Charlie and Susannah Compton are two of the Carcieris’ many grandchildren.

NORTH KINGSTOWN When I first inquired about joining Governor Carcieri and his wife, Suzanne, in their kitchen for a conversation and sharing of recipes, I didn’t imagine a lively Friday night dinner at their Saunderstown home with their three daughters and 11 grandchildren.

But that is business as usual for the First Family of Rhode Island.

This is a big brood that loves to spend time together. Daughters Alison Carcieri-Cassidy, Jill Buckley and Sarah Compton all live nearby. Their children are all close in age and to each other. (The Carcieris’ only son, Matt, lives in Ohio with his wife and three sons.)

Ten of the Rhode Island grandchildren range in age from 7 to 16. The youngest is 2. Last Friday night they were shucking corn with their grandfather, helping with the cooking, eating at two kids’ tables and some were running off to play football.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Carcieri admits she doesn’t do much of the cooking anymore. It’s not just that her daughters have taken over, so have her sons-in-law.

That’s when the joshing and fun stories come out. Jill is cooking up an aromatic chicken chili and cornbread, giving all the credit to Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten and Kenyon’s cornmeal. She’s says she’s not a cook without those recipes in front of her, but you can tell that’s not true, and Alison confirms it.

Alison admits she and Sarah don’t love to cook the way Jill does. That’s when Alison’s husband, Scott Cassidy, begins teasing her by appearing shocked at the admission. After three days of marriage to Alison, Scott said, he wondered whether he’d ever have anything but popcorn for dinner. Then you learn how clever Alison is when she explains how she signed him up for cooking classes in those early days when they were living in Connecticut. Now he’s the main cook in their house.

Sarah’s husband, Adam, is also a great cook, specializing in French dishes, adds Mrs. Carcieri. She gave all the husbands a copy of a Charlie Palmer cookbook and they rewarded the family with a chili cook-off Super Bowl party.

Now the grandkids are getting into the act. Jill’s daughter Bridget, 16, and Alison’s Samantha, 14, the two oldest, were a big help getting dinner on the table.

When Jill’s son Chase had a sleepover 14th birthday at his grandparents’ house, the boys all got up and made their own breakfast. While one boy made fruit salad, Chase fried up bacon. It was something to see, said Mrs. Carcieri.

Donovan, Alison’s 10 year old, makes his own burritos. The secret to getting kids to learn to cook is not to get uptight when they venture into the kitchen. “Let them go,” she said.

Alison recalls how her mother had each of the children cook dinner for a week as a great experiment. They had to plan, shop and cook. The meal could be very simple, but it had to be theirs. Alison remembers serving Rice Krispie Treats for dessert.

Jill recently asked Bridget to get dinner ready and she produced a meal with potatoes, asparagus and edamame, the fresh soybean. She sent her father Chuck out for bread. It was a little starch laden, mom admitted, but a start.

What the whole Carcieri family knows — and lives — is that it’s far more healthful to eat at home and cook your own meals, even if 8-year-old Colin Cassidy tries to leave the kitchen with a dinner plate of tortilla chips, cornbread and peanuts. His mom persuaded him to add a bit of chicken.

Once people start talking about food, so many memories rush forth, happy ones, funny ones, even embarrassing ones.

That’s true about you and me and the governor and first lady and their family, too.

The governor recalled that Mrs. Carcieri wouldn’t eat corn on her first dinner date (what she calls “Part 2”) with a young Donald for fear of having it stick in her teeth. Their first date Part 1 was a high school dance. They’ve been married 44 years.

She always loved baking, especially Norwegian favorites including a Christmas cake with cardamom and a tea ring. That’s about the only homage to her background. She believes that everyone prefers the Italian food that comes with her husband’s background.

And after a trip the family took to visit her relatives in Norway, she only became more convinced. Her children were all college age and it was a trip she thought would be the last they could take together before everyone started their own families.

Their hosts were most gracious and took them sightseeing for a whole day before taking them home for dinner. That night they were served bowls of thawed but chilled cooked shrimp, mayonnaise and a dense loaf of bread.

“I guess that’s how we could be out all day,” she said. There was no time-consuming preparation for dinner, a far cry from the way things are in an Italian family.

The Carcieris did their share of entertaining as a young family.

The governor laughed as he recalled spending seven hours over two days shucking a couple bushels of fresh local scallops for a dinner with neighbors and their children. Mrs. Carcieri put them in the oven to broil for just a few minutes after sprinkling some seasoning on them. As they put them on the tables, all the kids started gobbling them up. He had no idea children would like scallops and quickly there was nothing to show for all his work.

Another night Mrs. Carcieri was planning an elegant dinner party with dishes from The Joy of Cooking. She even asked her husband to make cocktails with a recipe from the book. But he botched the drinks by not diluting the concentrated juices with water. The drinks packed a punch and suffice it to say, some guests were bowled over by them, which leads to a funny story from the governor.

And watch out when Scott and Chuck, roommates at Villanova, start teasing their wives, Alison and Jill. Well, it makes for a lot of laughs.

By the way, the Carcieris’ kitchen has none of the high-end appliances one finds in those oh-so-perfect kitchens. What it has is an old electric stove, lots of family cooking and memories still being made.

Recipe: Mrs. Carcieri’s Meatballs1

MRS. CARCIERI’S MEATBALLS

2 pounds ground beef

1 cup bread crumbs

3 eggs

2 tablespoons garlic powder (to taste)

1 tablespoon oregano

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Combine ingredients in large bowl. Form into balls.

Recipe: Mrs. Carcieri’s Spaghetti and Meatballs1

MRS. CARCIERI ’S SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Meatballs (see recipe)

For the sauce

2-3 large onions

Olive oil

3 large cans of tomato puree

1-2 tablespoons garlic powder

1-2 tablespoons salt and pepper

2 tablespoons oregano

Cut the onions and saute them in a very large pan in olive oil until browned lightly.

Pour cans of tomato puree into the pan. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper and oregano. Stir.

Add the formed balls to the sauce. Cook slowly over low heat for four hours.

How to make cornbread1

Homemade corn bread from the Kenyon’s box recipe.

KENYON’S SIMPLE CORNBREAD

1 cup Kenyon’s White or Yellow Corn Meal

1 egg

1 1/4 cup sifted flour

1 1/4 cup milk

5 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup oil

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all dry ingredients. Then add remaining items until just blended. Do not over mix. Pour into greased 8-inch square pan, at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Eat dinner with the kids1

Monday, Sept. 28 is the ninth annual A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children, a national movement that encourages parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be involved in their children’s lives. Launched by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, research consistently finds that the more kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.

Suzanne Carcieri is Rhode Island’s Honorary Chair for the event. Parents can learn more and find recipes on the First Lady’s Web page at www.gov.state.ri.us/firstlady/family_day.

How to make chicken chili1

CHICKEN CHILI FROM INA GARTEN, THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)

1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken

1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced

2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained

1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves

4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Serves 6.

How to make old-fashioned apple crisp1

OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CRISP FROM INA GARTEN, THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA

5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

gciampa@projo.com