Pastries made with filling of chopped dried figs, pumpkin jam, honey, raisins, almonds, orange rind, cinnamon, and Marsala wine are closely associated with Christmas in Sicily. There is a larger, round, cake-like pastry called buccellato, which is also made in an elaborate cookie-sized version known as buccellati. Meanwhile, cuccidati, pictured here, are their sister. They…
Medusa And Women’s Power at The Met
Last evening at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, we discussed the mythology and iconography of Medusa with Danielle Oteri of Feast on History leading the way. Along with Tony Allicino, and an astute group of attendees, I enjoyed a fascinating discourse about this ancient art and what it told us of women’s…
Randazzo’s Dazzling Cathedral
Like something out of a fairy tale, the (almost) 800-year old Santa Maria Cathedral in the City of Randazzo was constructed in the Frederick Gothic Style, a style encouraged by a civic and military program sponsored by Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. The black lava stone blocks of the…
Immerse Yourself In Off-The-Beaten-Path Sicily
Join me here, in Licodia Eubea, Sicily, this July for an immersive experience in a charming town surrounded by rolling hills. Register today to qualify for early incentive pricing of $250 off per person that ends on December 15. You’ll live among the locals for ten glorious days of evening strolls, typical foods, and UNESCO…
Lucia Miraculously Delivered Sicily From The Famine
Viva Santa Lucia! Cuccìa, pictured, is a pudding made from wheat berries (or barley, spelt, or farro) prepared in honor of the Feast of Santa Lucia, December 13. Cuccìa became the traditional dish of the feast because during a famine in the 17th century, Siracusans prayed to Lucia, the patroness of wheat and grain, for…
Otherworldly In Agrigento, Sicily
Close your eyes and imagine yourself at the foot of the remains of an ancient Greek temple from the 5th century B.C.E., like the Temple of Castor and Pollux, pictured left. After learning about the thriving civilization that built Agrigento in the centuries before the common era from your archaeologist-guide, you’ll then savor a picnic…
Fun And Food In The Bronx
Fun and food-filled day on Arthur Avenue with Arthur Avenue Food Tours! Check out on NY1 on Wednesday morning at 6:50, 7:50, and 8:50 am, when today’s tour and our hosts Danielle Oteri and Christian Galliani will show you the way in The Bronx’s Little Italy. Then on Saturday evening, Dec. 15, join me and…
Thank You To Cacio E Vino And All
Thank you to Cacio e Vino and everyone who came today to Celebrate La Festa di Santa Lucia! My heart is full of joy! Viva Santa Lucia! Save the dates for our San Giuseppe events: March 10 for ritual bread making and March 24 for the Feast at Cacio e Vino. Registration available in February.
Buona Madonna!
Buona Madonna! This is how my cousin Evelina in Sicily greeted me by text today. So, Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception or la Festa dell’Immacolata to you! Today’s feast recognizes that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin — something with which, in Catholic dogma, every person is considered…
Lucia Brought Light
The pure and beautiful Lucia was known to enter the dark catacombs of Siracusa, lighting her way with a torch in order to feed less fortunate, early Christians. It was the dawn of the 4th century, and practicing Christianity in the Roman-ruled capital was illegal. Already though, inspired by nearby Catania’s patron saint, Sant’Agata, who…