Family Memories of Bristol Summers

This Summer is so unlike the summers of long ago. I remember a time when school was out and I was too young to have a job. It reminded me of my carefree youth and summers spent with my grandparents. During the early 1950’s, my maternal grandparents owned a summer home in Bristol, Rhode Island, not too far from the RI Veteran’s Home and within a short distance from the ocean.

The house was small, just three bedrooms, one bath, kitchen and living room, but it had a wonderful screened in porch that went three quarters off the way around. It was also built without a cellar, which didn’t sit well with my grandfather. So he decided to dig the cellar out from underneath the house. It was great; it was all dirt, with a low ceiling and just perfect for wine making and it kept the barrels of wine at the perfect temperature. There is nothing better than homemade wine directly from the barrel!

I pretty much spent the entire summer with my grandparents, with various cousins visiting all the time. Every weekend we traveled from Providence to Bristol; aunts, uncles, great aunts and great uncles, first, second and third cousins, as well as friends to visit with my great grandmother and grandparents. Since the porch went around the house, cots were set up to sleep, with a sheet dividing the boys from the girls.

If it was a weekend overflowing with family, some of the youngest were delegated to the attic, which was not as much fun since it tended to be hot and could only be reached by pulling down the stairs. I was lucky as I was able to stay there most of the summer with my cousins, Mary Ann Bevilacqua and Michele DeCesare. Mary Ann was lucky, as her maternal grandparents lived up the street from us and she got to stay with her mother’s side of the family as well.

Bristol was where my grandfather, Michele Bevelaqua, taught me about the ocean. He would talk about his home in Provincia di Foggia,Vieste, Italy, which is on the Adriatic Sea. He would point out the various creatures of the ocean. On the weekends, we would go down to the water and pick periwinkles (we called them penny winkles) and mussels off the rocks, and dig for clams and quahogs.

There were times when there were close to a hundred people there some Sundays and weekends averaged 50 relatives and assorted friends. So, we needed to go the ocean to supplement feeding the family.

I remember being in Bristol, walking with my grandfather on the beach right before the 1954 hurricane. It was so quiet; the sea was still and there were no seagulls flying around. It was just eerie. He told me it was because a storm was coming and we needed to return to Providence. It was during Hurricane Carol that my sister taught me how to tie my own shoelaces; I had just turned four. Summers in Bristol were the best times of my life.

I was privileged to spend quality time with my grandfather, who gave me a love of the sea and a taste for wine, and with my grandmother and great grandmother who taught me about food and the importance of family, and knowing so many of my assorted relatives.

So today I’m going to give you a recipe from the sea; Zuppa di Cozze which translated means Mussel Soup. It is really mussels in a spicy sauce. This recipe serves four, but can easily be adjusted to serve many more or you could use little necks or a combination of both.

Zuppa di Cozze “Mussels”

4 lbs. mussels

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 small onion, chopped

⅓ cup olive oil

1 cup wine, red or wine

2 large cans of Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped

Crushed red pepper to taste

Place the mussels in cold water to cover for about 30 minutes, drain and scrub them with a stiff brush. Scrape off any seaweed or barnacles, discard ones with cracked shells or any that do not shut tightly when tapped. Remove the beards by pulling them toward the narrow end of the shells.

In a large saucepan, cook the garlic, onion, parsley and crushed red pepper in olive oil until the garlic is golden. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer, then add tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Gently stir in the mussels. Cover the pot, Cook until the mussels open, about 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any shells that refuse to open. Serve with garlic bread.