jiminalpago

One novel: "The music of Chance" , Paul Auster;
one non-fiction: "Guns, Germs and Steel", Jared Diamond.

Both use straight-forward language.

Of "classic" authors I suggest Conrad or the Hornblower stories.

sabato

Thank you for your suggestions, I'll check them out.

He's not in fluent in English, so I was thinking of a young adult book - if one exists! Thanks again

ambra_wandsworth

I would like to make something different this Christmas, and I was thinking to make some cakes with icing /cupcakes, not sure yet..

Do you know any website i can order some nice icing decorations and food colouring from?

Lasbury

Try
www.lakeland.co.uk

and

http://www.makeawishcakeshop.co.uk/o...op/default.asp

ambra_wandsworth

Thanks!!

jiminalpago

Remember everyone was talking about Lidl a few weeks ago? Here's a Scottish take:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/commen...-life.16074974

Lorna at Vicenza

Decided to drive to Carrefour today to buy a couple of presents.

Whilst there I picked up some Heinz ketchup and some Heinz baked beans. I finally found some of those little bottles of Strongbow and a cute little can of ready mixed G&T. Haven't tried that yet so don't know how weak/strong it is.
I also bought a rack of lamb. Never seen a rack of lamb here before.
I saw some whole turkeys there too but I'll wait for Christmas day at home for turkey and all the trimmings.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

I bought a turkey tonight at Esselunga , they also had goose but it was 42 euros ...

jonwel

I get the feeling that turkeys in Italy are a different (poorer) quality, but I may be wrong. Let us know how it turns out!

Isakat

I had the same opinion as you Jonwel until last year when I ordered a turkey from my local butcher, it was really good. In the past we bought from the supermarkets, but this one was by far superior in tenderness and taste.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

Hi - I did the turkey yesterday for OH's birthday and it went really well . I decided not to do it at Christmas because I didn't feel confident enough but it was actually very good indeed. Its a strict diet from today on

ballerina

we got a 6kg turkey from esselunga for our christmas dinner, it was delicious (cost €27, is that expensive or good value?) however, I won't be buying anymore meat from there because we've been palmed off with some right crap - minced beef full of gristle, veal chops that turnd out to be pork (the bacon-y smell gave it away) and joints of beef fillet that was just a rolled up bit of fatty steak disguised as a whole joint grrrrr

HADENOUGHPIZZA

The prices sounds about the same as mine , I'm surprised about the meat because I get most of ours from esselunga and its generally quite good although meat standards in parma are not too high unless you want pork. Did yours get all sorts of English stuff for Christmas ? Carrs water biscuits and special chocolates that sort of thing ... not cheese though ...sigh

jonwel

Here in Milan, apart from the long-standing high-class high-price butchers' shops there are some reasonable-priced ones with a high turnover where the quality is better than Esselunga (which I don't find that good) and the price not much higher. "Fattorie Mantovane" is one chain, but there are others. As far as supermarkets go, Billa (ex-Standa) is better than Esselunga for meat.
The Iper supermarket (but don't know if you've got one in Parma) sells Stilton at high prices, because it's the only English DOP cheese, but I also found Cathedral City Cheddar the other day, at €11 a kilo.
I think Esselunga sometimes sells Carrs but if you try out the various Italian crackers (pronounced krek) there are some reasonable substitutes.

pugliese

See, Ballerina, this is where you live and learn. Those pre-prepared arrosto di vitello is not roast beef as we know it (or pork or veal for that matter) and is always bits of meat stuffed into ...what do you call it ... elastic mesh. You have to go the butcher's counter and ask for un arrosto da un kilo or due ma un pezzo intero. How many did you have round for Christmas for a 6kg turkey???