.. of this Xmas season, at any rate: a pleasant lunch with Gina and family. As she asked me only last night, I didn't have the ingredients in to make another cake [about which I was secretly rather relieved] so I just took along a bottle of the ever-welcome Asti. We feasted upon: gnocchi pasta with ragù; veal scaloppine in Gina's sauce [the recipe for which I will persuade her to give me one day]; profiteroles from an excellent pasticceria; and lemon gel made by Gina's mother-in-law.
Gina makes me laugh: she is really quite adventurous and dreams of an extended visit to Australia once her sons are married, she is retired and has "soldi e tempo" [money and time]. The trouble is that her husband Carlo is quite content just where he is, thank you very much and has no intention of accompanying her on this trip: he is one of those Sicilians who sees no reason to go anywhere else [and I must admit I can understand his feelings on that] so today Gina was sounding me out to see if I would go with her. Sorry, Gina but I've had enough adventures of my own for now! Besides, I have no interest in going somewhere where they don't "speak foreign"!
The 2nd down looks lovely... it's making me really hungry... did you do something special to those peas?
ReplyDelete2008 is great. I have decided that already. I can just tell :->
I don't know, I can see you with one of those hats with corks dangling around it, riding a camel towards Uluru.
ReplyDeleteI suppose Aus wouldn't be of interest to youon culinary grounds, however :)
Never say never!
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely surprise for you and the food looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteLike Gleds I thought those peas looked very big and tasty. Definitely not mushy peas.
Happy New Year again Welshcakes, we'll stop saying that tomorrow for sure.
What a lovely festa - again! You have wonderful friend there, but I personally still would love to see Australia.
ReplyDeleteHi, Gleds. They just cook them slowly with onions [and sometimes pancetta]. Ciao, Crushed. You're giving me ideas now! Actually, on culinary grounds I would love to visit Oz, because I understand there is a great mix of culinary traditions there [such as Vietmanese, Malay, etc]. I get some of my best cookery ideas from the "Australian Woman's Weekly" cookbooks, which I collect. Ciao, Lady M. You have a point there! Buon anno again, jmb. No, not mushy! Hi, Leslie. Yes, she is a good friend. As I've said above, I'd like to visit Oz for culinary reasons but I like places where I can speak different languages!
ReplyDeleteI think your culinary skills would be a great benefit to the Australian continent.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to join her, if she is a friend of yous, I am sure she would be great company. I wish I had offers like this.
ReplyDeleteHappy New year Welshcakes.
Well, thank you, WW! Auguri di nuovo e grazie, UPM. I'll tell Gina, Ellee. I'm sure you would get on and you can meet her if you come over! Buon anno.
ReplyDeleteawwww...welshcakes, abbey, mg and i would love to have you visit us in aus, we could learn another language expecially for you ;) australia is fabulously multicultural now, and the richness and diversity of language, food and culture is wonderful. I have a family of refugees from Sudan who live opposite me and I love humming along to their songs, they sing so much, wish I could learn some of the words though, perhaps will have to o and ask :)
ReplyDeleteHi, kyles. you are so kind. I would love to come if I could meet all of you! Yes, the varied cokkery is something that would really interest me - and the people, of course!
ReplyDelete