From Italy - need US site to order measuring cups, etc. from

[annamaria]

Hello! Sorry for my English. I am writing from Italy and I should need a help from you. I love american cousine but it is very difficult to find tools and food so into italian shops as on internet shop.

Do you know some US internet site which sells tools and food for Europe?

I am looking for measure cups and spoons and other cookware.

Say hello to your beautiful country!

Thank you.

Annamaria (Rome)

 

[jennyema]

Buon giorno!

"Do you know some US internet site which sells tools and food for Europe?"

Are you looking for internet sites that ship to Italy? And/or are you looking for sites that sell tools that might be used in recipes made in Europe, like metric measuring cups, etc.

What kinds of foods are you interested in?

Roma è una città bella!!

Jenny

 

[Pam Leavy]

Try here: http://www.lakelandlimited.com/is-b...sSke8VP_A=?ProductID=LufCy5OSe5oAAADjALiEgEQP

If that link does not work, the address is: http://www.lakelandlimited.com

It is a British company so the postage would be less than orderin from the States. Search, measuring cups.

What kind of food are you looking for? Where are you in Italy? Measuring cups are now readily available here, in The Netherlands. If all else fails, I could send you some!

Pam

 

[Michael in FtW]

annamaria - are you trying to convert the measurements in American recipes to Italian (European) measures?

 

[Pam Leavy]

Michael, I am an American living in The Netherlands. I have converted recipes before giving them to people, but if people have the measuring cups it makes it much easier.

Thanks to the internet, I think, more and more people are using American recipes. It was quite an adjustment here as many measurements are in grams. The Dutch weigh their flour, sugar etc. I realize the pros do that as well in The States, but it is a different way of doing things.

My father used to send me measuring spoons and measuring cups. Now i can buy them locally.

Pam

 

[annamaria]

Thank you to all! You are very kind to me!
I was in Boston last month. Beautiful city and very good food!
Yes I am looking for american measure tools but also the injector for the meat and some homeware that I can't find in Italy (waffel maker for exaple). I am looking for some food too like the gravy or the stuffing. I should need the shells for the pie.

I don't know the reason I can't find them in Rome. Many Americans live here...

I will look the site you have suggested to me and then I will tell.

Thank you again!

Annamaria.

PS: I could write you some Italian recipe, if you want. I am not an expert but my children and friends say that my cousine is very good.

 

[Lifter]

Annamaria, I was priviledged to go to the wonderful City of Rome last June, and taste, firsthand, some "authentic" Italian cooking...am very sure that all List members here would like to "die for" your recipes...

Could I put in a first request(s) for recipe's?

Your "recipe's" for pizza...and be very patient with us here, more "text" on contents and methods, the better! Our "pizza" here just doesn't compare with the product on offer there! (Get into the crust making!)

Bruschetta?

A "home" Italian "chicken cacciattori" (forgive my spelling!)

Your thoughts, or methods on veal scallopini?

Making sausage? (Don't know if you do ALL of these things, but it would be a "shame" not to ask, if you did, in fact know!)

Advice on Italian wine vintages would be more than gladly appreciated by many members! (You could be just a "jewel" for us all!)(Search previous pages for our first experiences of "limoncello"-probably misspelling!)

Likewise, please speak on prosciutto!

My first reaction only, be all means, you are most welcome here and we would literally love your input!

While there are a few, if not "several" professional chefs as "members" of this Board, the bulk of the membership are simple "cooks" who are anxious to avail ourselves of newer/better techniques...you might well be the answer to the prayers of many!

My best regards to he management and staff of the Hotel Emona Aquaductus, near Trimini Station in Roma, where we so completely enjoyed our vacation...and to several restaurants in the proximity that fed us so well!

Ciao!

Lifter

 

[Pam Leavy]

Hi! I just did my best to find an expat site for Americans living in Rome. No luck.

I have never been to Rome, but there has got to be a large cooking store somewhere!?!

There are expat shops here but I rarely go as everything is so incredibly expensive. I use frozen puff pastry for pie crust or make a crumb crust. I do know how to make pie crust, but don't often want to take the time.

I have also given up on finding gravy mixes as they are known in the states. I make my own now, providing there are enough good juices left in the pan. I can give you a recipe for stuffing like my mother always made it.

Do you travel much within Europe? The stuffing is available in Great Britain. Pie crust as well. Not sure about the gravy mixes.

