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La Storia della Pasta – part 3 Posted by Serena on Nov 14, 2010
Evoluzione During the mediaeval period, the tradition of pasta, passed down from the ancient Greek, Arabic, and Etruscan cultures, was further developed by the introduction of new forms, such as hollow pasta, and pasta ripiena (filled pasta), and a new method of cooking. In antiquity, pasta was cooked, together with its condiment, directly al forno…
Making Comparisons: di or che? Posted by Serena on Nov 11, 2010
When learning how to make comparisons students of Italian are normally taught to use either più (more) or meno (less) in front of the adjective and use di to translate ‘than’, e.g.: Milano è più grande di Genova Milan is bigger than Genoa La mia borsa è meno pesante della tua My bag is less…
Pazzesca Burocrazia Gattesca – part 2 Posted by Serena on Nov 8, 2010
As I explained in part 1 of ‘Pazzesca Burocrazia Gattesca’ (Crazy Cat Bureaucracy), getting Mimì the cat sterilized turned out to be rather more complicated than we had anticipated. In order to qualify for the free service which should be provided for gatti randagi (stray cats) we would be obliged to jump through all sorts…
Pazzesca Burocrazia Gattesca! Posted by Serena on Nov 5, 2010
A short while ago I wrote a couple of blogs about our new cats, Mimì e Cocò. I explained that we found them abandoned in the car park near the rubbish bins. We decided that it would be best to have Mimì, la mamma, checked out by a vet and sterilized. As is often the…
Occhio all’Etichetta Posted by Serena on Nov 2, 2010
Le etichette dei cibi (food labels) have become increasingly detailed in recent years. In theory we should all be better informed about what we consume. In practice though, we are bombarded by a plethora of symbols and terminology which often mean little or nothing to us. Le informazioni sulle etichette. Information found on food packaging…
Crostata di Mele Posted by Serena on Oct 30, 2010
After many days of cold, rain, and wind, today is a beautiful warm sunny day. Le montagne, coperte da un mantello dai colori autunnali, si stagliano contro il cielo perfettamente azzurro (the mountains, cloaked in autumnal colors, are silhouetted against a perfectly blue sky). We decided to go out for a walk in the hills…
Tenersi Caldi Posted by Serena on Oct 27, 2010
With the onset of winter we begin, once again, the daily ritual of il caminetto (the fireplace). Sometimes, I can’t help but think back with nostalgia to the time when Geoff and I lived in Nottingham, England. The nostalgia, though, is not for Nottingham, but for our lovely gas central heating which switched itself on…