My mother was frugal. That's no surprise, given her humble beginnings. Her parents were poor immigrants. Her mother died when she was barely in her teens so she had to quit school and go to work to help support the family. The depression of the '30s was soon to follow. She had very little in terms of material possessions; however, her life was full and rich in other ways. The most important was her family and she kept us close with the foods she prepared. At the same time she was educating her daughters - as well as her sons - how to cook economically but in a way that made it fun. The life lessons included cleaning, ironing, doing laundry and appreciation for growing a garden - being in touch with nature. She would talk all the while she was teaching and made us feel like we were involved in something much more important than just preparing supper or pulling weeds - we were part of a loving, growing, proud family! We learned about so much more than food - we learned a sense of belonging, a feeling of pride, a wholesome lifestyle.

The bottom line is that she was typical in Auburn. Many families were immigrants of modest means. The surrounding small towns and villages were predominately blue collar with probably half the population at the time engaged in farming or other honest work of the region. Most of these people, my parents included, scrimped on a daily basis to save money so their children could get an education and have a better life. Thanks to their carefulness, we are much better off financially. We have not had to make the same sacrifices, but our lives were abundant beyond words when we were growing up - not just the blessing of love and caring - but because the foods, while not fancy, were incredibly delicious, and our lives were centered on family. The vegetables came from our garden or off the back of a local produce truck. The cuts of beef, chicken or pork were the least expensive but were prepared with such devotion and flavor, we could not have eaten better if we went to a five-star restaurant. I'm glad we learned about the value of money at a young age. From our kitchen we were taught not to be wasteful, which carried over into all aspects of our upbringing. I'm proud to be from the Finger Lakes where most households are comprised of good neighbors - honest folks who have the values that get us through whatever the Lord send our way.

Since I am writing this in early April, it brings to mind one of our early childhood activities - picking wild dandelions. They are only available a couple of weeks maximum so we would pick them daily. After that, the flowers would start to grow and they are no longer good to eat. We would all joke about how the neighbors probably thought we were either weeding the lawn or just plain crazy, but we didn't care. The payoff was a delicacy that was so treasured, years later when our parents were in Florida, my sister sent them Federal Express. They couldn't have been happier if it was filet mignon! We had been cooped up all winter; now spring had arrived, the air was fresh and crisp, the flowers were starting to grow. As far as I know, it's an Italian thing, or it used to be. Now I see them in Wegmans. Of course, they are not wild and probably don't taste anywhere near as good. It's kind of like the difference between our local strawberries in June and January strawberries from Chili. They are good - but not even close to tasting the same.

Nevertheless, for those of you who might want to try something unusual, here are two recipes for dandelions. They also can be used for curly endive or escarole, both for cooking and salad.

Some might consider them to be an acquired taste. If you are Italian, you were born with the taste! Bon Appetito.

Bob Leonardi, of Auburn, ran a successful restaurant business, catering, and gourmet food store in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for 15 years

Sauteed Endive or Dandelions

10 to 12 handfuls dandelions or 2 heads curly endive or escarole cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

3 to 5 cups water

2 to 3 cloves garlic minced

Salt and pepper

Put water in pot and bring to boil. Add greens, cover and cook, stirring two or three times during the process - about 10 to 12 minutes, until well-wilted. Drain greens and then put olive oil (at least 1/4 inch) in bottom of pot and bring to medium heat. Saute garlic for 20 to 30 seconds and then add greens. Stir frequently and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until they taste right. Eat and enjoy with fresh, crusty, thickly sliced Italian bread.

Anchovy Salad or Insalata di Cicoria

Serves

10 to 12 handfuls wild dandelions or 2 heads curly endive cut into bite-sized pieces

1 to 2 ounce can rolled anchovies chopped into paste

1 to 1 1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Mix garlic, anchovies, vinegar and olive oil together. Add salt and pepper to taste. In fact, these quantities are estimates because, like my mother, I rarely measure anything but rather use taste, texture and sight to determine the right amount. Mix well with a whisk. Drain washed greens and then add dressing to the greens and toss. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes prior to serving. Be prepared to see the volume shrink considerably the longer it sits. At first, you will think you have way too much but after it settles, it will shrink by half or less. I personally like the salad even better the next day. I've never tried this with domestic, store bought dandelions, but it may be worth a try. They just don't look right to me. From your yard, they are small with leaves no more than five or six inches - if the bud has started to open - they are too far along to eat. Pick them only before they have a bud or while the bud is still tiny - not bigger than a caper.