I did eventually find a waffle iron here, but it is not a very thick one. Since then the Belgian waffle irons are available. They are nice and thick with big holes. Do you have Amazon there? I hear lots of people ordering via Amazon for kitchen things. We don't have a Dutch one.

Perhaps you could call the American Consulate and ask them if there is a local shop selling American things. The Amsterdam Airport, Schipol also has a small international supermarket. That is where I always buy my root beer. Maybe the Airport near you would also have something similiar.

Sorry. I am out of ideas.
Let me know if you want the stuffing recipe. I use it for the turkey but it can also be made by itself (with gravy).

Pam

Italian food in Italy is among the best in the world. Perhaps that is why you can't find these American things.

 

[buckytom]

PS: I could write you some Italian recipe, if you want. I am not an expert but my children and friends say that my cousine is very good.

PLEASE PLEASE DO!!!! i, for one, would greatly appreciate authentic italian recipes from you. thank you so much in advance...

 

[Michael in FtW]

I think Pam's idea to call the American Consulate and ask them if there is a local shop selling American things is a great idea. They should know if anyone does.

Two other places to check would be your telephone directory and the newspaper. I don't know how the yellow pages of your telephone is catagorized - but look for shops that sell cookware, restaurant supplies, import shops, and "Ethnic" (foods from other cultures) grocery stores. If the largest newspaper in town has a food section (recipes, restaurant reviews, etc.) you might try contacting the person who writes the food column.

As for the meat injector - it's just a large volume (25, 50, 75, or 100 ml/cc) plastic syringe with a long (4-6 inch) large diameter needle. If you can't find one in a cooking store you might try contacting your doctor's office ... explain what you need and why you want it - they might be able to sell you.

As for gravy and stuffing mixes - I don't use them. Gravy is too simple to make and stuffing is generally just based on dried bread or cornbread. For these things you just a recipe more than you need an American packaged mix!

Pie shells, too, are easy to make - you just need a recipe. It really is not much harder than making homemade pasta. I doubt that anyone exports pie shells from America for several reasons, mainly the cost of shipping since the dough must be kept refridgerated. If you can find a pastry shop that sells American style pies - talk to them and they "might" be willing to sell you the ready made dough or shells.

You might have problems finding these food items in Rome because of import restrictions and also because there probably isn't much of a demand for dehydrated preserved packaged foods in a land with such a vibrant culinary history and tradition.

 

[Pam Leavy]

I have found some waffle irons on the German Amazon site.

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/ref=sr_sp_go_qs/028-5566292-9432507

I have ordered from the English Amazon several times without problem. They don't any waffle irons.

Pam

 

[annamaria]

You are wonderful! I am only sorrow because I have few time to read everyday this forum... I hope next I could be more free.

I must repeat myself: Thank you!!

I have found something in the site one of you reported. I have also found a shop in Rome for the food but... they don't have enough.

About Italian recipes, I will be glad to tell all that I know! I will try writing a language “something like English”.

About Pizza.
I am very demanding about pizza! There two kinds of pizza but the real pizza is of round form, made into the wooden oven. Margherita in the best and the former recipe (it was made in Naples for our Queen many years ago of course). Margherita is made of fresh tomato (pachino), fresh basil, oil of olive, salt, buffalo mozzarella. The pasta must not be thin because the real pizza is soft. (in Rome they use a very thin pasta...)
I suggest you to eat in Naples even if in Rome there is some "pizzeria" which made the real recipe.
Beside the pizza there is the "Focaccia" even if it is often called Pizza too.
It is squared and made in electrical oven. It is also called "Pizza al taglio" or "pizza al metro" that means (it's a joke) you could buy one metre or one kilometre!
We use to make pizza at home but I prefer to eat pizza at a real pizzeria!

Bruschetta is very easy to make.
Choose a kind of Italian bread. Put the slices in oven (wooden could be better). When they are broiled but soft inside, you can put garlic, oil of olive, and salt. You can add also pachino tomato if you like.
About garlic. I know in Usa they like garlic a lot but in Italy we use it less (I mean the quantity) because most people don't like the "effect" for the smell inside the mounth.
It is very strange how food cultures make differences in the way of thinking!

Next time I will post something about Limoncello and Pollo alla Cacciatora.

Maybe you know it but in Italy there are several way of cooking. It depends by the regions. The best are: Emilia Romagna Do you know Tortellini, Prosciutto, Mortadella?), Puglia (Orecchiette, Mozzarella), Sicily (sweets, eggplant, fish), Toscana (Caciucco, ribollita), Campania (babà, limoncello, pizza, sugo). Ather regions have some ricepe or ingredient. Calabria is famous for the very hot pepper!

