By Giovanna Eusebi of Eusebi Deli in Glasgow
My mum, Gina is an ordinary woman with an extraordinary life. Born in December 1942 in the small village of Castelforte in Southern Italy, she is the eldest of four children to Armando and Maria. By the age of 13, she was an accomplished seamstress, a protégé of a local skilled embroider, fluent in three languages - Italian, Portuguese and French. Her path took her from the idyllic Mediterranean village to San Paolo, Lyon and then finally to Glasgow.
A brief holiday to her birthplace chanced on an encounter with my father - an East End Glasgow boy of Italian immigrants. They married a year later when she was just 19. She arrived in Central Station clutching a suitcase with her trousseau, a parting gift of hand-sewn sheets and embroidered table covers from her mother. My father picked her up in his ice cream van. Saying that last goodbye to her parents must have been heart-wrenching. Goodbye was goodbye; no mobiles, FaceTime or flights, just memories to keep connected.
She learned English behind the café counter in my grandparents ‘Rendevous Café’ in Partick. She learned to cook peas and vinegar and make ice cream and do things as the locals did. She saw frozen food for the first time; not realising it had to be cooked; she served it straight out the packet.
Food and family became the two most important things in her life. Growing up in Italy, good ingredients were available to her throughout the seasons. Breakfast was fresh figs, grapes, and cactus fruit picked from the tree in her garden. If she wanted salad leaves, she stepped outside to cut chicory or dandelion greens. Nature reminded her that no two days were the same and to take each day as it comes.
As children, we never left her side. Our second home was the fruit shop she worked in. Her fruit displays were works of art and award-winning. She won a national competition two years running, for the best window display in the UK (beating all the big guys!). In the evenings, she would make extra money by selling potatoes and vegetables from a van around Castlemilk. In later years, she cooked in our East End Deli. Customers would bring their empty dishes and she would fill them with hand-rolled pasta, meatballs and fritte. She comforted people with her food and welcoming nature. I’m sure the customers who came to the shop all left feeling that little bit more loved.
I don’t ever remember a moment of extravagance or self-indulgence. She never lay down to hardship and was determined to give us all a good education and a happy home. Every evening, even after long working days, our family meal was on the table. It was cooked from scratch and she insisted we always eat together. The table is where the family talk, connect and make memories together. She worked into the small hours to wash and press our clothes for the next day.
She has travelled a long way from her carefree days in Italy and France. Her journey has taught her to value the simple things – health and family. Riches are measured in time spent with her children and grandchildren. She is formidable, humble, incredible and inspirational. Mum, I love you and thank you everything you have done to get me to where I am today.
Beef Crudo With Anchovy Dressing and Broad Beans
This dish will feature on our spring menu. It has one foot in spring with a nod to the Piedmontese dish of tartare. It uses the best of Scotland’s larder with an Italian twist. The anchovy acts as a natural seasoning and compliments the broad beans too. It’s imperative to use the very best and freshest beef fillet that you can.
Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients:
240g organic beef fillet, finely diced
Salt and pepper
100g broad beans, blanched
For the dressing:
½ lemon, juice and zest only
2 salted anchovy fillets
50ml extra virgin olive oil
For the garnish:
1 large Portobello mushroom, very finely sliced
1 large potato
250ml sunflower oil, for frying
Olive oil, for serving
Method:
1.First, prepare the tartare by simply seasoning the beef to taste then set the mixture aside and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.
2.Next, make the dressing. Blend all ingredients together and taste for seasoning. Adjust as desired.
3.Next, prepare the broad beans. Mash the beans roughly with the back of a fork and season with salt and pepper.
4.For the garnish, thinly slice the potato on a mandolin and place in bowl of cold water. Heat the sunflower oil in shallow pan and fry the potatoes until they are golden and crisp. Drain the potatoes on a piece of kitchen towel and set aside.
5.To assemble the dish, take a cutter (approximately 8cm in diameter) and place in the middle of the serving plate. Fill the cutter with a ¼ of the broad bean mixture, followed by a quarter of the beef mix. Repeat with the 3 remaining portions. Garnish with a few slices of mushrooms and top with the potato crisps. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
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