Exotic things you can pick up at the grocery store

I met the coolest lady today. I was wondering around Swanson’s picking up dented cans and label-torn bottles of goodies like organic capers and sundried red peppers when I fell into a conversation with another customer. Magdalene is retired and widowed and loves to cook. She loves Swanson’s like I do since she dabbles in gourmet cooking. In fact, she really does more than dabble—she has a hardcore passionate relationship with it. We chatted, sharing recipe notes for about 30 minutes when she prompted me to join her and her culinary friends for their monthly cooking class. This class is held at her house and she is the teacher with each “student” bringing their part of the grocery list and learning the new cuisine. Since it is her house and her club, she picks the meals and themes and everyone who is interested RSVPs and shows up. Her limit is 8 people and since one is out of town for the month, she asked me to join them.

Well how could I not accept? The meeting is on next Wednesday and she has chosen Italian as the theme. I told her how I went to Italy and spent a week tutored by an Italian chef and she almost burst out in a leap as she hugged me and said that I would be perfect with the group. I hugged her back and we exchanged numbers and e-mails.

I got her e-mail a few minutes ago and just feel a great joy reading it. She introduced me to her crowd as the “spirited young thing with an Italian-cooking background” well it’s not all wrong. She doesn’t share the menus since we are supposed to be surprised, but she did give me a list of things, one being lamb. I wonder if it is for Osso Bucco (Guy would love that)? I will need to visit the butcher and make sure I get the cut she has asked for. I am also to bring tomatoes, shallots, broccoli rabe and ricotta cheese.
I am already drooling for this meal and for her friendship.