Lunch at Aldo’s featuring agave bud salad, raw pistachios and almonds, sheep’s milk cheeses, marinated olives and artichoke hearts, emerald-colored caper and herb pesto smeared on crusty bread, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh orange and fennel or tomato salad, depending on the season… and all garnished with vibrant edible flowers that Aldo grew on his property. Sweet,…
Tag: pranzo
Southern Secrets, Days 7 & 8: Gold and Sapphire in Sicily
Live from Sicily! Southern Secrets, Days 7 & 8 Experience Sicily and Feast on History: Gold and Sapphire in Sicily. Yesterday, along with the models from Dolce & Gabbana (during their photo shoot in anticipation of today’s big fashion show), we gazed at the golden Temple of Concord at Valley of the Temples. But they…
Southern Secrets, Day 4: O, Bella Napoli!
Live from Italy! Southern Secrets, Day 4: O, bella Napoli! She is truly fabulous and will amaze you with her endless energy and romantic beauty. Co-hosted by Danielle Oteri of Feast on History and Allison Scola of Experience Sicily
Pastella: Another Dream from Palermo’s Menu
A snippet from the article I wrote for Dream of Italy‘s April issue about Palermo and its street food… Pastelle, pictured, are deep-fried, hand-held dreams. Vegetables such as broccoli, carduna, artichoke hearts, eggplant, and squash are coated with a thick flour-and-water batter, while sardines are lightly battered. One could compare them with Japanese tempura, yet with…
Catania’s Rice Balls
I’ve told you about the Palermo-style arancina–a breaded and fried rice ball with a center of peas, caciocavallo cheese, and beef ragu that looks like an orange. Important to note: the end of the word is an A. ArancinA. Well, in Catania, on the east side of Sicily, they have a similar recipe, but with…
After Lunch
After lunch, which in Sicily is generally between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., it’s a perfect time to have an espresso. Italians, however, enjoy their “caffè” standing at the bar in order to capture the all of the complex flavors of the drink. Some will argue that taking the espresso from the bar to a…
Sicily’s Hot Table
If when in Sicily you are on the go and looking for something hearty to eat, stop into a “tavola calda” or rosticceria (Literally, “hot table” meaning cafeteria or rotisserie). There you will find “Pezzi di rosticceria” or according to my cousin Filippo, “Pezzi” for short. Pezzi (pieces) consist of pizzette (small pizzas), calzoni (pictured…
Warm Sfincione
Warm sfincione, or “sfinciuni” in Sicilian, served directly from the street vendor is a real treat. Palermo-style (There are different recipes in each town.) is a flat bread with a sauce of tomatoes, anchovies, and Caciocavallo cheese baked into it with some oregono and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. This one has a tomato slice baked…
Fresh Filone and a Nap
We just finished lunch at my cousin Evelina’s house. My stomach is happily full from her husband Salvo’s caponata and fried eggplant accompanied by this bakery-fresh filone–traditional sesame seed covered bread. Now, time for a pisolino (afternoon nap).
Where is everybody?
At lunchtime, which is between roughly 1 PM and 4 PM, Sicily’s streets empty out–especially on Sundays. The practice of closing-up shops and offices at mid-day is alive and well. Residents and workers head home or out to restaurants to enjoy lunch and a nap (and to avoid the hottest part of the day), and…