CANNOLI

A sweet start to the morning. Cannoli.

Roostica has become my tuesday evening dining spot. Roostica basically around the corner. I do not like to travel far from home before my blog talk radio show.

I desired a sweet after dinner. Unusual for me. Amanda suggested cannoli. It has been years since I enjoyed cannoli. I decided to go for it!

Absolutely delicious! Shell crisp, filling a soft chocolate. Told Amanda that when I was a little boy, I used to help my mother make cannolis.

Pre-school. Three to 5 at the time. We lived third floor front. I mention the location of the family abode to assis in visualizing. Top floor. Boiling hot in the summer. Roof flat.

We were Italians. My mother born in Italy. My father here of Italian born parents. My mother cooked Italian. What had been brought over from the old country.

My mother made cannolis. I helped her. A big deal for me at the time!

I remember the dough making. I was permitted to roll some. Then the round sticks around which the dough was wrapped. Sort of like a hot dog. A bit shorter and thicker. Technical name for the round wood sticks dowel rods. Solid and cylindrical.

The rods were easy to pull out after the cooked dough had cooled and crisped.

Then came the filling. I was allowed to help filling the shells. Ricotta. Sweetened ricotta. Then to the ice box for cooling. Note, not refrigerator. The ice man came every two days with a large block of ice. When ready to be eaten, the cannolis were sprinkled with confectionery sugar.

Delicious to eat! Great taste!

Cannolis are not Italian by nature. Their ethnicity Arab. The Muslims controlled and administered Sicily from 831 AD to 1072 AD. They brought cannolis to Italy. The Italians took to the dessert and it spread the length of Italy.

The Arabs considered the cannoli a fertility symbol. Perhaps because the cannoli was first made/discovered in a harem in some Arab country.

Amanda is now six months pregnant. She excitedly showed me an ultrasound imaging picture of her son. He is growing. Amanda is growing. No question she is pregnant. Beaming also!

My blog talk radio show last night. My show controversial. Some comment afterwards. Especially those not agreeing with me.

One of the topics last night was Planned Parenthood. Recent videos have revealed that fully intact aborted babies were being sold. Along with fetus tissue and body parts. A fully intact aborted baby has to be 7-9 months.

I took the position on the show that Planned Parenthood was wrong, that the entire situation was SICK!

A loyal blog talk show listener is a mature woman living in Ithaca, NY. She follows me religiously. Reads also my blog and KONK Life columns. As you will read, she definitely disagreed with me.

I quote…..”I’ll tell you what’s sick–you and your ridiculous gullibility as to the Planned Parenthood fraudulent accusations. I’ve turned off konk radio–I can’t take it anymore.”

I have commented previously re Planned Parenthood and the selling of fetus cells and body parts. The reaction by women has been ten fold. A woman I know well in Key West stopped me on the street, looked me directly in the eye, and in an agitated firm tone said…..Stop picking on Planned Parenthood!

The situation was revealed some 2-3 months ago. Planned Parenthood says they have done nothing wrong in selling aborted parts or now the whole of aborted babies nor selling for a fee. The matter is now in the courts, before Congress and certain State legislative bodies.

This year’s Fantasy Fest parade and Halloween fall on the same evening. Certain City Commissioners wanted Halloween moved from October 31 to November 1 to accommodate the parade and purportedly protect the children. A vote was taken last night. It failed. Both will be held the same evening.

I do not see it as a problem. Most kids do not watch the parade. Trick or treating is done in neighborhoods and not on Duval.

I look forward to today. My screw off day after four consecutive days of research and writing.

Enjoy your day!