How is it that I’ve never written about this delectable Sicilian dessert: cassatelle di ricotta!? Cassatelle are turnovers (or sweet calzones) stuffed with a mixture of fresh ricotta, confectioners’ sugar, and chocolate chips. They are fried and upon being served, are dusted with confectioners’ sugar. When eaten still warm from the fryer, they are out…
Tag: dessert
Local Flavor
This cake, or should we say, work of art!, is from Antica Dolceria dell’Etna in the town of Zafferana Etnea. This Sunday, in Zafferana Etnea, they are celebrating what we might call Octoberfest. They call it Ottobrata, and tomorrow, the fourth Sunday of the annual fall harvest festival, will focus on mushrooms. Right now, for…
Saint Martin’s Sweets in Palermo
In Palermo in observance of the Feast of Saint Martin, who is the patron saint of vintners, soldiers, the poor, wool-weavers, geese, and France, not only do they eat hard biscuits that are meant to be dipped in Marsala or moscato wine, but they also enjoy these beautiful decorated pastry. They won’t be around long…
Only the Nuns Know
Only the cloistered Cistercian nuns of Agrigento’s Monastero di Santo Spirito know the secret recipe for their special sweet couscous. I’ve now eaten it a couple of times (You can too, if you come with us for our Savoring Sicily tour in September!), and I can tell you that I tasted pistachios, chocolate, and of course, sugar ……
Pasquetta and Cassata
Pasquetta, or Easter Monday, is a day to celebrate spring’s arrival with good friends. Social gatherings in Sicily almost always involve sharing a meal, and most meals are followed by sweets. Cassata cake (picture) is one of those sweets that can be found throughout the island. In the past, cassata used to be associated with…
Of course, Sfince di San Giuseppe
For many, the highlight of the Saint Joseph’s Day feast is the sweet sfince di San Giuseppe. Sfinci are fried cream puffs served hot with a dusting of cinnamon, confectioner’s sugar, and honey, or cold and open-faced with a smear of sweet cream and decorated with candied orange. Depending on the town, sfinci may have…
Let’s Live Vicariously
I’m arriving in Sicily from New York on Tuesday, which is very exciting; however, that means I’m going to miss this: The Sherbeth Festival Internazionale del Gelato Artigianale. You got it right: an international festival of artisanal gelato! Right in Palermo’s city center on Corso Vittorio Emanuele at Via Maqueda to Piazza Bologni, all weekend,…
Summertime Delight: Gelu di mulune
During summer, and especially at Ferragosto (August 15), Sicilians eat gelu di mulune or, in Italian, gelo d’ anguria, a watermelon custard that is served chilled, in little cups. Ideal for a hot summer day, this one was made by my cousin Tanina. She decorated it with jasmine flowers.
Here Comes the Cassata
There is much debate about the origins of cassata cake, but one thing is clear: it is as elaborate as the Baroque architecture one finds throughout Sicily–and it is as decadent. So much so, that until the mid-20th century, cassata was only eaten by the masses on Easter Sunday. Cassata is made up of sponge…
Let’s Talk about Sfinci
Saint Joseph’s Day, which is on March 19, is a complex feast day with many traditions based upon the concept of thanksgiving. You can read my detailed article about it on The Inquisitive Eater at http://ow.ly/uuAuT. But let’s cut to the chase: we all really want to know about dessert, right? That’s where sfince di…