Do They Eat Tripe in Heaven?, a collaboration between John Ciavarella and his sister Paula Ciavarella Caravati, was born out of the two siblings' yearslong desire to finally get down on paper their family's most-cherished Italian-American recipes and keep them from being lost forever.
With Paula taking the lead in re-creating 60 favorite recipes based on their mother's no-fuss southern Italian-based cooking and John handling the writing, including narrating stories of his childhood in the 1960s and '70s and the family's life in the formerly working-class Hunters Point section of Long Island City, Queens, Do They Eat Tripe in Heaven? is unlike any conventional family cookbook.
Along with the recipes, the book is filled with nostalgic recollections of the authors' parents, Mary and Frank, and their extended Italian-American family, and explores how food can often evoke our most poignant and humorous, and sometimes sad, memories. Do They Eat Tripe in Heaven? is a homage to food and its larger meaning in our lives, family heritage, and a spirited New York City neighborhood and the resilient people who lived and worked there.
Featuring more than 100 vintage full-color and black-and-white images of family members, street scenes, and ephemera; original artwork and photography by book designer William Dean Reynolds and Caren Hyde; and contributions by the authors' siblings and cousins, and others.
RECIPES INSIDE DO THEY EAT TRIPE IN HEAVEN?
Meat and Chicken
Beef and Barley Soup
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken Pizzaiola
Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Acini di Pepe
Country Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut
Dad’s Barbecued Marinated Cubes of Lamb or Beef
“Drop Dead” Italian Sliders
Grandma Louise’s Meatballs
Grandma Paolina’s Snails in Pomodoro Sauce
Italian Chicken Cutlets
Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Gain)
Pork Chops with Hot Vinegar Peppers
Pork or Steak Pizzaiola
Roast Chicken with Lemon and Onions
Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Stuffed Veal Breast
Sunday “Gravy” with Sausage and Spare Ribs
Tripe with Potatoes in Pomodoro Sauce
Seafood
Baked Clams
Baked Cod or Flounder
Calamari Salad
Puttanesca Sauce
Salted Cod Salad with Celery and Olives
Shrimp Marinara with Linguine
Spaghetti and Clams
Tuna Fish Marinara with Linguine
Vegetables, Pasta, Sauces, and Pizza
Baked Ziti
Cabbage and Beans Stew
Celery and Bean Soup
Eggplant Parmigiana
Ersatz Moundz Chocolate Coconut Bars
Escarole and Beans Minestra
Focaccia
Italian Egg Drop (or “Tissue Paper”) Soup
Italian Potato Salad
Italian Vegetable Stew
“Lou Beans”
Marinara Sauce
Pasta and Beans Soup
Pasta and Lentils
Pasta and Peas
Pasta with Baby Spinach
Pasta with Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Pasta with Broccoli Rabe
Pasta with Cauliflower and Diced Tomatoes
Pasta with Zucchini or Yellow Squash
Peas and Eggs
Peppers and Eggs
Pizza
Pomodoro Sauce
Potatoes and Eggs
Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Spaghetti Pie
Spaghetti with Olive Oil and Garlic
Stuffed Artichokes
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed Peppers
Zucchini and Eggs
