I can’t express enough how much, every time I visit Sicily, I drink it in! When I was in Catania last week, I did just that in the ancient market–with a little help from my new friends. My desire to take it all in is backed by a passion to then turn it around and…
Tag: new york
Become A Cannoli Connoisseur
Too often I’ve had people tell me that they don’t like cannoli. But to me, that’s like saying you don’t like red wine. Because like red wine, each cannolo (in Italian, the singular of cannoli) has a distinct flavor, texture, and ultimately, culinary experience that is dependent on how it’s made, the ingredients used, and…
Pistachio Or Chocolate Chip
How do you like yours? I am partial to pistachio. But of course, chocolate chip offers a bitter-sweet contrast that is irresistible! Decide for yourself which cannoli you prefer during one of the upcoming New York Cannoli Crawls! Registration is now live for six dates this fall. Spots are limited, so don’t wait! Oct. 13,…
A New Connolo in Town
There’s a new cannolo in town, and today, on a research version of the New York City Cannoli Crawl, we delighted in its crispy, flakey shell and sheep’s milk ricotta cream imported from San Biagio Platini, Sicily. We’re getting ready to announce a handful of dates in October, November, and December, so stay tuned for…
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Vase
The detail of the face painted on this terracotta jar that is associated with weddings (called lebes gamikos) is extraordinary, considering it is from the 3rd century B.C. It is from the ancient town of Centuripe in Enna province, which was, at one time, one of Sicily’s biggest producers of ceramic objects. This vase illustrates…
A Bride and A Drum
When I learn how old an object like this vase from Sicily is, it puts things into perspective. I was thrilled to see this in person at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York a couple of weeks ago. Dated to have been made between 300 and 200 B.C.E., this polychrome terracotta jar associated…
Thank You Michelina
Sicily experienced mass emigration from the late 19th century into the early-20th century. To give you perspective, in 1880, 884 people from Sicily were documented as emigrants to other countries, while in 1906 that number was 127,603 (according to Sandra Benjamin’s book “Sicily: Three Thousand Years of Human History”). The year that saw the largest…
Celebrating What Once Was and What Now Is
When immigrants from Tindari and Patti, Sicily came to New York at the turn of the 20th century, they brought with them the tradition of celebrating the Black Madonna or “Madonna Bruna.” Although East 13th Street has changed significantly in the last 50 years and Sicilians en masse no longer live in the East Village,…