PASTA AL SUGO DI MAIALE

This is Gina's pasta with a glistening sauce of meltingly tender pork. [I have been doing well for Sunday lunch invitations lately!] If you asked an Italian cook for a sauce recipe, he or she would probably look at you a bit strangely. For the sauce [apart from one or two special ones such as a béchamel] is not regarded as an entity in itself: it sort of logically derives from whatever else is cooking. [A ragù is a different matter.] The pasta was followed by braised pork plus a dish of potatoes and sausages in a tomato sauce, accompanied by mushrooms and chunky fried potatoes and, of course, some good, hard, Modican bread.

WORLDS APART?

Sometimes, when you live in a culture which is not your own, you can be brought up short by a matter to which you have never had cause to give much thought. So it was yesterday when Gina mentioned the fact that the Archbishop of Canterbury, accompanied by his wife and son, had visited the Pope. "Yes, I saw it in the paper", said I, thinking she was just making conversation. Then I realised that she found the idea that an Archbishop could be married very, very strange. Not being of a religious disposition, the matter had not greatly exercised my mind and I take married clergy as much for granted as, well, people here assume that their priests will be male and single! [Gina is the third person to have mentioned the visit to me during the week and only yesterday did it dawn on me how very odd Dr Williams's entourage must have seemed here.]

Later I watched Gina prepare the week's food for her son to take back to University [he comes home every weekend] and thought that I was in a foreign place indeed, the sole ambition of British youngsters of a similar age being to get as far away as possible from home and parents. But perhaps Gina's son has it right: home at the weekend to be cosseted and loved, then back to his lodgings laden with mother's beautifully cooked, comforting dishes. That must make his studies seem more palatable! And there is absolutely no doubt that, on the whole, Italians have happier family lives.

A DECADENT BREAKFAST

In September I showed you the cotognata [quince paste] that is made here but that was the shop - bought version. The above, I am pleased to tell you, is the real McCoy, or rather "the real McChiara" as it is made with friend Chiara's fair hands. Believe me, there is no comparison in colour, texture or taste! [I put Chiara's recipe on the comments for this post.]

There is nothing like good cotognata on a slice of griddled panettone, which is how I had some this morning. The fruity aroma of the toasting panettone filled the apartment and for me, Christmas has begun!

By the way, under a new law introduced this February, panettone can only go by that name if its makers conform to the approved [naturally leavened] method of making it and include certain compulsory ingredients. [Even the type of egg to be used is specified.] Well done, the Italians, for protecting the quality of their produce.

CLEAR SKIES AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS...

... still seem incongruous to a Brit. But I'm not complaining!

WHAT IF?

I don't wish to tempt fate but I often wonder, if there were a natural disaster here and I had to evacuate quickly, what I would grab. The answer is very easy: Simone, Simone, Simone! [My dog, if you are new to this blog.]

Long ago, when there was a fire alert in a block of flats where I was living in Cardiff [UK], I left the building clutching: my dog, my teddy and a bottle of whisky. The firemen thought I'd shown great presence of mind in bringing the latter! [Can't stand the stuff now, by the way.] Do readers have a "mental list" of things they'd grab in such an event?

These thoughts go through my mind [usually at night], I've decided, because in the early days [and these are still early days for me] you don't feel quite as "safe" in a new country. Is this the experience of others, too? After all, I reflect, not much can happen to you in Britain, apart from breaking your neck by slipping on an icy pavement, getting stabbed for your mobile phone, being blown up or poisoned by radiation....

Etna update: yesterday the airport had to close in the evening for the seventh day in succession. The authorities in Catania have asked the Italian government for a nationally appointed team of experts to monitor the volcano's activity all year round.

JET-SKIING TOWARDS FORTRESS EUROPE

I've written before about the desperate measures taken by clandestini [illegal would-be immigrants] in their efforts to reach Europe and hope of a better life. Many of these voyages end in tragedy or, if the travellers are "luckier", in the reception centres at Lampedusa and Trapani.

In the early hours of yesterday two men were rescued off Pantelleria [a volcanic island famous for its capers preserved in salt, among other things] and it seems they had been trying to jet-ski from Tunisia to the coasts of Sicily. They were wearing diving suits and did have a mobile phone to call for help when their vessel ran into trouble in the rough sea. They seem to be in reasonable shape medically after their ordeal. Again, one cannot begin to imagine what sort of life they were hoping to leave behind and can only wonder at the risk they were prepared to take.

