Memories for the Senses

With the Fall season fast approaching, many great memories of Fred's News flood into my mind. After a long hot summer, the Town of Sprague, appeared to have a resurgence of activities as the warmer days marched into the cooler fall season. Kid's were heading back to school, international students were arriving at the Sisters of Charity Academy of the Holy Family Boarding School, fall festivals were beginning to appear, both bird and deer hunting seasons were just around the corner, as well as salmon fishing on the Shetucket River. On the cooler evenings, you could sit out on the benches in front of Fred's News, among the vibrant hanging flower baskets lining the street, and smell the campfires burning at the Salt Rock Campground, just a short distance from our restaurant. It was such a wonderful aroma, awakening the senses to all the good things Mother Nature had to offer. Many a night after closing for the day, we'd brew a fresh pot of coffee. Bill would finish watering the flowers for another day, and we would sit out in front of the place, drinking those steaming cups of coffee. Conversation would be about all the good things in life we've been blessed with; each other, our children now grown, successful and on their own, our wonderful business and friends we had made. Occasionally someone would walk by and we would offer them coffee. Most of the time they just wanted to say hello and enjoy the cool refreshing evening. Many cars would drive by slowly, admiring all the flowers. Some would wave and give us the "thumbs up" sign on the beauty of the area, but many never even saw us tucked in amongst the flowers watching and enjoying the evening serenity after a very busy and hectic day.

It was during this season, the planning for the fast approaching holiday season began. Sprague and the surrounding towns were home to many generations of French-Canadian people, myself, one of them. All of my maternal relatives, including my mother were born in Canada. Like many of the areas' citizens they too had arrived in eastern Connecticut because of work. As they began to migrate to the "south", more and more would bring their families and their culture to the area. As a child, my Memere (grandmother) would make all kinds a great foods. At times it seemed she used almost next to nothing to create some of the most tasty dishes that still hold fast in my memory. Mom was also a great cook, but when Memere was around, she was the chef-de-cuisine of the kitchen. One of my favorite holiday specialties was French-Canadian Pork Pie. I remember when we decided to sell the pies at Fred's News, Bill asked me if I could duplicate Memere's pie, or better yet did I have the recipe. Silly man, Memere NEVER wrote a thing down! So to answer his question, "No I did not have a recipe." "Could I duplicate the pie?" "Possibly!" Memere was one of sixteen children, but only my Aunt Marie was left. After explaining my plans to duplicate Memere's pie, she obliged. "Okay baby" she said in her thick french accent, "You put a little bit of dis and a smidge of dat, den you taste. "About six or seven spoonfuls later", SUCCESS!! The first season we offered the pies, patrons ordered almost two hundred! Pick up was the day before Thanksgiving. We also had a significant amount of apple, blueberry and pumpkin pies to get ready for the same pickup day. Some of our evening bench sitting was cut short as we prepared the pork mixture for the pies in batches, then froze it for later use. We also served the pork pies at the restaurant during Thanksgiving week, adding to the already large amount being made. I do believe the following year people asked about the pies in August, just to make sure I wouldn't change my mind about making them!

Here in Florida we live in a golfing community. The citizens of this community are over 55 and come from all areas of the country, Canada and abroad. Many are snowbirds, but the hearty souls, (us included) that truly are sun-worshipers, stay through the Florida summers. We look forward to the fall season for many of the same reasons we did in Baltic. The community once again comes alive, friendships are renewed, dinner parties begin and conversations are much the same as before. We are still thankful for each other, our kids and our new lives. We miss our friends and family that are not here. But the pork pie tradition continues, only on a much smaller scale. My sister and brother-in-law visited this past spring for a week. Her request: pork pie and crepes! Memere must of been smiling!