Bruce, I believe I’ve heard you can find them a place called Mama’s in Florence and there’s also a place in Milan whose name is escaping me…that said, here’s a great bagel recipe if you want to make your own

I’m guilty of hoarding the Oreos from one of the supermarkets around here. It’s an addiction. I’m powerless!

Tollhouse chocolate chips have a taste so distinctive that only half of the ones we bring home ever manage to make it inside Cookies. The rest seem to “evaporate” between one baking event and the next. The brown sugar is difficult, but usually digging around “natural” food or “solidarietà” stores (and more recently even at the Coop[Adriatica]) there are raw sugars that are close enough in taste, texture and consistency to light brown sugar, even though they don’t list molasses as an ingredient. Italian Chocolate Chips (I find Perugina at most supermarkets) are good chocolate (who would dare complain about the quality of Perugina chocolate?) but “just ain’t the same”.

Blueberry muffins. Made from scratch they are too much work compared to the mix which you can just whip up and pour in the paper cups. I’ve switched to making quick fruit breads and pound cakes which are a lot less work than muffins, and how the Italians eat them up, saying the entire time “how badly the Americans eat”.

Oreos. I know they are all over the place now. But they don’t taste the same, I guarantee it. We’ve had blind taste tests (the coke/pepsi commercials were less tested) with the family and they are easily distinguished, at least by me and the daughters. Only the little “mini-oreos” in the handy reusable American Sized Plastic Cup are good, but still not authentic. And the oreos cost 3-4x more than in the States.

I (finally) found a local butcher that has a cut of pancetta which if anything, is only a little less salty than “American” bacon. Works fried, great microwaved, can be cooked to crumbling (if desired), nice and fatty… the trick is finding the right one, I think.

Ziploc’s were here for several years (sold under license to an Italian company, Domopac I think) but then disappeared.

“Real” maple syrup is either fake tasting or absurdly expensive (I don’t know how that tastes, I never bothered splurging for it), but has become the ultimate gelato topping for the inlaws when over. My sister lives in Maine, so some is usually part of any gift package arriving from her.

And the kids (who eat any and all pasta here with sauces, sughi, condimenti of all types) still go crazy for Mac&Cheese. Go figure.

Oh, and I really miss iced tea in restaurants in summertime that is just Iced Tea (no lemon, no sugar, no peach, no fruit nothin’, just tea that has been stewed and iced).

Thanks so much for this, Jacques. I think sometimes people think we’re being wimps about missing things from home when we’re in bella Italia, but like you said, the cravings come and go…and *yes* there are definitely taste differences in most of the stuff we can manage to find…hello Coke products!

Congrats on your 20 years in Italy! Now I think I’ll make some blueberry muffins from a mix my mom sent

Carrefour in Buenos Aires has tonnes of imported products. It’s not as good as our Carrefours in Dubai, which have the widest selection of products from around the globe I’ve ever seen anywhere, but it’s as wide a selection as you’d find anywhere. And of course there’s Chinatown for fantastic Asian products at the supermarkets there.

For great coffee, I find the Italian restaurants in Buenos Aires are the place to head.

lara dunston’s last blog post..The Indian Pacific: from ocean to ocean across Australia by train

Thanks Lara! Will forward this to Tina

You know, I would buy sour cream and onion chips from the Autogrills. I occasionally get car sick from too many winding roads, and I find those chips work wonders.

Happy New Year!

Lara

P.S. Our little Calabria book for Thomas Cook is back from the printers. They emailed me some proofs and I took a quick look – looks okay – we’re not happy with the photos they chose, even though Terry took them – they just didn’t pick the best ones, but what can you do. I’ll let you know when it hits the shelves. I can’t remember if I mentioned, but I did manage to squeeze your B&B in, so fingers crossed it made the cut!

lara dunston’s last blog post..The Indian Pacific: from ocean to ocean across Australia by train

Hah, even the Autogrill is kind of far from me Sorry to hear you’re not super excited about the book, but I’m sure it’s still beautiful. It’s not my B&B, it’s Cherrye’s from My Bella Vita, but I will pass along the news!

Ciao Carolina! Would you believe that Carrefour is still the closest one to all of us down here in the CZ province? I still haven’t been there…that’s why this Lidl was such a godsend I can’t believe your hubby likes baked beans! I don’t think mine will *ever* come around to those…thanks for visiting and for sharing your experiences

Yeah, P doesn’t much care for the sweetness in the beans either…in fact I made beans for him today and baked beans for me