COOKING IN A DIFFERENT CULTURE, part 2

Grocery shopping is always a challenge for me here. Sometimes I discover interesting new ingredients [like a balsamic vinegar reduction syrup] but most of the time I spend way too much time puzzling over the 4 or 5 kinds flour, and which milk is 2% and which milk is whole? We like half & half in our coffee, and they have something called coffee cream which fills the bill. Not that I can tell it says coffee cream, but MP tells me it does. It's even more interesting when I am on my own. Sometimes there are clues--like 12% on the small containers near the milk sounds like it will make our coffee creamy and not watery with milk.

Something I consider very interesting is that all milk here in Slovakia is packaged in cartons and does not require refrigeration until opening. I have seen this on offer in the U.S. but it certainly has not caught on. It is very handy if there are little ones in the house--easier to keep stock on hand in a pantry or closet and not be limited to refrigerator space.

We had decided on a very French bistro meal for Christmas day--steak with pomme frites and salad. We are pretty sure that the mystery sauce at Relaise l'Entrecote is a classic beurre blanc with a dash of mustard, and the reliable Better Homes & Gardens cookbook [my standard for almost 40 years] has a doable recipe.

Stores close on the 24th at noon, by law, and stay closed the 25th and 26th, so we need to power shop today to make sure we have everything we need for the next few days. MP suggests the grocery store Terno at Au Park [the first built of Bratislava's three malls] will have the best selection and variety, so we take two cars with three car seats out into the cold, cold day.

Oh, oh! People in BA don't buy/cook/need steaks, so while there is a huge variety of pork and more goose than ever had a Mother there is no NY strip, filet mignon, rib steak, or T-bone. We think we find parts of the beef tenderloin and smuggly carry it home--bragging about the price.