dln

My husband and I are renting an apt. in Rome this Sept. Our plan is to eat one meal out, either lunch or dinner, and then cook in. I know I have to go to different shops to get bread, cheese, meats, but what I'd like to know is this: do Italian grocery stores (is it alimentari?)have mixes like we do? You know, like Tuna Helper. Maybe not so lowbrow as that, but you get the drift. I'm asking because I obiviously won't be bringing my cookbooks with me, and I'm afraid I'm not a very creative cook when left to my own devices! So if anyone has rented an apartment and pulled together simple, tasty meal, please give me advice and tips. We will be staying in Trastevere.

Kascha912

You bet there are... just take a look at http://www.knorr.it/
My husband and I always take mixes/ seasonings/ dried soups back home with us when we travel to another country.
The fun part is trying to translate the cooking directions ;-)

And if you really feel too insecure to do without some convenience food - how about taking something with you?

Alice_Twain

In first place you do not _have_ to go to different shops. We do have supermarkets, and often the food (especially in the cities) is better (fresher) at the supermarket than in the average shop. I only go to the bakery and to a few selected shopos that have superior quality food (more costly too) on special occasions and for making special meals. As for the mixes, we tend to cook from scrap much more than you on the other side of the Atlantic do, so you will find very few such stuff. On the toher hand, every single item will be different, even the brands that are distributed both in Europe and in the Usa often sell different recipes for the same product, so they often change slightly and according to the tastes of the country they are distributed to. If you want to use at their best the Itlaian ingredients, you may consider getting yourself an Italian cookbook in English, but make it something that has been printed in Italy, since books sold in the Us refer to the ingredients you can find there but not necessarly here. Italian cuisine is largely based on simple preparations and fresh ingredients, so putting toghether a meal might take you no more than 40 minutes. Also, in italy we do not use measuring cups and so on, so bring your own if you rely on precise measuerement in your cooking. Italian cookbooks have measures in grams, liters and, whenever something is measured in "spoons", we refer to the soup spoon.

jody

Don't know how close your apt. will be but there is a large supermarket just off the Via Veneto....go down the steps that lead into the metro station, it's right at the bottom of the stairs.

While there are a lot of alimenteria in the area , this is the only supermarket I've seen in the toutist area. If you are staying in the Spanish Steps area, just enter the subway/metro station and take the escalatores on your left that go to the Via veneto and walk thru till you come to the store.

They have a wide variety of goodies , we always stop there to load up on things to bring home..even though we don't rent an apartment.

janis

There really is no need to use mixes (that would most likely not have English directions anyway)

Do simple things like grilled and roasted meats, salads, put some seafood or chicken in a salad and have a main course, pasta with either home made or purchased sauces, cold cuts and anti-pasti-type things, Omelets or other egg dishes. You can eat very well without using any mixes or cookbooks.

sandy_b

Try this, quick, easy, lots of variations.

Chicken w/White Wine

Brown chicken breasts in a little butter or oil, remove from pan. Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms . . . add 1/2 c or more of white wine and 1/2 c of chicken broth, add chicken back in, cover, simmer 10 min or until chicken is done. You may need to add more wine and broth, especially if you want some to pour over your rice. We prefer rice with this dish and I do make more sauce.

You can add asparagas, broccoli, artichokes, peas, or almost anything to this basic dish. Not only is it great but it's low-cal . . . what more could you want!!

Hope this helps,
Sandy

Grinisa

There is a supermarket on Viale Trastevere just west of the church of San Crisogno.

dln

Thank you all for the suggestions (and so quickly, too)! I actually don't use mixes at home--I like to cook from scratch, but I thought that would be my only route since I wouldn't have space to bring my cookbooks or pantry supplies with me, as I do when we go to the beach for a week in the summer. I really look forward to cooking in our Rome apt, as it will make me feel like I'm living there, instead of being a regular tourist!

Cluny

I usually take a paperback Elizabeth David cookbook with me when we're renting a house in France. Her recipes are more suggestions about combinations and cooking methods than exact measurements, but they help me make the most of local ingredients and cuts of meat, which are often quite different in Europe. You might look for her Italian cookbook or for one of Marcella Hazan's to take along for inspiration.

suze

boil fresh or dry pasta until cooked.

in a separate bowl pour olive oil, and add chopped tomatoes, green onions, mushrooms, ham, salami, etc. as you choose.

toss the pasta with mixture in the bowl. (there's an italian name for this preparation but I don't know what it is.)

suze

my advice is to cook simple with fresh ingredients that don't *need* measuring or a recipe. along with my suggestion above, some more ideas...

chop & stir fry (just about any combo of vegetables and fresh herbs with or without meat) in olive oil.

make a small soup, again simply find anything that looks good & throw it in the pot with water (vegetables, meat, rice, pasta).

stovetop 'fritatta' - saute vegetables, ham/salami, add beaten eggs and cheese, cook on low until firm.

Alice_Twain

Suze: that's crudaiola. Start out with the very basics: tomato, extra virgin oil, basil, garlick and a little bit of salt. Make sure that the tomato are ripe. Than you can add your favorite ingredients. I like it with some mozzarella (fiordilatte, not bufala, cut in slices and left to drain for one hour before using it) and olives, sometimes I also add some grated almonds.
Another great solution is olio, aglio e peperoncino: while the pasta (usually spaghetti) is almost done, put 2 spoons of extravirgin olive oil in a pan for each person, add 1-2 tooth of garlick (cut in two if you like it stronger, just slightly crushed and with the "peel" still on if you like it sweeter), some chili pepers (as much as you like it) and let it fry for a couple of minutes. Add one spoonful of breadcrumbs for each person, than stir the spaghetti in. Serve with grated pecorino cheese.

suze

Thanks Alice (for "crudaiola&quot! I like your other ideas too.