I'm going to blatantly break my promise not to write about how things are SO DIFFERENT

I know I promised not to write too many of those posts about how things are oh so different here, but this post will be one of my major exceptions. Actually, I'm thinking I will gather little tidbits and then post all my little Europe is Foreign! observations together, say once a month. So for instance, today I'll share that Potato Pizza is pretty popular here. For the uninitiated, that's French Fries. On pizza. I thought the Italians were above that sort of thing. Apparently not. Also, the entire country seems to have a vendetta against turkey. The meat product, not the country, although that could be a whole different post on European stereotypes.

Anyway, so you all know I like to cook. Therefore it will probably not come as a surprise that the local supermarkets are getting their own post. I predict that this is without a doubt one of the silliest things I will ever post on. We have one in our building, called Plenty Market, although some Italians told us the chain is nicknamed Vuoto (Empty) , since they are often out of most things. (so clever). It is about the size of the Secret Safeway in Dupont Circle, maybe a smidge larger.

However, this posting is mainly concerned with the shopping baskets. I'm slightly smitten with them. They don't seem to have carts at most markets here (it seems that the Italians do their shopping rather frequently, which negates the need for those monster carts we have at home.) Instead they have these things resembling regular shopping baskets but a bit larger, and really awkward to carry. It took me three trips to the store to realize that no one else was carrying theirs. Instead, there are tiny tiny wheel-like things on the bottom of the basket and a really long handle on the side. Everyone just drags their cart around the store, doing their best to steer and not play bumper cars with the aisle shelving. Everyone else seems quite good at this. I knocked over a display case of fresh bread on my first attempt. I can't tell you how many strange looks I got while carefully arranging my basket to take this picture. Also, that is 1/3 of the cheese selection in this tiny store. Frustratingly, it is almost all different kinds of Parmesan and Mozzarella. Oh how I long for some Gouda. We found some Cheddar the other day, but it was in a can and sloshed a bit when we shook it, and not in the awesome Cheese Wiz way. Also, there is a poor selection of mustard and I have not been able to find broccoli anywhere. The spices and seasoning are limited to three different kinds of dried basil, salt and pepper, and an overwhelming amount of fennel.

Luckily, there is a Asian grocery store about three blocks away. They have almost every spice known to mankind and I can tell already that I will miss it when I leave. There is a whole aisle exclusively stocked with different types of soy sauce, and three aisles worth of ramen. Seriously, three whole aisles devoted to flavors never before seen in the Western Hemisphere. Like, dried octopus eggs in tamarind seasoned chicken broth. I did not just make that up. It is fantastic, and will probably drive me to poetry one day. There is also an entire aisle of juices, which always makes me think of Kenneth and Ana, because you guys are the only people I know who would drink some of these crazy flavors, like mango flavored coconut juice, or citrusy apple. Don't stare at this picture for too long because it will make you sick with its blurry juice-ness.

What my extensive time in the grocery stores comes down to is that my apartment has been challenged to a cook off against another apartment here. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. My roommate Kristin was bragging around about how I cook a lot and she got cocky and started trash talking Dan and Tracy, throwing down a gauntlet saying I could beat them in a three course cook off. They laughed their faces off and accepted. Keep in mind they laughed their faces off because it is a commonly known fact in our program that Kristin's idea of gourmet cooking is opening a can of corn and pouring it into a bowl (what she actually had for dinner last night), while Karen has been known to occasionally salt and pepper some olive oil before eating it with bread.

Five judges have been recruited and I have two weeks to draft a three course menu that must be delicious, impressive, and easy to make (though to their credit, Karen and Kristin are both excellent at chopping things, doing the dishes, and buying wine). Any suggestions? For those who have eaten my cooking, any favorite recipes I should break out?