Every Monday, Melilli hosts a weekly outdoor market. Since we arrived Tuesday night last week, we've been looking forward to "market day."
We were not disappointed.
Exactly as you would imagine, there were a dozen local food stands—plus some clothing and household goods vendors. Coming from New York City (especially during the current era of inflation), the food is incredible—and incredibly affordable. Things we learned:
1) A kilo is not a pound. It is much more. Sure, coming from the states we all know that a kilo isn't the same as a pound. But does anyone really know the difference when you're hungry, on the spot, and trying to remember the names of vegetables in Italian? Of course now Google informs me that a kilo is 2.2 pounds. Let's just say we now have a lot of produce to eat before next Monday.
2) Always buy the cheese. And the olives. My Italian language victory of the day was making a joke to the cheese-monger. We bought an enormous hunk of peppered pecorino and, in Italian, I joked that it was a two-day supply. He laughed and advised us to maybe take it easy on the cheese (even as he wrapped up our prize).
3) We need more pans. There was so much gorgeous seafood we couldn't buy this week because we don't have enough pans! After 11 years in our Brooklyn apartment, we've honed our pan collection carefully. We have just enough pans that we can steam, sautee, bake, and boil whatever we want. You forget that a house doesn't just come with those things. You have to start the pan-selection process all over again. Right now, all we can do is boil two small pots of water and steam vegetables. Next up: Project Pan.
4) Best of all, there is always next week. We bought our Sicilian house because we wanted to experience living here, not just visiting. So, yes, we wished we could've bought fresh sardines and octopus. But we'll be here next week...and the week after...and the week after that. There is time to breathe. Time to rest. And, of course, time to buy some pans.