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

This baking powder was hiding on a high shelf in one of the supermarkets today. It's the first time I've seen the product here. There are alternatives, of course, in the form of sachets of vanilla-flavoured lievito per dolci, and these obviously work well as the pastry chefs here are superb. But I always end up with the contents of half the sachet left over. Besides, it's nice, occasionally, to cook with what you are used to!

RAVIOLI DI ZUCCA

The elderly gentleman who lives across the street strolls down the road every morning, at the same time as I am taking Simi out. He always greets us kindly, then turns off in the opposite direction. As we are returning, we see him again, clutching a carrier bag and looking very pleased with himself. I've been here long enough to recognise the kind of smile that results from having acquired some excellent food for yourself somewhere so this morning, reader, I followed him. The trail led to the fresh pasta shop, a treasure trove indeed, and I brought back booty in the form of these delightful ravioli di zucca = pumpkin ravioli.

DOLCI AL CIOCCOLATO

These are especially for Liz, who had a bad day yesterday - some chocolate biscuits, Sicilian style!

A BUREAUCRATIC ANOMALY

I mentioned some time ago that I have been caught out in the matter of health care cover here but did not go into detail. I do so now for three reasons: to point out the absurdity of the rules, to warn others and to ask if any readers have more information.

As I understand it, if you move from the UK to another EU country and are not of state pension age, your entitlement to health care in the new country depends on your UK National Insurance contributions over the last three years. For health reasons, I retired from secondary school teaching ten years ago and since then have worked virtually full-time in adult education, but at an hourly rate. My NI contributions have entitled me to health care here, under Form E106, from July 2005 to January 2007. Even if my contributions had been higher, my entitlement would have ceased in July 2007 as two years is the longest period of cover you can receive under Form E106, unless you are in receipt of UK disability or incapacity benefit or similar. After that period, you are on your own! [You may be covered again when you reach state pensionable age but in my case that is unlikely as I will not receive a full state pension.] So it is that an EU citizen can find himself / herself without health cover within the EU. [If you are working in the new country, it is not a problem, I understand, but again, what would happen upon retirement?]

This state of affairs appears to me to be both unjust and ridiculous as if I were in the UK and not working my entitlement to state health care would not depend on previous NI contributions [though eligibility for health benefits would, but that is a different matter] . My beef is that I taught for twenty-three years in the nation's schools and the situation I was in eventually made me ill. I pulled myself back from that illness and sought other employment, the irony being that, had I been claiming incapacity benefit , I would have cover here now. Another irony is that, if I were a non-EU citizen, I could simply pay the Italian State 700 - 800 euros per annum - which I would be perfectly happy to do - and receive cover. Now it seems that I will have to take out private health insurance which I cannot really afford. So much for equal rights for EU citizens within the EU!!

It is important to point out that none of this is due to failures or bureaucracy within the Italian system. Indeed, all the officials I have spoken to have been as mystified by the rules as I am and have done all in their power to help. The fault lies within the bureaucracy and administration of the EU.

Does anyone out there have more information? Have people elsewhere been caught out? [My internet reading suggests that they have.] Can anyone suggest a solution?

I am aware that some American readers will have a different attitude towards private health insurance and can only say that British people do not expect to have to purchase it!

UN INVITO A PRANZO

An unexpected invitation to lunch with Marco and Giovanna today. Here are trays of Giovanna's wonderful breads.

ZUCCHINA VERDE - 2

Remember the green squash vegetable I showed you 10 days or so ago? Yesterday I added some to this stew of veal, pancetta, shallots and sage. It turned out very well and I was surprised at how quickly the sliced vegetable became tender when fried. Ellee asked me what it tastes like; it tastes, well, squashy!

OLIVE SCHIACCIATE - 2

Here is a dish of the finished olive schiacciate. They have been in their marinade of olive oil, orange and lemon peel and herbs for a week now and they taste very good. From Chris Stewart's latest book, I got the idea of adding harissa to the mixture [not Sicilian but it is available here].

ANOTHER TREMOR

It seems I dozed my way through an earthquake tremor at about 05.30 on Friday: I heard some strange creaking and Simi barked, but I put the activity down to some goings-on in the flat upstairs!

CHRISTMAS CARDS AND SAINTS

I bought some Christmas cards at the "religious" shop along the road this morning and, while I was at it, also purchased this tome which will tell me, day by day, all about the lives of the saints. I'm not Catholic or even religious. It's just that I think that, as I am living in a Catholic country, I should absorb as much as I can about that side of the culture, too. I had a long chat with the shop owner and we agreed that the book must have necessitated a fair amount of research as there is a reproduction of a painting of each saint and these cannot have been easy to find in all cases. Some readers may not be aware that people here are much more likely to celebrate their onomastico or "name day" [the day of the saint they are named after] than their birthdays. For those of you who are interested, I have learnt that today is the day of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

Christmas cards are quite expensive here as you have to buy them singly [in Britain you can just get a boxful at the supermarket for about £1.99 - or has the price gone up?] and the only charity cards available are UNICEF ones which you have to purchase at the post office. Needless to say, I am not queueing in that dreadful place to buy them!

