LET'S MAKE A COOKBOOK!

As I was playing bumper brella on the way to the office this morning (the only way, I have found, to keep the short old ladies' umbrellas out of my eyes while we're crowded on the sidewalk, is to have my own umbrella and to walk defensively), I thought of a cool way to raise money for the Italian American Association in Trieste (not a member? Become one and help save our historic library, and our dignity!!), have an excuse to try out new recipes for the greater good, and do something awesome for the Association's 50th anniversary next year. How does this sound?? 

THE ITALIAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COOKBOOK? 

It can be full of recipes for the foods we expats miss most: BRUNCH FOOD, as well as indications for Italians to make our yummy cookies and desserts (in cups and grams) and can have anecdotes from the 50 years of the Association (if we make it til then. Again, if you're not a member, pony up!!). As an added extra bonus, we can put in our favorite Triestino recipes too! 

Anybody in? Wanna help? SEND ME YOUR FAVORITE AMERICAN/TRIESTINE RECIPES! Tell me what you wish you knew how to make! 

Live in Trieste? Wanna be INVOLVED??!!  

Shout out number one! I need that Recipe for Eggs Benedict! Laura, you know who you are! And if you live in Trieste and have a good substitution for English Muffins (or a place to find them), let me know that too!

CHOP CHOP! We've got work to do!!! 

If I know my readers, I bet that this little book would be appreciated on both sides of the Pond. Am I right?

Total Number of Broken Umbrellas...

sticking out of garbage cans and lying abandoned in the street from Piazza Goldoni to Via Roma just now...10.

This is because Triestinis insist on using umbrellas in any kind of rain or (in this case) sleet, even in the presence of the Bora. Coincidentally this is also the reason I have never met a Triestino willing to pay more than five euros for an umbrella.

Why not just put up your hood?

Triestine Cole Slaw

My life has been crazy-o lately, but that's no excuse for not keeping in touch with the blog. I know. Sorry about that. Plus, my last two entries have been complaints. And I should never go to bed with this blog angry (although it's not the blog's fault).

To make up for it, I will tell you the highlight of my day today: Lunch. Now, anyone who knows me can tell you that I love to eat (and drink), so having a meal be the highlight of my day isn't such a rare thing for me. Today's lunch will taste even better because I didn't make it. Sweetie is in charge today. But since it's one of our favorite no-brainer meals, I want to give you the recipe.

It's that Capuzi and Fasoi dish... It's like Triestino cole slaw. And everyone knows that every culture (that I care about) has it's own cole slaw. It's so that we Americans always feel at home, no matter where we are.

Here are the directions.

You need a cabbage, some garlic (we tend to go heavy on the garlic. But that's because we are selfish and don't care what our breath smells like. We also want to live to be 100 and are convinced that this is a good way to achieve that goal), salt, pepper, borlotti beans (if you're in America you can use pinto beans or just about any other kind of bean, navy bean, whatever. We have tried it with white Spanish beans and it has gone well for us. Be creative), olive oil, red wine vinegar (if you have Uncle Boris's homemade vinegar, even better).

Grate that cabbage as thin as you can into a big bowl. Add the raw garlic that you have chopped into itty bitty pieces (Sweetie just put in three cloves. Yikies!), salt and pepper it, set aside.

In a small-ish sauce pan, dump a can or two (again, we love beans and throw in TWO cans) of drained beans  into it, put a decent pour of olive oil in there (to make it juicy), then add a splash of vinegar (I tend to go 1 part vinegar to 4 parts olive oil), you can also add a spoonful of dijon-like mustard (please don't use the day-glow yellow stuff!), heat it up and stir constantly until it bubbles.

Pour the concoction over the raw cabbage and stir it up. Leave it for a couple of hours if you can (you can also eat it right away but it tastes better a while later). Adjust your salt and pepper and VOILA.

It's good fiber! And protein! Mmm. Fills you up, keeps you regular, everything you could ever want in a meal. Today we're going all out though and having this as a side dish (which I guess is how it's meant to be served). We're having hot dogs first, but to be elegant about it, we will skip the buns and call them WURSTEL!

Buon Appetito!

