Aging Gracefully

My mother, Mary Bevelaqua Grossi, was a beautiful woman who wore her age well. The woman was unbelievable, her face was wrinkle free and her mind was sharp for her age. When she was 93 years old in 2007, she was admitted into Kent County Hospital for a wound that was not healing. Every time a new nurse or doctor entered her room they asked questions to check her competency. They would double check her birth date because how youthful looking she was. She looked like she could have been about seventy.

My mother was in the hospital for 3 exceptionally long months; during her stay, she underwent two operations, one on the vein in her leg and the other to remove her toes.  I remember, she was thrilled that both her surgeons were Italian. Due to her age, she was only given a spinal anesthetic, so she was semi-awake during the operations. It was during the first operation that she heard her surgeon talking about how much he liked pepper biscuits, so as she told it, “I piped right up and told him that I had a good recipe for pepper biscuits and that I would make him some.”

My mother went home to her apartment after a month in rehab. It took her a little while to adjust using a walker to get around, but soon she was back cooking and baking. When she went to those first appointments after the surgery, she brought Dr. Lancellotti and Dr. Gallucci homemade pepper biscuits. She also made the greatest wine biscuits. So, I have included her recipes for both the wine and pepper biscuits. I hope you enjoy them!

Pepper Biscuits

Yeast cake or envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

5 cups flour

3 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons crushed fennel seed.

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (temperature between 120*-130*- like very hot tap water) with sugar in a 2 – cup container, and let stand for a few minutes.  The mixture will become frothy as the yeast activates, add the vegetable oil. Set aside

Sift together flour, salt, black pepper and crushed fennel seed.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients working it into the dry mixture. Mix it well and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled in size (About 1 ½ hours).  Roll sections of the dough into ropes about the size of your finger, cut into sticks, nuggets or round biscuits, wash with a beaten egg and bake in a 375* oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Red Wine Biscuits

½ cup oil

1-cup deep burgundy wine

½ cup Crisco^®

1 cup of sugar

5 cups flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 beaten egg

Whisk together oil, Crisco^®, wine and sugar. Set aside. Sift together flour and baking powder. Make a well, add the liquid ingredients, and mix well. Make into biscuits, wash with a beaten egg and bake in a 350° oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes.

White Wine Biscuits

½ cup oil

1 cup white wine

½ cup Crisco^®

1 cup of sugar, plus more                       5 cups flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons anise seed

1 beaten egg

Whisk together oil, Crisco^®, wine and sugar. Set aside. Sift together flour and baking powder and anise seed. Make a well, add the liquid ingredients, and mix well. Make into biscuits, roll in sugar, wash with a beaten egg and bake in a 350° oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes.