Fare la spesa: shopping for groceries

A typical shopping cart in Firenze

In the news today: Firenze è la città dove fare la spesa costa meno.

What does that mean? Believe it or not, it states that it is cheaper to buy groceries in Florence than any other city in Italy (according to recent surveys). In particular, shopping at the Coop store is less expensive and convenient. The Coop is a large chain with big stores, much like Dillons and Safeway stores in the U.S., and are usually located in the periferia, or outer areas of town. But there's one not far from me, so I'm going to check it out and see what the prices are like. I can certainly agree that grocery shopping is inexpensive here, even though I do most of my shopping at small stores. In addition, buying fruit, vegetables, and cheese at the open market is usually a bargain.

As for other kinds of shopping, I've also been lucky with clothes. In fact, once in awhile I come across an item of clothing, sometimes brand new, just lying on the sidewalk in front of me. So far I've found a scarf, a nice sweater and a lovely new handkerchief. Unexpected gifts! I've bought several used sweaters, a scarf and a pair of gloves for 3 euros each. I'm looking for a nice pair of boots, and am hoping to find a bargain, though I'd really like to get pair that is made to fit my feet.

One of the things I like most about living here is that Italians know how to "make do" with what they have. I've always lived that way, and enjoy being in a culture that fosters this mindset instead of one that thrives on having an excess of goods and replacing things before they even have a chance to wear out. "Less is more" is definitely the Italian way of life, and mine as well.

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Update: 2 novembre
I went to the COOP store today. What a wonderland! I wish I'd known about it when I first arrived in Florence. More selection, lower prices, and no need to carry a "member card'' for discounts. However, shopping is even cheaper for Coop members. It's a good 15- minute walk from my apartment, but I'll be going there often from now on. Guess I need to get one of those nifty wheeled shopping carts that I see so many people using.

Bellezza e Bruschetta

Bellezza (beauty) in Piazza Duomo

I had a mission today: to make bruschetta for the first time, and pesto. I've made pesto many times at home, but as I only have knives on hand in the apartment to slice and dice (no food processor), it was a challenge. Bruschetta is bascially grilled bread, often topped with chopped tomatoes, spices and olive oil. Pesto is a blend of basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese, also used as a topping, or as a sauce on pasta.

Bruschetta

First, I needed the right ingredients. I had basilico from the plant on my terrace, pomidori (tomatoes) and aglio (garlic) from the market, as well as olio d'oliva (olive oil) and Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese). I still needed pane (bread), spezie (spices) and pinoli (pine nuts). I went to the Mercato Centrale early to see what I could find. Shopping in Firenze is often like a scavenger hunt, and I enjoy the process of exploring the city to figure out where things can be found.

As a rule, I don't much care for Mercato Centrale, as many of the merchants are not Italian and the prices are often steep, plying to the tourist trade that frequents that part of town. The only thing I bought was some ground pepper, for 2 euros. The woman who sold it to me encouraged me to try a tiny bottle of salt flavored with truffles....for 9 euros. No thanks! (The non-Italian merchants often try to push the sale of other items in their stalls, something I really don't enjoy.)

On the way, I came across a special exhibit of ornamental plants in Piazza del Duomo. Many merchants had colorful of their plants on display. I lingered awhile to capture the beauty.




I was unlucky in finding pine nuts at the market, but when I ventured into a casalinghe store (things for the home), in addition to pots and pans, I discovered bins of dried beans and jars of nuts. I asked for half of an etto (about 2 ounces) of pinoli, for 2,90 euros, and the merchant was content to sell me that and no more. Grazie mille!

Still in a walking mood, I made my way across town to my favorite market, Sant'Ambrogio, where I prefer to shop. I found the bread I needed and returned home per fare pranzo (to make lunch).

Slicing il prosciutto (ham) while I wait to buy bread.

I grilled the bread in the toaster oven, then slathered it with the tomato concoction I'd made. I had a few tomatoes left over to eat with the pesto. L'ho fatto! (I made it): bruschetta e pesto! The perfect pranzo for a Saturday afternoon in Firenze. Buon appetito!

Going to market

I really lucked out. I think I live in one of the best parts of Florence. I enjoy being able to walk to the market each day for fresh fruit and vegetables, so much more flavorable than even the homegrown vegies we had in Lawrence this year. I've become a big fan of the small pears that they sell here...the perfect size for a snack with cheese.

I rarely spend more than 5 euros, yet come home carrying bags laden with riches: zucchine, peppers, grapes, olives, melon, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, figs, pears, and more. There is also freshly made pasta, meats, cheeses, lettuces at the mercato aperto (open market) ; too many things to recount with ease.

La frutta e verdura dal mercato
(fruit and vegetables from the market)

And then there's the indoor market, with every imaginable kind of fresh fish, meat or cheese. There's even one counter that sells only cuts of horse meat, often eaten in Italy. I'm not a big meat eater, so don't usually frequent this part of the Sant'Ambrogio market, but it's a hopping place with the locals.

One of my Skype friends, Massimo in Bologna, gave me several lessons on shopping at the market during our language exchange meetings this summer. It's been very helpful to know the colloquial way of interacting with the vendors, even though they seem eager to speak English in return.

Mb: Mi da' un etto di quello? (Can you give me 4 ounces of that?)
Vendor: Certo. Eccolo. (Sure, here it is.) Altro? (anything else?)
Mb: Altro! (that's all). Grazie! (thanks)
Vendor: Grazie a lei! (back at ya)

Simple enough, eh?

Borgo degli Albizi
outside my front door

I've noticed that this week many of the shops on my street are offering gli sconti (discounts) on many things; slashing prices up to 70% on items like shoes and leather coats. Amazing bargains! I've seen many expensive summer shoes on sale for 10 euros! But maybe that's only for sizes they have trouble selling...I'm not really in the market for shoes, so I haven't checked further then looking at them in the shop windows.

One of the odd shoe designs I've seen a lot of lately is the sandal that looks like a boot from the back of the foot. You see a sandal from the front, and a boot from the back: this was especially evident in Rome. I'm often amazed by the incredible variety of shoe designs worn by women here, from sandals to four-inch stiletto heels. Ouch! It'll be fun to see how the shoe designs change with the seasons.