You don’t have to be a fancy cook to enjoy participating in a hands-on cooking class during one of our small-group tours. So much of the experience is working together and learning about Sicilian culture and family culture. Here, our group was making Sarde Beccafico, fresh sardines stuffed with breadcrumbs seasoned with olive oil, raisins, pine nuts, fresh parsley, seasalt and pepper that are then breaded and fried. You’ll learn that the recipe first was made not with sardines, but with the coveted Beccafico bird. Cucina Povera style cooks (popular cooks) who couldn’t get the expensive bird, changed up the recipe to use sardines, placing the fin of the fish like a wing upon plating, for a clever switch. Cool, huh!? See what I mean about food being an entrée to culture? Join me for our Experience Sicily tours in 2020, and your heart and stomach will be full with joy!
Let’s talk about which one you will love! Write to me at AllisonScola@ExperienceSicily.com.
Allison, I was glad to read the recipe was not made with Beccafico songbirds. I watched a disturbing documentary several months ago about the plight of songbirds, especially in Europe, and what some people are doing to save the birds. The movie is called “Emptying the Skies.” I found it on Kanopy.com. Here’s a review of it from NYT, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/movies/review-emptying-the-skies-follows-the-rescue-of-songbirds-at-most-any-cost.html
Thank you for this!