"My cat is named Odin"

 Oh the things you discover sometimes thanks to old friends. My Italian friend sent me this picture a few months ago and I wanted to share it here. This is the book she read to her two boys during the summer holidays: Il mio gatto si chiama Odino. Translated into English, the title would be "My cat is named Odin". The book is about a black cat with one eye. My long-time readers will remember that I once had a black cat with one eye, also called Odin. I guess I was not entirely original naming him. He was the best of cats and I miss him very much. So I think I need to brush up my Italian and get my hands on that book to read it.

Speaking Italian in the library

 I learned something recently: our local library hosts a group of Italian speakers every Tuesday afternoon. Sadly, this is the wrong day and the wrong time, as I am at work then. Which is a darn shame: I have been wanting to improve my Italian for years and this could be the right opportunity for it. I say improve, but mine is extremely limited, even though I have allegedly a great pronunciation (and a native accent, at least sometimes). Anyway, maybe I would be out of place there because I have little vocabulary and know barely anything of its grammar, but all the same, it would be a start. Not full immersion, but a start.

Simplified puttanesca

A few weeks ago, while I was alone at home, I cooked a spaghetti alla puttanesca, the first in a long time. I keep it simple: I don't add anchovies but sardines and I only put olives because I did not have capers. It was still delicious. I showed it to Wolfie via Facetime. As you may know, Wolfie loves olives just as much as I do. So he asked me to cook some for when he got back. So I made another batch of puttanesca, but without the sardines, so my vegetarian wife could eat it. And also because my son is not too keen on sardines. It was not as flavoursome, but he loved it anyway. Veggie Carrie, who is less fond of olives, less so. But all the same, it's a new family classic. Or father and son classic: simplified puttanesca. Although from what I read, this is pretty close to the original Neapolitan version, which is itself very simple.

The New Italian Connection?

Last Sunday, late afternoon, Wolfie and I went outside so I could teach him to ride a bike. He is getting better, although he needs to build his confidence. But I digress. Outside the house in the corner, there were our neighbours, with some friends. These neighbours, I didn't know much about them, except that they are having their house extended. They are a couple in their thirties. So anyway, they had visitors, another couple and their child, a little boy of two or thereabout. When he saw Wolfie, he was drawn to him, as if he found a new friend. I asked Wolfie to say hello. I could tell they were speaking another language, but it didn't struck me it was Italian. Then the mum told me her little boy didn't speak English yet. And then I could hear they were Italian. So I introduced myself and Wolfie to them, and to the little boy, in Italian. We had a quick chat, mixing English and Italian, Wolfie spoke a few words of French because well, why the heck not. I didn't spend much time chatting, mind you, it was all an impromptu talk due to circumstances. I didn't even properly introduce myself to my neighbours. But I do hope to find time speaking to them and learn to know them better. They seem quite friendly. Being a foreigner, it is nice to see people in the same boat as you, so to speak. And I also hope to improve my Italian.

"The Ultimate Hunt"

What you see here is the cover for the recent Italian edition of The Last Hunt by South African crime writer Deon Meyer. One of my favourite crime writers and one of my favourite novels of his, for many reasons, which you can read here. Now I wanted to make to observation about this cover: 1)it looks like an Italian fumetto (comic book), and by the way it would be great to have graphic novel adaptations of Meyer's books. 2)The title, L'Ultima caccia, sounds very dramatic, far more infact than the English or the French title of the same novel. Not merely the last hunt, but the ultimate one. Is it me or do Italian titles often sound more dramatic? Something to do with the Italian people perhaps. In any case, it is a pretty cool book cover.

A bruschetta with a twist

As those who can read French might have known from a previous post, I recently made bruschette (yes, the plural is with an e, not with an s) for the family lunch. One of the things I learned spending time with Italians at uni, apart from a bit of Italian, is how to make bruschette: you toast a piece of bread, you grate a garlic clove on it, you then pour a bit of olive oil on it, then add a cut tomato, or some passata, then add grated cheese, preferably parmesan, then that's it, you have a healthy meal for you and your loved ones. You can of course do a few variations with bruschette and add different things. Which is what I always do with Wolfie: he loves them, but with olives. I put some one day on his, he won't have any without since then. Maybe I should do the same for my own bruschette, come to think of it.

Bruschetta "classique"

Hier pour le lunch, j'ai comme eu l'inspiration de faire des bruschette, puisqu'on a beaucoup, beaucoup d'aïl (longue histoire). Ça me prend parfois, c'est un met que ma femme aime vraiment et une des choses apprises de mes amis italiens qui m'a souvent sauvé quand j'avais une fringale. C'est niaiseux à faire: on fait une toast, on gratte de l'aïl sur la tranche, on met de l'huile d'olive, on rajoute une tomate coupée (ou de la passata), ensuite on met du fromage râpé, pde préférence du parmesan (ici c'est du cheddar). Bien entendu, on peut amener des variations, par exemple petit loup aime ça avec des olives. Mais j'ai décidé d'en faire une classique pour la photo. Et en passant, on dit bruschette au pluriel et non bruschettas et le ch se prononce "k".

