Today, I am headed to visit my brother Lane and his wife Aarika in Vicenza. Since they are letting Rae, Chez and I crash there for the weekend, I offered to make dinner. I mean that was the least I could do after barging in on their free time. I decided to make the Spaghetti with Clams, even though Lane is the pickiest eater on the planet and wouldn't put a clam in his mouth. Aairka is pregnant with my baby niece and I always believe pregnant ladies should get what they want so clams it is!
ANYWAY, back to my point, I had to go to the Mercato in order to get all the ingredients for our meal tonight. I walked in and went to this place that sells wine, cheese and oils. I think I previously mentioned that the woman who works there would teach me Italian if I came back. Well, I have been going back periodically and she has taken me under her wing. Today there were 6 "tourists" waiting and kinda browsing ahead of me and as soon as I walked up she said, "Como Stai? How are you my friend?" Such a simple greeting but it is awesome to have that kind of relationship with these people. She asked me what I was cooking today and how she could help (she obviously knows me very well).
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| The Market from the Outside. It is MASSIVE |
Side note: Tim and I walked through the market two days ago and we went to visit her and she did a Balsamic tasting with us. She taught us the importance of the DOP label, the different tastes between brands and the different tastes for the amount of time it ages! Cool stuff!
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| Meat and Cheese stall |
I always visit her first because she makes the chaos of the market a little easier to handle. I had a little problem of how to transport the clams on a train for two hours. I asked my teacher Marco and he said I need to keep them cold and alive (impossible in a place that doesn't believe in ice). For a while I thought I was going to have to find a new recipe but I walked up to the fish stand, asked for help and smiled as I tried with my best form of something that may have sounded like Italian. The man rushed to help me and ended up making a makeshift cooler out of lots of bags and ice. I was so thankful and I walked off to my next stop. (He was pleased with his creation as well!)
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| An Example of a store inside the market |
I ordered some fresh spaghetti and picked up the veggies I needed to complete the meal.
It was lunch time and they always tell you to not go food shopping when you are hungry, well I did and it was bad. My pesto man saw me coming and got some pesto ready but I told him I also needed a panini. The freshness of ingredients still blows my mind. But he laughed as I once again attempted my italian in naming the things I wanted in my sandwich. I go so slow and they always get a good laugh. The one that gets me every time is artichokes because everything else is the same name minus my American accent.
Italian Word of the Day: Artichoke= Carciofo
I smiled and left the market, once again feeling so accomplished and happy at the new friends I made. I thought I was done until I was outside my building and something that smelled like heaven was coming out of the bakery next door. I have been good at avoiding these places but it sucked me right in. The young girl working greeted me with a smile and I felt at ease. I told her I lived next door and it just smelled so good I had to come in. She proceeded to pull out samples and made me try them and explained what everything was. It tasted like heaven too. I ended up buying a little something for dessert tonight and she told me to come back anytime I left my place and she will give me something new to try!
Advice of the Day: If you encounter a tough situation with a language barrier, stop, take a deep breath, smile and do your best. If you stay calm they love trying to help you, the second you get frustrated, so do they and the stress level increases.
I cannot get over how nice the people are if you smile and try to explain what you are looking for or need. I have seen multiple examples of Americans who walk up to these people and demand things but take no time to understand that it is about relationships, not just goods. Our view is centered around business, and how to get as much business as possible. The Italians could teach us all, money is not their driving force but the way they treat others is. It is the reason I keep going back to the same places, because they care and they are improving my Italian a little day by day!
SMILE Friends! Pass it on.
Sorry for the use of internet photos, I hate doing that but I don't enjoy taking pictures when I am in the market, ruins the experience and fun of it all.
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