Auntie Rosie's "Fragun" ~ Happy Easter!

A family tradition. A warm and special memory of years gone by . . . Our love for Auntie Rosie's "fragun" is partially, I think, our need to stay connected with our parents and the love we feel in our families, and also the fact that we really love and enjoy it! The aroma of the bread evokes memories that are happy, even though that very same aroma can bring tears to our eyes, we cling to these types of traditions that have made us who we are today. Making the "fragun" at Betty Jo's with "the cousins" aka the "cugine" and listening to old Jerry Vale songs and funny stories about Ozzie (aka "Spard") make us laugh and cry. That's life, right? We plan to always continue this tradition in honor of our families, their hard work, and their love for us.

<------Say hi to Matt & Joe

This wonderful bread is made each year on Good Friday and savored by all on Easter Sunday. It is not easy to make these on Good Friday (when you can't eat meat) and not eat the sah-zeetz while you're making them (this is especially difficult for carnivores like Joe, lol). It's filled with Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, tuma cheese, mozzarella, sopressata (homemade by the Marchese family) and a little beaten egg and parsley to bind everything together. Delicious! You can be creative and fill it with whatever you like and personalize each loaf . . . Joey has made these with a variety of salumi and cheeses and changes them up each year . . .

Thank you Betz & Mary and all of the cousins and family . . . for keeping your mom's aromas in your kitchens and in ours.

Thank you to my brother, Joe for making delicious Auntie Rosie "fraguns" all of these years for the Fioretti Easter dinners at Teri's ---------------> here's you and Pops with a huge one (the Millenium edition) from, um, was it the year 2000?

Love to all . . . May your heart and home be filled with the blessings of Easter.

Buona Pasqua,

Katie