Post Tagged with "Italy"

Italian Pasta – The Indian Way!

Not that I don’t like pasta- I simply love the traditional Italian serving. As it is, the Italian dishes are quite suitable to the Indian sensibilities because of the spicy flavor. But when we visited India last year, we got to try the “Indian” version of pasta in Mumbai.

For the uninitiated, Mumbai has a great roadside snacks culture and this is one of the things that I miss the most now I am living in The Netherlands. Coming back to the pasta – it was done with spices, tomatoes, and lots of veggies. It looked great and tasted delicious as well. Since then, I have replicated the success in my kitchen too!!

Want to see your photos on Food of the World? Join our Food of the World Flickr group

Read more:
A roadside snack in Nairobi
Arrosticini – Italian street food
Rajasthan – a local’s view

Celebrating nutella

Every Friday is food of the world day here at PocketCultures. And today is also World nutella day. Certain members of the PocketCultures team grew up in Italy, where nutella is a very important part of life. So, we’d like to dedicate today’s post to nutella!

Thanks to _inmyshoes_ for sharing this photo of a yummy looking homemade brioche with nutella. If you know Italian, the recipe is here. If you don’t know Italian, well, the pictures are also worth a visit!

Pocketcultures loves to discover food from around the world. If you have some photos, why not join our Food of the World Flickr group?

Read more:
Tort de ciocolata: Romanian chocolate cake
Submarino: hot chocolate, Buenos Aires style
How to drink cappuccino in Italy

The Cappuccino rule: fact or fiction?

If you’re visiting Italy sooner or later you’re bound to come accross one piece of advice: do not order a cappuccino after 11am and definitely not after midday.

Coffee break. Image credit: ::..LK..:: on Flickr

But is this really true or is it another travellers’ legend? We asked a selection of real life Italians about their coffee drinking habits.

Here’s what they said (names have been changed):

Massimino, Rimini: “I don’t drink cappuccino. I prefer latte macchiato and I would order it in a bar at any time of day. But in a restaurant, never”

Giuseppe, Lecce: “I would have no problem ordering cappuccino in the afternoon. In fact, I will have one now” (at 6pm)

Laura, Genoa: “The worst is when foreigners order cappuccino in the restaurant”

Luca, Naples: “Cappuccino is seen as breakfast mainly, this is why it is ordered in the morning. I think I have never ordered a cappuccino in the afternoon in Italy.

So my answer is NO, there are lots of other thing to choose … like coffee alla nocciola (coffee with hazlenut paste) etc., then Cappuccino is very warming and in Napoli (where I’m from) it is warm enough!”

Paola, Rimini: “Only foreigners drink cappuccino at all hours of the day. The average Italian (including me) only orders it in the morning: cornetto cappuccino e quotidiano (pastry, cappuccino and a newspaper) makes a perfect breakfast”

Giandaniele, Rome: “Cappuccino is only meant for the morning but nobody should be offended if you have one whenever”

Not your everyday cappuccino. Image credit: Andy Wade

The verdict? Looks like opinions are mixed.

The hard and fast rule is that you should never order cappuccino in the restaurant at the end of a meal. After a meal you will look out of place drinking anything but espresso.

In a bar? Some people might think it’s an unusual choice but it seems others won’t mind at all. If you really want one, why deprive yourself? You’re in the country of la bella vita, after all.

Read more:
Food of the World: Arrosticini – Italian street food
Milleuristi – the losers in new look Europe
Italian blogs on Blogs of the World

Arrosticini: Italian street food

Thanks to Jessica of Romephotoblog for this street food photo from Rome, Italy.

Arrosticini are skewers of lamb meat often cooked on the barbeque, like the ones in the photo. If you’re not squeamish have a look at the precooked version here.

Do you want to share photos of your country’s food? Join our photo group on Flickr and show us your photos.

Read more:
Street barbeque in Canada
Britain’s 10 favourite foods – is spaghetti bolognese Italian food or a British invention?
Italian blogs – read more about Italy on Blogs of the World

Getting around in Italy

Italy is responsible for a lot of iconic transportation options. It’s the country that created Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. Maybe one of the best known and cutest icons is the Fiat 500 which you can still see around and about on many Italian streets.

If you’re looking for two wheeled options, the most stylish way to get around is the Vespa. Now sold in more than 60 countries around the world, the Vespa is another staple of Italian transport.

Italy’s roads can get pretty busy, especially in the summer when everyone heads for the coast at the weekends. And any Italian will tell you that even though Italians are laid back about most aspects of life, when they get on the roads everyone is in a hurry.

(more…)

The unhappy losers of new look Europe

“they have an average of three years more education than their parents, a worse job and a lower standard of living”

The Observer explains how a generation of well-educated young professionals in several European countries are realising that they cannot hope to achieve the quality of life enjoyed by their own parents.

In contrast with the fast growing economies of developing countries such as India and China, in Western Europe growth is slowing, and job markets have been stagnant for several years. Rising inflation, high property prices and low wages mean that young people find life increasingly difficult.

In France they are called the ‘baby losers’, in Spain they are ‘Mileuristas’ and in Italy ‘Milleuristi’ (meaning those who earn 1000 euros per month)

According to the Observer, the closed job markets of these countries is a major obstacle. Inflexible labour laws encourage those who have jobs to hang on to them at all costs, at the expense of younger job seekers.

These are certainly not the poorest people in Europe. But it is a disappointing situation for a generation which grew up believing that a good education is the key to a good future, and now cannot find a job that pays the bills.

Read more:
No frills wedding trend hits China
Costa Rica, happiest country in the world
The US rediscovers the joy of shoe repairs