Il Forno

Moving...

The long awaited time (at least by myself) has come. After about three years pondering about a new job and a few months spent looking for one, I have landed a gig in the land of the skirt kilt-clad, fried anything-eating men: Scotland. Not my first choice weather-wise, I have to confess, but it seems Italy and Southern Europe have little demand for my professional skills. Tough luck... for me and for them. I am very happy about the job though, and after having spent four years in what turned out to be professional hell, it is a big relief.

Even if Scotland seems to enjoy a slightly tarnished reputation food-wise (as the Mr Nice of British food journalism, AA Gill, so kindly reminds us), I am looking forward to making the most out of it. Maybe six years spent in the East of Germany – which has a few gems, but that is it– have somewhat diminished my gastronomic needs, or maybe I just can't take some London-centric food-journos too seriously when they shit on the rest of the restaurant scene of their own country. Time will tell. Therefore, any Scotland tips, especially concerning Glasgow and surroundings, will be most welcome.

It is goodbye to Germany. Nonetheless, there will be a couple of Jena-centered last-goodbye posts popping up in the next weeks. It might also be goodbye to this blog. I am not sure if I will continue posting on Il Forno after moving and probaby will only find out once we settle in. The plan is to continue blogging, but how, where and with what frequency remains unclear at the moment.

I have to say sorry to all of those who got in touch and whom I did not reply to in the past two months or so. The job hunt, and successive flat search left me with little free time and completely highjacked my thoughts away from blogging and the web. Quite a few have inquired about IMBB? and its future. I can only reply that at the moment I cannot give my attention to the event, but would be happy to give over the reins to anyone interested and committed to continue running this monthly event. If you are, get in touch and I'll be happy to pass on all the information you might need.

Till next time and Glasgow kisses to all ;-)!

When automatic translators go haywire

Yes, it is from a real menu. Trust me.

I haven't been writing much lately...

... well, so has Shakespeare, I might add, quoting a silly card I saw a few days before Christmas. Jokes apart, I'd like to thank all those who wrote asking what happened to me. At the same time I have to beg for pardon all those who wrote and who are still waiting for a reply from my part. No, I haven't turned into a rude blogger with a writer's block. Rather, I've spent the last month or so back in a pre-computer era: for a series of reason–most notable of all my laptop breaking down and repairs taking forver– I had no internet access whatsoever up to late last week. Now that I'm back on the saddle posting will resume, and so will my replies to the many unanswered e-mails.

Though a bit late, I really hope you all had a happy Christmas and a rocking beginning in 2006!

Friday night Pizza

Takeaway pizza on Friday evenings is one of the things I really miss of Naples. Even better if with a cold beer and side of pezzi fritti (fried morsels) as antipasto!

P.S. Eating pizza in a real Neapolitan pizzeria is even better, but on Fridays that usually means waiting an hour or so since everybody seems to feel like pizza on Fridays in Naples. If I think that this is the best we get in Jena (that "crazy dog pizza" deserves a front row place at the tribunal for crimes against pizza), I feel like crying: wouldn't you?

No worries, mate!

For once I'll make an exception to posting about food, I simply could not resist.

I was searching trough BBC News website  the for a completely unrelated article and stumbled ont this: Mates are OK at Aussie parliament.

While I perfectly understand the reason for formality in politics, it always comes through as overly pompous. I just can't help loving a country where you could call US President GBJr "mate".

Not that I'd want him to be my mate, but that's another bloody story.

86 the fish fingers, dad.

As a parent I have to admit that there are times when all the efforts one makes to set rules or habits for my son seem to run up against a brick wall. A tiny brick wall maybe, say 95 cm high, but an incredibly stubborn one. And then, out of the blue, suddenly you not only see a result, but you notice how your kid has become even a greater stickler than yourself and start complaining. Call that gratitude.

