One of the stars of my family’s Thanksgiving feast had nothing to do with poultry.

I suspect Italian sausage is not necessarily a staple of your holiday meals, but you might want to rethink that, particularly if you can make it out to Ricci’s Italian Sausage on Steubenville Pike.

My grandparents began shopping at Ricci’s back in the late 1940s. Back then it was located on Island Avenue in McKees Rocks. Before that Ernest and Stella Ricci were making their sausage out of the basement of their McKees Rocks home. How old-school/awesome is that?

My grandmother always said, “Ernie Ricci’s sausage is the best in the world and it’s made right here in the 'Rocks! We only buy Ricci’s!”

My grandmother had a temper and a powerful right hook. You didn’t argue with her. You bought your sausage at Ricci’s. As Grandma got older, my mother started taking over the cooking for the holidays and undertook what I’ll call the modernization of the recipes. The food got even better. 

My mother is an incredible chef as well as being quite a character. If the Food Network and reality programming had been huge in the '80’s, she would have undoubtedly scored a television deal.

After Mom took over we started eating things like pumpkin mousse served in mini gourds rather than traditional pumpkin pie. Or cranberry, orange and strawberry relish rather than cranberry sauce from a can.

The one essential that Mom and Grandma both agreed on was Ricci’s Italian Sausage.

Mom doesn’t like me to share her recipes (perhaps in case there’s still a TV deal in the works), but I’ll share a little secret. Mom uses Ricci’s Italian (sweet) sausage in her stuffing. She adds other brilliant ingredients, too, which I will not be sharing in this column for the fear of being disowned.

Ricci’s sausage in Thanksgiving stuffing is so delicious that, well, I ate three platefuls on Thursday. To clarify and justify, let me rephrase that. I ate three full plates of my mother’s stuffing on Thanksgiving.

Now for the longest time I would have to drive all the way down to McKees Rocks to buy Mom’s sausage. I didn’t mind it. My grandparents were from Stowe Township. The drive always made me feel nostalgic. But I’m not going to lie. I love that Ricci's moved their location to Robinson Township. It’s so convenient leaving the Market District Giant Eagle and making a quick stop at Ricci’s for what my late grandmother termed ”the best sausage in the World”.

Okay. So here is your assignment, dear reader.

First pay a visit to Ricci’s on Steubenville Pike. Go in, tell Ernie Ricci III that Gab (from Moon Patch) sent you and that you want some sweet sausage.

Second, don’t wait for the next holida. Go home, make some stuffing and add plenty of Mom’s secret ingredient. Sit down, eat, enjoy, and send me an email thanking me. I can tell you this much in advance.

You’re welcome.