Food and Cooking

Again, it may seem that I've been posting mostly about food and cooking lately.

Scusi mi. 

It's what's on my mind most of the time.  Each day (sometimes every other), I sit down with my cookbooks and hundreds of recipes on-line and make meal plans- lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, plus breakfast on the weekends.  Then, I head out to the market or local shops and pick out fresh ingredients.  It is time consuming and I consider myself very lucky that I am able to do this for my husband and I.  For some it may seem like a chore- the constant nagging question of what to prepare and the task of grocery shopping every day.  For me, it's the opposite.  I derive pleasure from picking out recipes, scouring the markets, spending time in the kitchen, and serving up (and eating) my creations.  I also have the luxury of time to do it.  If I was working a full-time job outside the home I think I would be less enthusiastic...but there are ways to still bring fresh, great-tasting food to your table, even when you're tired or pressed for time.

Nonetheless, here are a few things to consider regarding daily grocery shopping...

• It's fresh, fresh, fresh.  I truly believe the freshest ingredients result in the best tasting dishes.
• There are little to no preservatives on the produce here and it's locally grown.  Therefore, it doesn't last as long as conventional produce.  You must buy less more frequently or you're wasting your money.  (Few preservatives and locally grown also result in a better product.  It's allowed to ripen on the vine, so to speak, instead of on the truck traveling to the store.)
• Italian refrigerators and pantries/cabinets are small and do not offer much storage space.
• I eat what I'm in the mood for.  (In the past, what I bought on Sunday didn't appeal to me on Thursday...)

Farmers' Markets, small grocery stores like Trader Joe's, and home gardens provide me hope for access to great ingredients when I return.  If you can't tell, I'm really, really going to miss the food here!