Languages Alive

The authentic Italian farmers’ market

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:16:33 +0000

Since the organic food boom in London I’ve always wondered why the farmers’ markets around the capital were so expensive. So when I went to my home town where I lived for 19 years, I took some pictures to show you that the original idea was and still is for peasants to sell their products straight to the consumers, therefore eliminating the cost of intermediates which increase the final price. Enjoy the colorful pictures! This is the Thursday farmer market in Nettuno near Rome. The market is made by stalls of fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese and also clothes. We usually go to buy fresh veg but also to spend an interesting morning browsing the peculiar stalls and enjoying the village life. It is used in my family to walk along the stalls eating fresh green olives or lupine seeds. Have a look!

Stocking Up at Farmer’s Markets (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
Do farmers have to pay the farmers market to sell their goods? (greenanswers.com)
Editorial: County should not over-regulate farmers markets (darlenewolnik.com)
Farmers Markets Just Make Sense (thrivefarm.wordpress.com)
Farmers’ Market frenzy (blomquistfamilyadventures.wordpress.com)

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: Business, Business and Economy, Farmer, Farmers Market, food, health, Italian, Italy, London, Nettuno, organic food, Shopping, Vegetable

Spoiled children & manners

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:19:07 +0000

HEEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

I must start with saying that I am not a parent, however, I have a great deal of experience with children of all ages. It is surely nice to spoil your child, until what extent? This is what really matters. Teaching good manners to children is not an easy task but it has to be done. When a child burps out loud, it can surely sound funny at first but increasingly

disruptive when repeated. You have a choice, laugh or telling the child off. Besides, would you like to find yourself at dinner with your friends or colleagues and your children start burping loudly every time they need to? It might be funny in some countries but it can be regarded as lack of politeness in some others and can generate some nasty comments behind your back. When you grant a child everything he/she want you are not making it easy for him/her to learn about life. One of the most annoying things is when children interrupt adults when talking by yelling and pulling the parent’s clothes. They are obviously not taught about waiting as the parent usually turns around and replies to them. Not everybody is a parent and some people will find that rude. Well, if you are asking yourself why should you care about what other people think about your children I give you the answer: it is not what they think about them, besides they are only children, innocent creatures, it’s what they think about YOU! You are going to be the one to be criticized. Raising up a child cannot be the school’s only burden. Many articles talk about teachers, bad education in state schools and parents take the freedom to question discipline measures given to pupils. My question is: have you ever thought that actually your child’s behavior might be your fault?

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: bad manners, children, children upbringing, cross cultural communication, culture, good manners, misbehavior, parent's role, parents, school, spoiled children, state schools

The Real Food Harvest Festival @ South Bank

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:02:35 +0000

About two weeks ago I received a news letter about this Festival and I put the dates in my diary straight away. Yesterday, I had the chance to go and stroll around South Bank, one of coolest places in London, just by the river Thames. I wasn’t disappointed, it was great seeing a wide variety of food stalls ranging from Dutch pancakes to Moroccan Tangines. I had a miso soup @ the Japanese stall and I really enjoyed it. Then I tasted cakes, cheeses such the hemp one which I didn’t know existed. I could have bought everything, the food looked so healthy and just GOOD! Have a look yourself here are the pics I have taken. I look forward to another food event!

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: cakes, cheese, cooking for children, culture, cupcakes, food, fusionfood, healthy coooking, Healthy food, homemade food, italiancooking, latin american food, multiculturalfood

Packed Lunch or not? This is the question!

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:12:28 +0000

Schools have started and here we go again with what it seems to be the most controversial question of the academic year. Are packed lunches better than school dinners? (By the way can someone explain me why they are called dinners if they are actually lunches?)

As I have been around many primary schools and nurseries in greater London, working as an Assistant Teacher I would definitively say that it really depends on what the school has to offer. In a few schools and nurseries, I’ve seen and tasted mediocre food with a mediocre choice, in others I had so much choice I couldn’t decide what to have and the food tasted average. Now, I really have to say that school cooks do not have a clue yet but hey this is UK and probably most people cannot even be bothered to learn how to cook. Well, I am quite sincere, I didn’t have any desire of learning myself when I was younger and moved to London, but then thanks to my family and friends I developed a strong desire of cooking healthy food. Above all, I’ve got involved into two of my greatest passions, Italian and Latin American/Spanish cuisines and cultures.

Anyway, too much information here… The point I wanted to make is that you can actually supply your kids with a very balanced and delicious meal if you learn the basics yourself and cook for them.

Do you think it takes long? No, no really, you just need the will to learn. You can do it just reading recipes and trying them, or better read blogs and so on.

Here are few options you can cook, they’re quick and nutritious and will give your kids the energy needed

So just read on

Please note I’ve given you suggestions suitable for one meal per day, make something different to your kid for dinner.

