Informant: My mother found culinary recipes that have been passed on through generations, and become a part of our family folklore.

Original Script: Charlie Balsamo is a dentist in Cape Girardeau, who was Granddaddy’s best friend. He was Granddaddy’s partner-in-crime when they would go to local university to pick up girls… that’s how Granddaddy got Grandmama and Dr. Balsamo was best man! We have a lot of recipes from the grand Balsamo family; Daddy said they were Northern Italians. We got this recipe from them, and it’s the only rice Grandmama would make growing up.

Context of Performance: My mother was sifting through old family recipes to send to me and my sister at college, so we wouldn’t forget our “southern heritage”.

Thoughts about the Piece: I liked this recipe because it is Italian, and although my family is not, we have adopted it as a tradition of our own.