Tess, where are you located? It's my experience that Italians are extremely friendly and will help you with shopping, language, socializing, etc., if they know they are welcome. I have cousins in several parts of Italy who would be happy to contact you and help you feel comfortable. Let us know what town/province you are in! And I am sorry about the circumstances of the UK house ... we are going through the same sort of thing in the U.S., as you know.
I find the lack of stop signs frightening. I managed to drive the 180 km or so from our village near the Adriatic to Rome, even around the Rome outerbelt,without too many problems, but it's surely just plain courtesy that keeps Italian drivers from being killed in huge numbers!
My mother came to the US as a child from Abruzzo, bringing this recipe with her for the sauce (the pasta can be store-bought or homemade):Brown garlic and 1 lb. ground beef in olive oil; add 1 large can tomato sauce, 1 small can tomato paste to thicken, basil, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 1 hour or more until beef is cooked.Put small amount of sauce in the bottom of 13x9x2" pan, add layer of pasta, then layer of cheese: (combine mozzarella, sliced or crumbled ricotta, parmesan), sauce; repeat 2 times with pasta, cheeses, sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. It is delicious.
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Tess, where are you located? It's my experience that Italians are extremely friendly and will help you with shopping, language, socializing, etc., if they know they are welcome. I have cousins in several parts of Italy who would be happy to contact you and help you feel comfortable. Let us know what town/province you are in! And I am sorry about the circumstances of the UK house ... we are going through the same sort of thing in the U.S., as you know.
I find the lack of stop signs frightening. I managed to drive the 180 km or so from our village near the Adriatic to Rome, even around the Rome outerbelt,without too many problems, but it's surely just plain courtesy that keeps Italian drivers from being killed in huge numbers!
My mother came to the US as a child from Abruzzo, bringing this recipe with her for the sauce (the pasta can be store-bought or homemade):Brown garlic and 1 lb. ground beef in olive oil; add 1 large can tomato sauce, 1 small can tomato paste to thicken, basil, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 1 hour or more until beef is cooked.Put small amount of sauce in the bottom of 13x9x2" pan, add layer of pasta, then layer of cheese: (combine mozzarella, sliced or crumbled ricotta, parmesan), sauce; repeat 2 times with pasta, cheeses, sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. It is delicious.