07/26/2026
Growing Up in the Butcher Shop: Heat Wave / Onda del Calore
Ciao Amici,
These steamy summer days make me wonder how we ever survived the heat growing up in the butcher shop—long before air conditioning was something we could count on. The front of the store had a wide awning that stretched across the building, casting just enough shade to make the place feel a little cooler and a lot more welcoming.
Outside, the heat had a personality all its own. On the hottest days, you could actually see the tar bubbling in the road, but that never stopped us from playing ball until we were dusty, sweaty, and worn out. Somehow, nobody seemed to worry much about heat stroke back then. When we finally came inside, Grandmom would march us straight to the sink and tell us to run cold water over our wrists because, she said, it would cool us off faster. And sometimes, if we were lucky, Mom would make granita. She saved the leftover espresso, poured it into an ice tray, and stirred it every so often so it would freeze into a slushy treat instead of a solid block. She made it with lemonade too, and on a day like that, nothing tasted better.
Even with fans humming in every corner, mostly pushing warm air from one side of the room to the other, we had one secret advantage: the walk-in refrigerator. Stepping inside for a few seconds felt like entering another world. The store also had an underground basement that stayed cool in the summer and warm in the winter, almost like it had its own sense of timing. In those months, the long-simmering sauces of winter gave way to quicker summer meals—a fast sear on the grill, aglio e olio, or a fresh tomato Showay Showay s sauce for the macaroni. A simple plate of scallions, aged provolone, Italian olives, and bread, or pane con olio e pomodori, kept us nourished without heating up the kitchen.
By evening, the back porch became the best seat in the house. We would sit there watching the sky darken, waiting for the first rumble of thunder and hoping the storm would break the heat. When the rain finally came, it felt like the whole neighborhood took a deep breath.
Arcobaleni si scusano per cieli adirati
Rainbows apologize for angry skies
Grazie,
Joe
J. DeFranco and Daughters Catering & Deli
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