When you know what makes an excellent cannoli, you don’t bother with the bad ones. You’ll learn what does make an excellent cannoli on the Cannoli Crawl when you join me in New York City on Saturday, July 10 (or July 24).

Seriously, don’t tell me you don’t like cannoli, because that’s like saying you don’t like French fries. There are French fries, and then there are soggy, cold pieces of formerly fried potatoes. Eew. The same goes for the beloved tubed pastry.

Here’s one tip, for example: In the United States, our pastry shop cannoli are primarily made with ricotta that comes from the milk of Holstein cows (most probably). In Sicily, where cannoli originated, let’s say about 85% of cannoli are made with sheep’s milk ricotta, which tastes completely different from the US cow’s milk variety. It’s naturally sweeter and lighter, especially in the spring when the ladies are eating fresh grasses. What about that other 15%? Well, that’s where these ladies pictured come in. They are a breed of cow found in Sicily called Modican (Yes, just like the chocolate we love!). Modican cows, most of which are found in southeastern Sicily, make a very sweet and creamy milk, especially in the spring when they are dining on humid green grasses. Their milk makes a ricotta that is out of this world. So, some of that 15% is only Modican cow ricotta and some of it is a combination of Modican cow ricotta and sheep ricotta. The percentage of each varies according to the season because of what the ladies are eating. There is more to this story, but I’ll let that sink in!

Listen, let’s crawl on Saturday, and I’ll tell you more! It might just make you exclaim, “Holy cow!”

Reserve your spot for Saturday, July 10 at https://experiencesicily.com/events/new-york-cannoli-crawl/