Margaret Suran wrote:
>

> Thank you, Bob (this one), I like almost any kind of liver, calves
> liver, beef, chicken, duck, goose, turkey. While I like to sauté the
> onions in butter, I do not like a milk or cream gravy, most likely
> because this was not something served in a Jewish home. Butter, yes,
> because it was not easy to detect, milk, no.

I understand. Depending on which member of the family is
feeding the group when we get together in the wilds of New
Jersey, we get variable institutional/personal regulations.
Some don't combine meat and milk. Some don't serve meat at
all. Some only serve plant materials (gakkkk). Some serve
thermonuclear sauces with everything except the orange juice
and I suspect they're thinking about it. And the list goes
on. Having relatives from so many cultures makes every meal
a series of surprises, most of them at least interesting. It
was the tofurkey that nearly caused bad feelings... until
the cook acknowledged it was a mistake.

> Not only gizzards, but chicken necks and wings could be added, if it was
> served as a main dish. Another favorite dish was chicken giblet
> fricassee, no liver, but gizzards, hearts, necks, wings and tiny
> meatballs, made of either ground chicken, beef, veal or a combinations,
> in a nice onion gravy.

My northern Italian grandparents came from within a few
miles of Austria and these dishes sound familiar. I think
they evolved after reaching the US. The fricassee evolved
to be a very hearty soup-stew. One of my little-kid jobs was
to help make the meatballs. Since we raised our own
chickens, other things found their way into our versions,
including combs, wattles, feet and, sometimes, heads.

> The 2nd Avenue Deli served just about the best.
> Also, it was probably the only deli one that still had it on the menu.

When I lived in the city, I often had business visitors from
far away. I used to take them to delis so they could see an
archetypal New York eatery. Or down, back then, to the
Fulton Fish market to Sloppy Louie's or Sweet's, or to stand
on the sidewalk and eat fresh oysters. Out here in the
country, we get good ingredients and raw materials, but the
restaurants leave a bit to be desired. <sigh>

> When shall I start waiting by the mailbox? I like plain egg noodles,
> the size that is called Medium or Wide. I hope the livers and onions
> will arrive nice and warm and ready to eat. Thank you.

I usually make the wide ones, maybe even a tad wider than
the store-bought ones. I'm still negotiating with UPS about
keeping the food warm...

Pastorio