Being the food obsessed conscious person that I am, one of my greatest fears would be to see my son turn into a soda guzzling, McDo Hamburger chomping teenager I often see around. So you bet I wasn't too happy when a few month's ago my son Saami started showing a love for those ignoble little things that are called fish fingers. OK, he often left the foul breading on the plate, but still, if he wanted fish he'd get some real fish. Off we went with trouts, char, mackerel and more. Saami loved looking at the fishes, especially when I opened their mouths and showed him the teeth and tongue to scare him. Not that it made much of a difference when it came on the plate: some got eaten, some less, but without too much enthusiasm. Fish fingers seemed to have won.

Until a few days ago. Home late and with little inspiration about what to cook I looked in the freezer and found two forgotten fish fingers. Hey kid, what about those? I wish you could have seen the look of disgust on his face. Luckily his answer was just as significant: "Dad, I don't want any fish fingers. I want a fish that tastes good." (actually in German: "Papa, ich will keine Fischstäbchen. Ich will ein lecker Fisch.")  The next day he got a large fresh trout, simply pan fried, and happily ate most of it in the blink of an eye. Guess I won't be disowning my son just yet.

Now, if I could only get him to see that dark Valrhona chocolate is better than Smarties I'd be a really happy dad...

Meme 1.1- Ten (food related) things to do before you die: the Italy for foreigners list.

A while back I was tagged by the Italian blog Peperosso for a meme inspired by the Observer's list of 50 things foddies should do: make a list of ten things you think every food lover should not miss. This 10 things meme was intriguing. I gave this some thought straightaway... then I took my little job-related pause from blogging, and so I got a chance to think some more. I got tagged for another few memes following that and so in the next few weeks I'll try to catch up with the backlog of writing my dear friends have lovingly dumped on me. Just kidding, deep inside I enjoy this... sure do.

After all this time I ended up with two lists. One is inspired by the way I feel about Italians and their food loves, prejudices and unfamiliarity with what goes on outside our borders. The other puts together ten Italian foods that you just have to have tried, especially if you are a foreigner traveling to Italy, but don't feel excluded if you happen to be an Italian. I'll start today with the latter. The former will be up in a few days.

Back and posting

Though I know it is bad blogging etiquette to excuse oneself for the lack of posts, given the interests some of you have taken, I thought a little thank you note would not go amiss. I have very much appreciated all the messages, private and not, which I have recieved from fellow bloggers and readers. Sorry if I did not reply to all of you, my inbox is simply overflowing at the moment. The last two months have been hellish as far as work and "future decisions" go, and I've not had much time to cook, let alone blogging. Although things are still somewhat hectic I just missed blogging too much not to start writing again. Posts will probably be a bit slow in the next weeks but you should see at least two-three new posts every week from now on. Thank you again and... buon appetito!

Rosamarina, delicious and controversial

Let me give you a little quiz. If someone showed you an unlabeled jar containing a relish of tiny fishes fermented in salt and chilies and asked you to guess where it came from, what would you say?

Thailand...
... Mexico maybe?

Buon Natale!

A merry Christmas to all those who over the past year and a bit have read through the pages of this blog, hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing it.

A merry Christmas to fellow food bloggers, it's been great to see our community grow so much last year. I don't need to mention all the great things we do together, do I? Blog on!

A merry Christmas to new and old friends, to those I met in real life an to those I still haven't, and to future (hopefully) partners in crime. You've all given me a smile, a laugh or even a little happy teardrop as a present throughout this year. I can only hope I managed to share these feeling with you.

A special merry Christmas to those who inspired me to start this blog, Deb, kiplog and Blue (still there? how's it going?) and to the first person to leave a comment on this blog, I haven't forgotten Clotilde!

A merry Christmas to those who've argued against some of the things I wrote, and took the time to send me a calm and friendly note. Thank you. I've learned new things, changed my mind on some issues, kept my opinion on most, but terribly enjoyed exchanging views with you.

A merry Christmas even to those few people who, for some strange reason, felt the urge to make me and my opinions the subject of their hate mails, insults and the like. I really don't know what your problem is: cool down, it's only food after all!

Last but not least a merry Christmas to my family. If you read this: I did miss the tortelli a bit this year ;-).

Buon Natale!