An Italian birthday memory

Today is my birthday, and as I often on that day, I try to share on this blog a birthday memory. Because I'm a shameless nostalgic. Today, it is not a childhood memory that comes to my mind, but one from my early twenties. When I first came in this country to study, I spent a lot of time with Italians, who made for the majority of my group of friends. I celebrated only one birthday with them, but since that day, I know the meaning of "buon compleanno" and "auguri". Thanks to social media, I keep in touch with them and they keep on wishing me well in these words, which reminds me of that time.

Le 21 septembre (Svampa chante Brassens)

Demain, comme le veut la tradition, je devrais partager sur ce blogue cette chanson de Brassens.Je partage plutôt ce soir l'adaptation de l'Italien Nanni Svampa. Dans cette version italienne, le 22 a été troqué pour le 21, pour une raison que j'ignore. Cela explique bien entendu que j'ai avancé la date de publication d'un jour. Les traductions de chansons, surtout celles de Brassens, sont souvent hasardeuses (au mieux), mais je dois admettre que parfois Brassens me parle plus en italien. C'est le cas pour cette chanson-ci.

The guide to Italian pasta names

I did not know about the Itchy Feet comics, until I stumbled upon it today, with this absolutely hilarious comic strip. Well, I don't know, maybe I am too academic, but I found it very funny and educational too. I know some Italian and knew some of these names, but not all and I can't help but admire how inventive Italian gastronomical terminology can be. Here it is anyway.

Italian friendship

A few days ago, I was chatting to my Italian friend over Messenger. She is a friend I met during my first year at uni in this country and is about the same age as me. The last time we met, it was back in 2000 in Bergamo, where she is from and where I think she still lives. She is generally discreet on social media, so it was nice to getting some news from her. She has a young boy a few months older than Wolfie, let's call him Cesario. I haven't seen any picture of him yet. Anyway, she told me that she will give birth to a baby in six weeks, another boy. Talking to her like this made me feel better about myself, not only because of the nostalgia, but because she is living the same reality as a parent. We both became parents at a relatively late age, our children seem to have a similar mischievous spirit, they both have long afternoon naps and they both struggle to keep a sleeping routine. I wonder if Wolfie would get along as well with Cesario as he does with Uber. In any case, I think a trip to Italy is long overdue. When my friend get used to the reality of being a parent a second time (and at 41!), maybe we should plan a visit there. I'd learn a bit of Italian, reconnect with an old friend and we could maybe even extend this friendship to a new generation.

The Italian sandwiches

As my readership knows, every Friday I treat myself for lunch with a sandwich made at the local sandwich shop, to celebrate the end of the working week and the beginning of the weekend. This has been the case for my current job and the previous one, albeit obviously the local sandwich shop is now a different one. Back in my old job, when the sandwich shop was closed, I used to go to an Italian grocery shop nearby that was also making sandwiches. Simpler and much cheaper sandwiches. Basically, some cold meats and cheese slices of your choice. Nothing fancy, but delicious in its simplicity. And as the staff was genuinely Italian, I could speak a bit of Italian too. Going there was a treat in every way.

Limoncello on the house

It was recently the birthday of my wife and to celebrate, we went to a small local Italian restaurant, which we had never tried before, but heard some good things about. It was an authentic Italian restaurant, by this I mean it has authentic Italians in its staff. It was very pleasant experience and we will go back. I mostly behaved myself and did not speak much Italian so as not to embarrass my wife. But okay, I did say a few words, just for kicks. And talking of kicks, as it was her birthday we received a shot of limoncello each on the house. It was the first time I ever tried that liqueur and I have to say, it has a strong kick. I very seldom drink digestives, as I don't think about ordering them. But limoncello might become a new thing for me, I really enjoyed it.

Saumon d'avril

Parfois il y a des titres de billets que je publie rien qu'à cause du calembour. Bref le mois d'avril touche à sa fin (sa faim?) et j'en profite pour partager une photo de pure food porn. Voyez-vous, il y a un café italien dans notre petit ville et j'y ai mangé ce sandwich ciabatta au saumon fumé et avocat. C'était genre délicieux. Bon, ce n'est pas le classique bagel saumon-fumé que j'aurais à Montréal, mais je me suis dit que ça ferait une substitution acceptable quand je veux me payer la traite avec du saumon fumé. Et en plus, quand j'y vais je pratique mon italien, ce qui est toujours ça de pris.

Farewell to the Italian shop

Sad news: the Italian food shop which I love so much is closing this weekend. My wife told me this yesterday after she walked pass it, there were signs about closing down discounts. So I made sure I went there today for one last visit and for a few purchases. I was devastated. The owners told me their greedy landlord had basically asked his pound of flesh and increased the rent, effectively forcing them to close within a week's notice. Infuriating. It was a short lived adventure, the shop having been here only since December 2015, but I had quickly grown fond of it, the friendly staff and their products. Many were a bit pricey, but never to the point of being out of my budget. I made some great discoveries there, which I will try to blog about in the upcoming weeks, as a sort of eulogy. And I could exercise my Italian a bit, which I did one last time. I am going to miss it.

