This is Not Your Mother's Cookbook

About the Book

Growing up in an Italian household, I frequently heard the word Giambott. It is an Italian vegetable stew made with potatoes and zucchini. The actual pronunciation is Ciamotta. The Irish also make claims on this dish (They use cabbage of course) but no one takes the Irish seriously when it comes to food. It sometimes referred to as a summer stew, also known as Poverty Stew. We weren’t poor but we ate it year round. It became much more than just a stew. It grew into a fine meal when family time at meals were special and meant something. This mixture was often referred to as a hodgepodge or a mishmash. The correct word today is medley. This sounds more pleasant and almost musical. It was a really just a collection of whatever was in the refrigerator at the end of the week. Everyone knew it was a sin to throw food away because there were children starving in some far off land. We never saw them but we knew they were there. The threat was significant enough to clean our plates. Our leftovers became our delicious banquet. This book is like that collection of random leftovers (Some may have gone bad). There are some short stories based upon life’s observations or experiences, short pieces of fiction and marriage advise. Please do not follow any advise from me. I haven’t figured out anything yet. The book also contains at least one actual song. You can try singing the other parts but it won’t make any sense. I have intermingled my favorite recipes throughout the stories to be savored and enjoyed, preferably with a glass of wine or a case of beer, whatever it takes to make it more palatable or help you choke it down. Please do not eat while reading this book because it may lead to actual choking. My Heimlich skills do not work over the phone and 911 operators can’t understand muffled grunts. You have been warned.

About the Author

Robert would like to think of himself as a Renaissance man. He is alone in his thoughts. He would never have been allowed to carry the artist tools for Leonardo da Vinci or Michael Angelo. He would have never been allowed to turn a page for Beethoven or sharpen a pencil for Shakespeare. He has had training in the art of fencing, ceramics, photography, martial arts, writing, politics, and yoga. However, he does none of these well so he moves on and continues his search. This is Robert’s fourth book. His first two; Shut Up When You Talk to Me and Just Plain Stupid, are a collection of short but unbelievable true stories. His third book was a work of fiction based upon real events. Knights of the Forest tells the tale of a small band of boys growing up in simpler times during the 60s. Robert D’Ambola served for over a quarter century in Law Enforcement fighting the never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way for a city police department. He holds a BA in Law/Justice from Glassboro State College (Rowan University), a Master’s Degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command. Robert held many ranks in the Police Department including Detective Sergeant, Traffic Lieutenant, and finally Patrol Commander. He was assigned to the Union County Narcotics Strike Force and Union/Essex Auto Theft Task Force. The latter assignment was during the period when Newark, N.J. held the dubious honor of “Stolen Car Capital of the World.” Robert remains a Certified Police Training Commission Instructor and has taught at the John H. Stamler Police Academy for over 25 years, the last 20 as the Ethics instructor for all recruit classes. After a weekend retirement, he became Chief of Security, Certified Business Continuity Professional & Emergency Planner for a global publishing company. His office was directly on the Hudson River waterfront with a front row seat of the New York skyline. It was here Robert was able to witness the “Miracle on the Hudson” when on January 15, 2009, US Airways jetliner, flight 1549 was forced down into the frigid Hudson River directly outside his office building. Robert lived in Union County NJ for 60 years before moving to Hunterdon County. He married his High School sweetheart, Cindy, and they had 2.5 children. They owned a dog large enough to be classified as cattle. He is now blessed with two granddaughters, now in the terrifying threes, and a new grandson. He took up writing to leave these precious children real proof that their G-PA was a certified lunatic.