I can't get over, either, how miserable the Italians are regarding Christmas cards: on the whole, they just don't bother, preferring to ring their acquaintances to offer the compliments of the season. Now there's something I miss: sitting by the fire on a cold, British evening and writing my Christmas cards! My "to send to Britain" list is considerably reduced this year as I have ruthlessly crossed out all the people who didn't send me a card from there last year, including a friend who gave birth on 24th December. A little thing like that is no excuse, honey, as if you were going to send a card to Italy, you'd have had to do it before that date! I, as you see, am not miserable at all and am full of charity and Christmas spirit!

GIN AI MIRTICCI E MIRTILLI

Here are the mirticci berries I showed you last week, steeping away in gin and sugar. Today I added some black myrtle berries [bilberries] to improve the colour. Just like when you make sloe gin in Britain, you need a little pazienza to prick all the berries with a needle or cocktail stick. After a couple of months, I'll strain it through muslin e vediamo - and we shall see!

FUOCO DELL'ETNA

Etna has been extremely angry lately and you can see pictures of yesterday's volcanic activity here. Yesterday the airport at Catania had to be closed because the pilots would not have been able to see through the cloud of black ash. It reopened this morning but may have to close again this evening. When you fly in to Fontanarossa from Britain, you usually get a clear view of the volcano and I still think it's a stunning sight as you come out of the airport, as it looks as if it is right on top of you. Last night there was seismic activity in the sea off Catania, Siracusa, Lampedusa and as near as Ragusa. I haven't yet found any black ash on the balcony rails, though friends here say it does, very occasionally, happen. [Catania is about 2 hours from Modica.]

WHO COULD RESIST?

So I didn't!

A VIEW FROM THE HAIRDRESSER'S

This is what I look at when I am waiting at Raffaele's. I find it quite a calming scene to gaze at while I am having my roots done!

TWO MEME GAMES

We've been "tagged" twice today, that is, I've been tagged by Ellee and Simi has been tagged by Liz. So I'll do mine first as Simi is still having a think. [She is very honoured to be tagged and sends love and wags to Harvey.]

TEN THINGS I'D NEVER DO
1. Not love my dog.
2. Go out without my lipstick on. [I could fill up the next 3 by substituting mascara / perfume / earrings for lipstick but that's not in the spirit of the thing, so I won't.]
3. Take up a sport.
4. Throw out or give away a book I have read. ["I am what I've read" - that's my motto!]
5. Watch reality shows.
6. Touch a spider.

7. Do another day's supply teaching in a British secondary school. [Paper and books are thrown at you, you are sworn at and even threatened and if that's all that happens you are having a good day. On the last occasion when I let myself in for this type of rehearsal for hell there were 5 of us supplies in the school: one walked out in disgust at morning break, one did the same at lunchtime, one fainted and the other fell down the stairs drunk! I was the only one who lasted the day and I swore, "never again".]

8. Let my hair go grey. [I haven't seen my natural colour since I was about 14 so why start now?!]

9. Stop loving Italy.
10. Conform!

I now tag Liz and Laugh More, Love More.

Ok, here's Simi's:
SIX WEIRD THINGS ABOUT MYSELF
I'm not weird at all but my mummy thinks I am when I:

1. Shake my rope toy at her when she is in the bath. [I only want her to hurry up so I can have my walk!]

2. Bark at motorbikes. [Well, there are so many of them in Italy and I want a ride on one!]

3. Decide I want a game of "tug" at 6 am. [She never seems all that pleased when I do that!]

4. Hide from lorries when we are out. [I'm a lot lower down than my mummy and they spit things from under their wheels!]

5. Bark at cars that use my street. ["You don't own it", she says. - That's what she thinks!]

6. Oh, and she thinks it's uncanny that I can tell the time perfectly. Humans just can't work out how we dogs do it! As my new friend Harvey says, they're not as intelligent as us!

We're not sure which bloggers we know like to be tagged but we think Ellee ['cos she says nice things about me] and Bonnie ['cos I like Mojo the bulldog] won't mind.

Oh! That reminds me! My mummy and I wish all American dogs and humans a Happy Thanksgiving!