Exotic Italian drink

I recently tried a new San Pellegrino product: the pomegranate and orange drink. Or, as they call it in Italian, Melograno E Arancia. They say on the webpage it has a burgundy-violet colour, but let's face it: that's not burgundy, that's pink! It also tastes very pink, but one can find somewhere in there the pomegranate... Or melograno. Not sure if I like this particular San Pellegrino, but I do have a fondness for the brand in general, minus a few exceptions. Maybe because I find them so Italian in an exotic way" They are sparkly, they have unusual fruit flavours... Like a very posh soft drink brand, which I guess it is.

The Divine Comedy for children?

''Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita,
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
ché la diritta via era smarrita.''

Dante, The Divine Comedy

I found out of total chance this image on Facebook, apparently of an adaptation for children (and I think in Spanish) of Dante's epic poem. Okay so seriously, tell me, does this book cover fit well the above verses, which, translated into English, mean: "Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost." I mean really? Is this a joke? I have been obsessing about it since I saw it in my timeline. I have a confession to make: I don't like Dante much. His masterpiece is for me a disgusting display of devout Catholic propaganda, plagued with antisemitism. But one should at least respect his importance and not turn his work into... Well, into this. Because this is worse than my worst nightmares. A pastel Hell? If it looks like this, I am really afraid of ending up in it.

Chercher la puttanesca

J'y ai pensé aujourd'hui: ça fait un bail que je n'ai pas blogué sur la puttanesca, ça fait aussi longtemps (mais quand même moins longtemps) que je n'ai pas mangé de puttanesca. Cette photo date de la dernière fois où j'en ai fait une. Je la fait plutôt à la philistine: je mets d'habitude des sardines plutôt que des anchois. Et les pâtes qui accompagnent la sauce sont rarement des spaghetti (oui, je ne mets pas de s à spaghetti, c'est déjà un pluriel, bon). Je songe donc à en manger dans un futur proche. Mais comme je suis un peu vegge, je songe, au lieu d'en faire une philistine, d'aller m'en commander une dans le meilleur restaurant italien que je puisse trouver. Je vais me lancer en quête de la meilleure puttanesca au monde. Rien que ça.Je pars parfois dans des quêtes gastronomiques comme ça: le meilleur hamburger, les meilleurs fish and chips, le meilleur pouding chômeur, etc. Cette fois, ce sera la puttanesca. J'irai dans les bordels napolitains, s'il le faut (non c'est pas vrai). Ou en tout cas, je pourrais saisir l'occasion pour enfin revoir l'Italie.

Dylan Dog in Italian

The treasures you find in second-hand bookshops, even Oxfam! (And I know I have been praising Oxfam a lot recently). Well, in any case, I found last week that Oxfam was selling a few Dylan Dog magazines, in original Italian, at the very cheap price of £0.99. Less than a quid, a pure bargain. I had never read a Dylan Dog before, but I have read about Dylan Dog, the first time in a dictionary or an encyclopedia of comic books as a teenager, and since then had always been curious about this fumetto. Back during my month in Italy, I had considered buying one or two to improve my Italian, but had decided against it because... Because I thought it might be a waste of money if I could not understand a thing. I always regretted it.

So when I saw them in Oxfam, I considered it a sign of fate and I decided to purchase one. At less than a pound, it was hardly money thrown down the drain. And... And I was happily surprised to discover that I could understand what I was reading. Granted, not everything and not the foreword, but even without the help of a dictionary at hand, I could get the gist of it. I am so glad my Italian is not as bad as I thought. And I fell over the charm of this odd comic book, set in modern day Britain, but harking to old fashioned Gothic horror and with Italian witticism and baroque imagery. Not to mention, in the case of the book I bought, the language. You have English character speaking Italian all the way. It's so bizarre, yet it works. I bought only one, but I regret not buying more. Because of course the week after when I stopped there there was no Dylan Dog anymore. They were already all gone. Who else is into it, in its original language, in the little English town where I live? I hope they are going to sell more, so I can start a collection and improve my Italian. And I also intend to add the fumetto to my collection of Halloween reads.

A new Italian moment

There was a Christmas market in the high street of our little town tonight, one of the seasonal events I absolutely love. There was the usual stuff: orchestras playing (including my wife's), choirs, food stands, decorations stands, etc. And there was a youngish Italian man who was passing leaflets about a new shop opening tonight, a shop of Italian delicacies. he was talking slowly with a very heavy Italian accent. So I took the leaflet, thanking him in Italian. Which of course lead to a conversation in Italian. When my wife had finished with the orchestra, we went to the shop, tasted some Italian jams and speak some more Italian for me. I said my usual line: "Io parlo bene italiano ma non capisco una sola parola". It was enough for the shopkeeper and his son (the guy who had passed leaflets) to wonder if I was Italian, but I could not maintain the illusion. They still kept on speaking Italian to me. As the son said as an explanation: "Your Italian is better than my English." I don't think I am that good, or he that bad, but this deserves to be a great unknown line. So this was my new Italian moment. Apparently, the shop is only here temporarily, for a month or so. I will pay them a few visits for a few more Italian moments.