One big hello for everyone!

Annamaria.

 

[buckytom]

annamaria, thank you so much for responding! i am looking forward to all of your posts and recipes. i was raised with many italian americans, whose ancestry is mostly from the south of italy (is it true about calabria? everyone is testadura?) lol. my sicilian friends will love that i remebered that. i hope you are not from calabria, except that some of the world's most beautiful women are from there.
i hope someday to see rome, naples, milan, amalfi, puglia, campania, calabria, and sicily.
anyway, i am happy you are coming back, and eagerly await your posts...
ps.- i would like to know more about panchino/tomatoes. do you have a basic recipe?

 

[annamaria]

I am sorry to disappoint you but calabresi women are little, brown and they have moustache! I am kidding, of course, as I am a pure… Calabrese! I live in Rome but I was born in Calabria and love “peperoncino” (hot pepper spice). I should use it also into the milk if I were not allergic to the milk.
It’s true they told Calabresi are “capatosta” (headstrong) but I don’t know if it is a real compliment!
I am enough capatosta (for important things) but I don’t believe we are all the same. That is to say: every man in Oklahoma is like Brad Pitt? If it were so…call me! As he loves Italy… 8)

About pachino. It is a kind of tomatoes. They are little red balls like the cherries. Their name is from a little town of Sicily: Pachino. They are use for Pizza but also for the sugo.
In Calabria we call it “iettatella”.
Into a pan you put some garlic with oil of olive (one spoon for people). When it is roasted (not burn!) you put away the garlic and put the pachino into the pan with much basil and some salt.
The tomatoes have not to be cooked for a long time. Just few minutes (about 10 minutes).
I suggest you to put the fresh basil at the end so the smell is better.
You can use the kind of pasta you prefer. It should be better spaghetti or tortiglioni.
If you like you can add parmigiano.
It is very easy to make it and it is very used during summer season.

I wish you to visit Italy. It is a beautiful country. I suggest you to visit also other regions like Umbria, for exaple, there is much to see!
Also Lago di Como is beautiful! The famous Brad and his friend George know it very well as they have (one of) their house(s) on the lake.

Say hello to Usa! I miss my cheesecake slice!

Annamaria.

 

[Pam Leavy]

Hello Annamaria.

Your cooking tips are great. Thank you.

I have been to Italy, but it now many years ago. have never been to Rome.

We have visited Venice a few times, Florence, Verona and the Northern part near Austria. You have a beautiful country.

I hope to return one day. Looking forward to your next recipes.

Pam

 

[mudbug]

Next time I will post something about Limoncello and Pollo alla Cacciatora.

yes, please!

 

[annamaria]

I posted the limoncello recipe on the section of drink!

For Pam. Rome is beautiful even if it is beautiful for tourists, above all!
Living in Rome means traffic, smog, strikes, long distances and so on.
I think no romans look at Colosseo like a tourist can do.
If you come to Rome I suggest you to go also to little towns around the city. There are beautiful places. For exaple, There is one old town called Civita di Bagnoregio which is very interesting to visit. It is on a mountain but no cars can go inside the town. There is a bridge on which you can only walk that link the town with a car parking. The town is silent and has a wonderful view! You can visit also Castelgandolfo (pope's summer residence) and the lake. There is a good wine!

Annamaria.

 

[Pam Leavy]

Thank you Annamaria.

We are saving Rome for when the kids are all out of the house. I've tried to go to Italy on vacation several times. It would be great to show the children. But...it is out of our budget. When it is for the two of us again it will be affordable.

I will some day make it to Rome!! Art is one of my passions, along with cooking. For Art Italy is the place to be!

Pam

 

[annamaria]

For Pam: when you want to come to Italy let me know it. I don't know hotels and price but I can inform. The accomodation should be according to the needs. I think if you want to save some money the ideal should be to stay out of Rome. There are the trains by which you can reach the centre within 20 min. or the metro. If you want to visit Rome (I mean the historical centre of the city) you should stay one week.

Let's speak later!

Annamaria.

 

[Pam Leavy]

Annamaria, thank you for the recipe and for the advice.

We won't be coming to Italy this year. My mother-in-law wants to treat us to a vacation somewhere together (10 people including sister-in-law and family)

She wants to revisit places she has been with my father-in-law. It will be either Portugal, Bali or Turkey. Bali might be out of the question because of the terrorist attacks, but we shall see.

Do you go on holiday often?

Pam