Instructions: Grandma and Mamma disagreed on everything important: religion, money, sex, men. They were friends only in their affection for food, abondanza portions of it. A budding ballerina, I lived among two headstrong earth mothers. The more I struggled to become lanky and lithe, the more they plied me with veal, mozzarella, lasagna, and other temptations, every meal created from scratch and served with wide-eyed expectation.

At Mammas table I could usually escape with "gotta do my homework." At Grandmas table I was held captive as her special guest. Bending over my left shoulder, she ladled out buckets of minestrone, mountains of garlic eggplant, and, always sugared chiacchiere for dessert.

"Eat, Sharon-a eat!" she commanded in a husky Neopolitan accent. Her pendulous breasts were pressed firmly against my back; her breath was sweet with tomato sauce and oregano. When I dared to leave a morsel on my plate, she shook her head sadly, as though the Pope had died, and fondled her pink rosary beads.

"What-a can I do?" she would sigh. Youre gonna be a stream-a- line."

"But Grandma," I tried to comfort her. "I cant dance if Im fat." Of course it was hopeless. I never left Grandma Anna Riellos house without several new pounds accumulated from the best meals of my life... Grandma (Anna Maria Giovanni Riello 1904-1985) spent many happy hours in her small backyard garden, growing tomatoes and fresh herbs. The result was a heavenly spaghetti sauce I can smell to this day.

Chop the tomatoes and celery into chunks. Peel and slice the cloves of garlic. Skin and slice the onion into thin rings. Saute the celery, garlic, and onion in the olive oil until the onions are transparent and the garlic is soft. Add the tomatoes and the wine and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add the basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Simmer the sauce over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let it stand, covered, for another 30 minutes. Reheat the sauce before serving over cooked spaghetti. This sauce will freeze well for future meals.

Makes enough for your granddaughter to take home.

At Grandmothers Table: Women Write about Food, Life, and the Enduring Bond Between Grandmothers and Granddaughters is the ideal holiday gift book for any woman who loves food or the family memories that food evokes.

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