Sitto's Macaroni Soup
You’d come off the school bus, the sickening yellow, filled with shouting children, food fights, and someone always asking for gum. You’d walk to your sitto’s home. Your grandmother had delicious food, an iPad, and her home was a shorter walk from the bus stop, so obviously, being you, you went.
As you approached sitto’s house, the big tree in front of her house, branches wide, cast a shadow over the house. The kitchen window slightly open, you’d smell a home cooked meal wafting towards you. The warmth of the meal would fill the room. You'd pick up your pace, eager to sneak a taste. You had a few favorites from sitto, especially her macaroni soup.
When you walked in the door, you’d wash your hands and run to the kitchen where a big pot was brewing, the red tomato soup with the macaroni in it, your macaroni soup. A sense of familiarity came over you like a warm hug.
You’d hug sitto, give her a kiss, and started setting the table. You never ate without jitto, your grandfather, so you sat at the steps, door wide open.
"Shut the door, you’ll let the cold in!” your sitto yells. When you saw his taxi pull up in the driveway you’d stand up, waiting. You hugged jitto when he came in. He was always cold and wearing his blue jacket.
You’d wait at the table, your designated seat at the end. You’d say Bismillah, a blessing Muslims say before starting a meal. Sitto gives you a bowl. There’s a slight chip on one of the sides from when you last dropped it.
You look down at the red, steaming bowl of soup ready to devour, like a predator waiting for its prey. Your khalo (uncle) told you to put salt because sitto never put enough — something about heart problems she said. You’d pour some in until sitto tells you “enough” and makes you put it down.
You picked up your spoon and started eating. The hot soup filling your mouth takes you back to the first time you ate it: Jitto lifting you to the chair cause you couldn't get on yourself, him tying your hair back so it doesn't get in the food and you hesitantly trying the soup just for you to end up having two bowls.
Jitto talks about his day. He talks about the lady who was crying over her break-up in his taxi. “How was school?” jitto asks you. You tell them about your day and what you and your friends played during recess and then ate in silence, savoring the delicious soup in front of you.
As you approached sitto’s house, the big tree in front of her house, branches wide, cast a shadow over the house. The kitchen window slightly open, you’d smell a home cooked meal wafting towards you. The warmth of the meal would fill the room. You'd pick up your pace, eager to sneak a taste. You had a few favorites from sitto, especially her macaroni soup.
When you walked in the door, you’d wash your hands and run to the kitchen where a big pot was brewing, the red tomato soup with the macaroni in it, your macaroni soup. A sense of familiarity came over you like a warm hug.
You’d hug sitto, give her a kiss, and started setting the table. You never ate without jitto, your grandfather, so you sat at the steps, door wide open.
"Shut the door, you’ll let the cold in!” your sitto yells. When you saw his taxi pull up in the driveway you’d stand up, waiting. You hugged jitto when he came in. He was always cold and wearing his blue jacket.
You’d wait at the table, your designated seat at the end. You’d say Bismillah, a blessing Muslims say before starting a meal. Sitto gives you a bowl. There’s a slight chip on one of the sides from when you last dropped it.
You look down at the red, steaming bowl of soup ready to devour, like a predator waiting for its prey. Your khalo (uncle) told you to put salt because sitto never put enough — something about heart problems she said. You’d pour some in until sitto tells you “enough” and makes you put it down.
You picked up your spoon and started eating. The hot soup filling your mouth takes you back to the first time you ate it: Jitto lifting you to the chair cause you couldn't get on yourself, him tying your hair back so it doesn't get in the food and you hesitantly trying the soup just for you to end up having two bowls.
Jitto talks about his day. He talks about the lady who was crying over her break-up in his taxi. “How was school?” jitto asks you. You tell them about your day and what you and your friends played during recess and then ate in silence, savoring the delicious soup in front of you.
The Recipe
Ingredients:
2 pieces of celery, chopped into small pieces
2 carrots, also chopped into small pieces
2 onions, finely diced
Tablespoon of oil
3 tablespoons of beef broth
Spices (salt, pepper, paprika, cajun and italian seasoning, measure with your heart)
12 cups of water
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
A box of shell pasta
Materials:
Big pot with a lid
Chopping board
Knife (to cut your vegetables and steak)
Spoon (to mix)
Preparation:
1. Cut your two pieces of celery into small pieces (1cm)
2. Cut your two carrots, also chopped into small pieces (1cm)
3. Finely dice your two onions
4. Cut your steak into tiny pieces (1cm)
5. Prepare your spices
Cooking:
1. Put your pot on the stove, a tablespoon of oil in it at medium heat
2.Put your cut vegetables in it, cooking
3. Mix it for 5 minutes
4. After the 5 minutes add the cut steak and 3 tablespoons of beef broth into it
5. Mix for 5-10 minutes, adding your spices to the steak and vegetables, measuring the spices with your heart
6. Once the vegetables are a bit softer and the steaks till half cooked
7. Add the water
8. Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste to make tasty
9. Let it boil for 10-15 minutes
10. Once boiled turn the heat to low
11. Add the shelled pasta, putting the lid on top, letting it simmer
12. Wait for pasta to cook
13. Once cooked make sure heat is off and let it cool for 5 minutes before eating
2 pieces of celery, chopped into small pieces
2 carrots, also chopped into small pieces
2 onions, finely diced
Tablespoon of oil
3 tablespoons of beef broth
Spices (salt, pepper, paprika, cajun and italian seasoning, measure with your heart)
12 cups of water
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
A box of shell pasta
Materials:
Big pot with a lid
Chopping board
Knife (to cut your vegetables and steak)
Spoon (to mix)
Preparation:
1. Cut your two pieces of celery into small pieces (1cm)
2. Cut your two carrots, also chopped into small pieces (1cm)
3. Finely dice your two onions
4. Cut your steak into tiny pieces (1cm)
5. Prepare your spices
Cooking:
1. Put your pot on the stove, a tablespoon of oil in it at medium heat
2.Put your cut vegetables in it, cooking
3. Mix it for 5 minutes
4. After the 5 minutes add the cut steak and 3 tablespoons of beef broth into it
5. Mix for 5-10 minutes, adding your spices to the steak and vegetables, measuring the spices with your heart
6. Once the vegetables are a bit softer and the steaks till half cooked
7. Add the water
8. Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste to make tasty
9. Let it boil for 10-15 minutes
10. Once boiled turn the heat to low
11. Add the shelled pasta, putting the lid on top, letting it simmer
12. Wait for pasta to cook
13. Once cooked make sure heat is off and let it cool for 5 minutes before eating