I was visiting a friend in California the other week. An Italian-American, like we are.

Her niece, visiting from New Jersey, cooked us a fabulous pasta dinner. The marinara, her mother’s recipe, was to die for.

So I asked for the recipe.

When I got it, I loved its “Italian-Americans-making-sauce-shorthand.”

Such as

You can add Parm Reggiano rind as well to the sauce.

Or at least I imagine that it’s our shorthand. “Parm Reggiano.” A shared cultural moment.

Actually, in our area we call it “sauce” but in New Jersey, they usually say “gravy.”

I’m thinking I’ll make the sauce one of these weekends after school lets out.