Pharm Cooking: Trip to Italy, Germany was wonderful
By LOU GREENHAW
Contributing writer
We just returned from a vacation in Italy and Germany. It was a wonderful trip. We flew to Bologna where we rented a car and then went to the Adriatic coast, south a ways, through San Marino into the mountains to medieval towns including Assisi then back up to Bologna. From there, we flew to Munich to see our former exchange student, Tobi, then back home.
Before we left, we had been emailing a missionary couple in Bologna. Steve saw their name in some material from Gospel Missionary Union, which was the group that Steve went with to Russia. It didn't dawn on us that they had no clue where we lived.
When we arrived in Bologna, we called and arranged to take them out for dinner. What a surprise it was when we told them we were from Hillsboro. Phil Schroeder had gone to Tabor for two years while his father, Lloyd Schroeder, taught Spanish at Tabor. He was in the class with Ron Loewen, the son of a dentist! His wife, Sylvia, was from Moundridge and was a Goering!
We had a wonderful visit including a visit to their apartment. They clued us in on some vital issues like parking, driving, and ordering in restaurants. They introduced us to a peach drink. In Italian, the word for peach is pesca.
The next day, on our own, we decided to try the peach drink again. Unfortunately, the word for fish in Italian is pesce. You guessed it! We had many strange looks until we finally got the right word pronounced correctly!
We bought a bottle on our own at a market which was another great adventure. We decided to buy a few things and eat lunch alongside the road as we drove down the Adriatic. We stood in line and ordered the cheeses we wanted using the point method with Steve telling them 100 grams on everything!
Then the fun began. Because we were only getting a few things, we didn't take a cart. Apparently the carts are numbered, and they put the number of your cart on you packages they wrap. A clerk got us a cart, and we added, fruit and bread and were on our way again.
We loved eating in Italy. Our favorite courses are antipasta and primi, which is the pasta course. We got better at ordering secundi and liked them better this trip than last. From Sylvia, I did learn that the original Bologna sausage like we get here was made from donkey meat. One restaurant specialized in donkey, so we learned what words to avoid!
We had octopus salad once, but our favorite antipasti was a platter of meats, cheeses, olives, peppers, artichokes, and the like that was eaten with hard bread. When I cook Italian at home, that is the most fun course to plan. One dish that I make to go on the platter is a Sicilian tomato salad. It would be a good way to use up the last of the garden tomatoes.
I can hardly wait to return. Tobi's father wants us to come back immediately, and if it weren't for the exhausting trip home, I would certainly consider going right back. Now I don't know what my husband, the person paying, would think!
Sicilian Tomato Salad
4 medium large ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
1/2 cup good quality olive oil (virgin or extra virgin)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon finely crushed oregano leaves
Dash of coarse ground pepper
Dash of garlic powder
Prepare tomatoes. In a glass bowl, combine oil, vinegar, oregano, pepper, and garlic. Whisk. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Refrigerate one hour. If chilled longer, bring to room temperature to serve. Serve on platter with other antipasti choices or on top of a bed of lettuce for a salad course. (The Italians eat a salad course after the main course.)
