WHAT'S COOKING?

Shoping for a meal in a country where you can't speak the language can be challenging and sometimes mean that you go without! Try navigating a local grocery not being able to read the labels or no pictures to give you a clue to what's inside. You might know the contents to be milk, but, is it whole, skim, sweet, cream or some new drink that you've never seen? Even to a relatively experienced and confident cook, this can be an overwhelming experience. Over the years we've had some funny purchases! I expected that it would be no different when we went to Italy.

This year, our landlady in Florence had invited us to take part in a cooking lesson. Great, I thought, this would be a way to get some first hand advice on shopping from an expert! We were two couples working with a chef and his assistant to make a mouthwatering menu that included a pasta course of 'gnudi' (literaly translated as 'naked' pasta) drizzled with sage butter, a turkey rollade baked in 'white beer', served on baked rounds of thinly sliced potatoes alongside a zucchini pie (no pastry) and a tiramisu to finish of. YUM!

Our table companions included our landlady, a Contessa who was educated at Wellsley in the 40's, a couple from Alaska (they had NO news on Sarah), and the first woman supreme court justice from Australia. Quite a diverse group providing conversation that was as interesting as the food was good. However, shopping tips or advice never came into the conversation so trying to find coffee filters at the grocery the next day became an exercise in creative expression and art--me drawing a picture and using pantomine to explain what I needed! It was, however, easier then how I described 'oxtail' to the butcher in France last year!