Since When does a LOCAL PHONE CALL cost 50 Cents??

I can't complain about prices in Trieste without at least doing the same in America. That's where I was the last couple of weeks. It is the reason for my silence, my absence on Daily Mile (not so many miles on the feet, you see), and for my expanding waist band. Good thing I found the fat pants right underneath the ones I can no longer zip. Phyoo! 

Here is my Stateside complaint (don't want Racine, Wisconsin to feel left out). 

I have switched to the simplest Nokia Phone on earth, which means that I can talk on the phone in Trieste without my brain overheating after one minute. This is good news. The down side is that it is not Tri Band so I can't use it in America. Pazienza. Sweety became my secretary (I could get used to that!) in the meantime and I decided to use the public phone to tell my mom to come and get me at the gas station that the Wisconsin Coach Lines luxury cruising bus left me at not long after my smooth arrival at Chicago's lovely O'Hare airport. 

It was a local phone call. I know times have changed, but didn't those things used to cost a Quarter? Now it costs two. And the phone doesn't even have the decency to display the price like it used to on the front. 

What's that all about? I mean, who is using public phones anymore and now that I know how much it costs, WHY WOULD THEY? I paid (like an idiot) once and left a message that my mom got the next day. The second time, I called her cell phone. Before doing that, though, I looked around like a damsel in distress until a very kind, but strange man let me use his cell phone because he had unlimited minutes. 

So, here is my USA update. People: still nice. Public phones: Still exist, hose you. 

Since When is Coffee a Whole Euro??

This week I've gotten charged an entire euro for coffee TWICE (one lousy, one good). When did the price go up? Is this some kind of New Year's thing?? I don't want to sound like my mother: "When cigarettes go up to 70 cents, I'm quitting!!" but a euro for a tiny espresso seems a bit much. Maybe in Trieste we've been spoiled for too long. But I don't think so!

If you're not from here, though, you should know that if you choose to have a coffee standing up in a caffè rather than sitting down at a table, you always pay a fixed price for it, which, up until something like YESTERDAY, was 90 cents! If you sit down, you pay for service (someone bringing it to the table) and the price can go up to 2-4 euros (see, I can't even be sure because I NEVER sit down). So, the Italians, they're not crazy people who prefer standing up to enjoy their coffee, they're just cheap (and I mean that in a good way).

But a 10% increase, SNAP, just like that?? Must be nice to be a cup of coffee!
Bah! I'm making my coffee at home (bah humbug!)...

Happy Befana!

Did the little old witch come and fill your stocking with coal (if you were bad) or candy (if you were good)? She skipped my house, unfortunately-- my stocking is still hanging there in my living room, empty. Hmmpf! But in Trieste, whether the Befana comes to your house or not, January 6 means it's time to put away all that Christmas stuff (the miniature fake tree with lights that stay on it, the Christmas mugs we seem to receive every year from various family members, the ornaments, etc) and move on with Life. I like this tradition. It gives you a few days after New Years to catch your breath before having to take it all down, pack it up and put it away. That being said, the stuff goes up here much later. I think we waited until about a week before Christmas before we did anything festive to the house. In America I remember everything happening the day after Thanksgiving.

Oh yeah, I have to remember to change my computer's screen saver, too, no more Grinch. Time to go.

I will not let the crappy weather win!

It has been raining here for what seems like months! And just when I think it's over, it's still there, fine enough to go undetected from the window before venturing out post-New Year's hibernation to soak me, my umbrella, and any unfortunate clothing I happen to be wearing.

My mother-in-law just called to tell me that there's Bora now, too, which she sees as positive: should keep the rain away. But we all know what Bora really means: COLD!

Damn.

But I'm not going to let the weather win. No ma'am. I am going to get my running clothes on WITHOUT looking out the window. I am going to pile on the layers, put on my rain pants, and get out there. And when I finish, I plan on being quite pleased with myself. The big question is whether to go long or short. If I do 4 miles today, then I have to do 13 miles tomorrow. Which will it be?

Ok. If it's rain, I'll do short. If it's Bora I'll do long. And that will just have to be a surprise for when I get outside. I already feel cold and wet. Wish me luck.