COOKING WITH ILYSSE
- Ilysse Rimalovski
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
The Sunday reset: dining family style
By Ilysse Rimalovski
If it’s Sunday, the extended Froelich family is gathered around the dinner table. Sisters-in-law Susan and Bianca Froelich have been preparing an Italian feast, sipping wine and catching up with each other. The rhythm feels joyous and nurturing.
“Sunday dinner is something I look forward to as a way to keep the weekend going and make the most of our family time together,” says Susan, a lifelong Maplewood resident, language arts teacher at Clinton School and adjunct professor at Montclair State University. “No matter how busy life gets, this tradition allows us to stay connected, share stories and laugh together.”
Susan was raised in a home where “the more the merrier” entertaining was the norm. One of five children, she grew up surrounded by “all the Froelichs,” a lively collection of siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Her mother, Jeannie, is revered as the consummate host and home cook. With 13 grandchildren, Jeannie and husband Brian can take comfort in knowing that what they built around the table has carried forward.
When Bianca Paoli married Susan’s brother, Chris, she brought her own tradition of Spaghetti Sunday and a seemingly effortless skillset of hosting and cooking learned from her parents. She and Chris would have three children in four years, ultimately landing in South Orange to live closer to family.
Bianca and Susan became fast friends and anchors of Sunday dinner. They have become an important support system for each other, too. Sunday family time gives them the space to take a breath and reset.
Susan spends the first part of Sunday meal-prepping for the week ahead. Before adopting this ritual, her weekday mornings were rushed. Cooking for herself, she’d throw things together at the last minute, sacrificing nutrition and balance.
“Now I’m ensuring breakfast, lunches and work snacks are healthful at least five days a week,” she says. “It also saves money, as I’m not running into town to get a sandwich or salad for the day if I don’t have what I need in the house.”
Susan favors skillet meals such as ground turkey, vegetables and spices sautéed together quickly. An avid traveler, she learned the art of shopping for ingredients at a variety of local markets. When she microwaves her lunch at school, she will often hear, “What smells so delicious?”
Bianca takes on lunch prep for her teenage kids bento-box style. She finds that variety is the remedy for boredom. She keeps undressed salads in the fridge, cooked proteins and small rounds of cheese. She will send a container of soup when it’s cold out.
She says, “I feel like this time is precious. I’m never going to be making their lunches again. I stay at home, and this is my job, ensuring that they have something good to eat.”
When Bianca was 14 years old, her father Frank first taught her his recipe for homemade marinara sauce. “This was not a household that relied upon jars or cans of premade products,” says Bianca. “He told me that even if I didn’t have a big budget for groceries, I could always rely on this recipe, using ingredients that were readily available.”
This sauce, a staple of Sunday dinner, can be elevated with premium ingredients: fresh ripe tomatoes, good quality olive oil, imported cheese and pasta and fragrant basil leaves. Frank’s marinara sauce is a favorite of Bianca’s three children. She has taught them the secrets of their grandfather’s foundational recipe while encouraging creativity that suits their very individual palates. Cate, 17, adds cream for vodka sauce. Elisabeth, 16, adds hot peppers. Roman, 13, likes it just the way it is.
Susan’s contribution to Sunday dinner this week, Cod and Asparagus en Papillote, (French for “in parchment”) is inspired by her time living in France. It is a recipe that is efficient and elegant. The sealed packet technique steams the fish gently from within. The result is moist, flavorful and makes for a dramatic presentation worthy of Sunday dinner. Cleanup is easy, too.
Swap salmon or halibut for cod, if you prefer, and pair with your favorite seasonal vegetables that welcome steaming. In place of asparagus, try sliced zucchini, tomatoes and onions, perhaps a few olives or capers tossed in. Enlist some helpers in the kitchen and encourage their creativity.
Cod and Asparagus en Papillote Yield: 4 servings |
Ingredients 4 cod fillets (5 oz each) 20 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut in half 4 tbs olive oil 1 lemon, juiced (about 4 tbs) 2 garlic cloves, minced 8 sprigs fresh thyme Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 egg white, lightly beaten 4 sheets parchment paper Directions
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Frank’s Easy Penne Marinara |
Ingredients 2 lbs Campari or similar small ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped coarsely 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 2 tbs unsalted butter 2–3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp Calabrian chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes to taste 1 lb dried penne pasta Fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced Locatelli or Parmesan cheese, freshly grated Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Directions
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Ilysse Rimalovski is a well-seasoned home chef and writer focusing on food, community and care. She is also an intergenerational aging advocate. Do you have a story to share? Please contact her at forilysse@icloud.com.
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