Tag: cacio e vino
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Cuccìa for Lucia
Cuccìa is a wheat berry (also barely, spelt, or farro) pudding made in honor of the Feast of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of wheat and grain. I made this cuccìa pictured, following the recipe in Giorgio Locatelli’s Made in Sicily cookbook. Cuccìa became the traditional dish of the December 13 feast because during the…
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Crunchy On The Outside
Earlier this week, I mentioned that in the days leading up to and including La Festa di Santa Lucia, Palermitani don’t eat flour-based foods. So what do they eat then? Arancine, of course! Yes, these balls-of-gold are a masterpiece of Palermitano wheat-free street food, and Sicilians of the Conco d’Oro take their arancine very seriously…
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The Famine of 1646
In the days leading up to the Feast of Santa Lucia, December 13, many Sicilians refrain from eating pasta and only eat un-ground wheat grain, or “farro,” that is prepared as a dish called cuccìa. Devotees observe this ritual to remember the severe famine that struck Siracusa and Palermo in 1646. During that time of…
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First Course
Eggplant caponata and panelle (chickpea fritters) from Cacio e Vino restaurant
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A Faithful Maiden
Under the ancient Roman calendar, December 13 was the shortest day of the year: the winter solstice. Under our modern Gregorian calendar, the solstice in 2017 falls on December 21. In Sicily, December 13 is still recognized as a celebration of light, when they celebrate the Feast of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of the…
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A Pair of Fantastic Evenings
After a fantastic evening of Sicilian cuisine last night with the Sicily and Southern Italy Interest Circle (of NY, on Meetup.com) at 83 1/2 Ristorante on New York City’s Upper East Side, this evening, I was downtown on the Lower East Side at Cacio e Vino for a wine tasting dinner with pairing of Donnafugata…
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The Irish have Patrick, Sicilians have Joseph. Celebrate Mar. 12 & 19 in NYC
Each day I spend in Sicily is intense. When I’m here, I don’t stop. I sleep only a handful of hours, and then, I’m back on my feet to absorb more. There is something very profound that drives me–very similar to when I write songs: I am a vessel to communicate to you what I…
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Loaves for St. Joseph: Join Me in NYC on March 12
As I settle in to my flight to Catania, Sicily (more on that tomorrow once I arrive!), I hope we’ll be able to see each other in New York City in March. Please join me! SUN., MAR. 12, 2PM: Hands-on Bread-making — like this loaf pictured from the Museum of Ritual Bread in Salemi RSVP…
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Celebrate St. Joseph’s Day 2017 in New York City
One of my new favorite hidden corners of Sicily is Salemi in Trapani province. And in Salemi, one of the most fascinating off-the-beaten path things to do is visit the Museum of Ritual Bread. Gaspare Cammarata (pictured with me here) is the curator of this collection of bread loaves from all over Sicily that have…