Here is what I suggest for packed lunches: rice with vegetables and chicken, beef or turkey or pasta with tomato sauce made from scratch

Also pasta carbonara, although replace bacon with some ham, pasta with courgettes and shrimps if you are lucky enough your kid eats fish and seafood.

A mix of finely chopped raw vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, add tomatoes and dressing. This does not mean putting already made dressings. It means adding some sea salt which is very important you use, instead of the chemical one you find in the big supermarkets. Add a little of extra virgin olive oil and voila’ the dressing is done, you can also add some drops of squeezed lemon or some vinegar… a little piece of cheese or a yogurt and a piece of fruits and you ll have your healthy and nutritious packed lunch for your kid!

If you need any help how to make the meals mentioned above do not hesitate to leave your comment and I will reply asap!

Bye for now!

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: children, Italian food, kids, latin american food, packed lunches, school dinners, schools

Nonna Lena Parmigiana Aubergines

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:49:28 +0000

Do you want to leave your guests speechless?

Why not try Grandma Lenas’s Parmigiana (Melanzane di nonna Lena)? TASTE AND MAKE YOUR GUESTS

TASTE THE REAL ITALIAN PARMIGIANAJUST LIKE ITALIAN GRANDMAS MAKE IT! Grandma Lena’s Parmigiana.

Meal preparation time: 3 hours Cooking time: 15/20 minutes Total: 3 hours and 15/20 minutes Ingredients for 4 people: 4 or 5 aubergines, plain flour 700g to be on the safe side. 4/6 eggs, salt, 3/4 mozzarella balls, sunflower-seed oil, parmesan cheese, buy @ least 250g.

Sauce ingredients: 2 bottles of tomato passata, I recommend the organic Sainsbury passata, 1 medium size red onion, olive oil, 2 leaves of basil. Prepare the sauce before you start frying the aubergines. Sauce: Place some olive oil in a pot and add the finely chopped onion, keep it on fire until the onion goes golden, then add the tomato sauce. Stir and salt according to your taste and add some basil. Make it cook for at least 20 minutes @ low flame.

Aubergines:

Peel the aubergines and cut them into regular slices (not too fine, nor too thick). Preserve them in salt for about 2 hours in order to remove the bitterness.

Wash and dry them with a clean cloth.
Put eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and beat them gently.
Place some flour in a bowl and spread some sunflower-seed oil in a saucepan. Leave it over a high flame until it is hot.
Flour the slices of aubergines, then put them in the egg mixture and fry them.
Spread some tomato sauce in a pyrex and lay the first layer of fried aubergines. Add tomato sauce, mozzarella slices and parmesan.
Repeat the procedure until the last layer of aubergines and cover it well with tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan. Cook it in the oven for about 15/20 minutes @180 degrees and switch it off when the mozzarella has melt and become golden brown.

Buon Appetito!

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: aubergines, food, Healthy food, homemade food, Italian cooking lessons, Italian food, parmigiana aubergines

AXEL AND COLE LEARNING ITALIAN THROUGH COOKING

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 01:17:54 +0000

Axel and Cole are cute twins who enjoy making pasta and pizza and learn Italian while cooking.

They also enjoy playing Italian games that I used to play as a kid.

Teaching them is fun and rewarding. I have a great time with them and every time I am delighted by their progress. Children are very clever and have a flexible brain which allow them to link words and verbs into sentences easily and naturally. They only need to be exposed to a foreign language in a positive and fun way without feeling any pressure. Learning should be a game to them. Try it and you will be astonished how quickly they learn and how excited they are about the whole experience.

Axel and Cole are almost 5 years old and after only a few months from when I started teaching them Italian, they could finally speak it. They talk to me only in Italian now and are so proud to have an Italian tutor. Isn’t it AMAZING!?

They are so much into languages now that they are keen on Spanish and French too!

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: cooking for children, foreign languages and children, French for children, Italian for children, italiancooking, languages, Spanish for children

Diversity the spice of life!

Languages Alive - Raffaella Palumbo — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:52:31 +0000

Click to view slideshow.Hi everyone, this blog was born by a desire to inspire and educate adults and children to diverse cultures. In this blog, I want to talk about languages such as Italian, Spanish and French seen as sophisticated and alive sources of communication, more than dry grammar constructions.

In this site you will find useful information for your holidays, your business and for cooking home-made Italian food.

I will reveal some of my grandma’s cooking tips and recipes.

I hope you will enjoy and leave your comments and ideas.

So speak to you soon!

My favorite words are love, learn and eat are they yours too?

Filed under: July 2011 Tagged: cross cultural communication, culture, French, healthy coooking, Italian, Italian cooking, languages, Spanish