t really think cactus takes on liquids very well. The better method is to cook it separately and steam off the cactus’ juice in totality, instead of introducing sauce which rehydrates it, thus altering its texture. This method from Rick Bayless works really well, and takes almost no effort at all.
If you’re interesting in making sugo finto, I highly recommend this recipe from Serious Eats. Though, if you’re inclined to make it the super chunky and oily way that I do, I can give you the pasta sauce ratios below. At its core, sugo finto is a freestyle. Don’t get overly concerned with portions and ingredients. The chunkier the better, and using good olive oil both in the cooking process and for drizzling is key.
My Ratios for Sugo Finto Sauce
6 medium carrots
3 stalks of celery
2 medium sweet onions
2 bell peppers
3 banana peppers (or something like two serranos)
7 cloves of garlic
1 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes
a small pile of parsley, rosemary, and time, chopped finely
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine
This dish is all prep work, so if you find peace in knife work, welcome the relaxation. Put on some tunes and get comfy. Chop each vegetable into a rough dice and separate into bowls.
Using a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, set the stove to medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil, then the garlic, onion, and chopped herbs. Salt generously. Cook until fragrant. 3-4 minutes.
Next, add the carrots and celery. Add a little more olive oil. Salt. Cook until soft. 5-6 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium high if need be.
Next, add the peppers and onions. Same deal: Salt & olive oil. Cook until soft, stirring often.
Add the red wine and reduce for a couple of minutes. Next add the tomatoes (crushing them with your hand is preferred.)
Cook the sauce for 30 minutes to an hour, uncovered, on medium heat. Mix with your favorite pasta and serve with more olive oil for drizzling.
I felt the meal was missing some protein, so I also breaded up some chicken cutlets to be served with lemons. My Dad had a gnarly dentist appointment last week and couldn’t eat anything hard, so my Mom and I dined just the two of us, stabbing and squeezing pasta with lemony fried chicken.
It’s good to be home.
Thanks for reading The Move! I hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day. If you’re not subscribed yet, hey, what the HELL man? Subscribe. Like this post. Leave a comment. Pay if you want to!
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See ya Thursday!
Everything at Sister Pie is perfect but agreed - those savory galettes are something special!