I do not remember well why we decided to do it.. Interest in each others’ cultures? Curiosity? I believe so, they sound good enough reasons to me.
We first met at mine for a cooking lesson on the proper Italian tomato sauce. He had a terrible cold mixed with some unexpected coughing. He refused a pack of tissues, kitchen paper suited his nose best.
I started preparing the ingredients (celery, onion and carrot very finely chopped) when he innocently asked “Don’t you put some garlic with it?” “No darling, onion and garlic they never go together” “But I always do it” “Because you are English!”. He did not comment further.
He is very observant and checked, tasted and looked at most of the things I was doing (he spent the rest of the time blowing his nose). At some point he said “Mmm.. that’s true then what they say..” “About what?” I asked him. “That Italians are very meticulous about their food. That it is a real stereotype then”. I was ready to go off on a discussion about the fact that of course we are meticulous and even pedantic if the word pleases him, but that is the least you can do if you want good tasty food. You need time and care and attention. We are talking about Italian food and not quick, micro waved, processed English meals which comes in a frozen or tinned form.
I limited myself to a plain answer like “Of course, this is Italian food” and put a smile after that. (After five years in the UK I have very well learned how to address my temper towards more approachable and still explanatory manners. Sometimes I still cannot credit myself for such a change).Anyways the lunch went well and although he was “not that hungry” he ate all the pasta, finished off some feta&roasted pepper dip that I had prepared for the previous evening, he had an apple and a slice of lemon cake.
We first met at mine for a cooking lesson on the proper Italian tomato sauce. He had a terrible cold mixed with some unexpected coughing. He refused a pack of tissues, kitchen paper suited his nose best.
I started preparing the ingredients (celery, onion and carrot very finely chopped) when he innocently asked “Don’t you put some garlic with it?” “No darling, onion and garlic they never go together” “But I always do it” “Because you are English!”. He did not comment further.
He is very observant and checked, tasted and looked at most of the things I was doing (he spent the rest of the time blowing his nose). At some point he said “Mmm.. that’s true then what they say..” “About what?” I asked him. “That Italians are very meticulous about their food. That it is a real stereotype then”. I was ready to go off on a discussion about the fact that of course we are meticulous and even pedantic if the word pleases him, but that is the least you can do if you want good tasty food. You need time and care and attention. We are talking about Italian food and not quick, micro waved, processed English meals which comes in a frozen or tinned form.
I limited myself to a plain answer like “Of course, this is Italian food” and put a smile after that. (After five years in the UK I have very well learned how to address my temper towards more approachable and still explanatory manners. Sometimes I still cannot credit myself for such a change).Anyways the lunch went well and although he was “not that hungry” he ate all the pasta, finished off some feta&roasted pepper dip that I had prepared for the previous evening, he had an apple and a slice of lemon cake.
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