Food and Drink

East meets west: tasting Becchina 2009 Olio Verde and Olio al Limone

Posted on Friday 05th of February 2010 under Food and Drink | General

Yesterday I got a parcel from Gianfranco and Gabriella Becchina containing bottles of 2009 Olio Verde and Olio al Limone produced by them at the Antica Tenuta dei Principi Pignatelli in Castelvetrano, Trapani.
My three year old daughter and I were really excited about it, she is crazy about extra virgin olive oil and has already an amazing palate for it.

loveSicily in Rhodes Across Italy

Posted on Tuesday 02nd of February 2010 under Food and Drink | General | Recipes | Via Ritiro

For those of you who missed loveSicily on Gary Rhodes new TV series Rhodes Across Italy on the BBC Good Food Channel here is the video.

I met young Sous chef Clare Lanza in the centre of Modica and after a walk and a visit to Antica Dolceria Bonajuto we went to the cookery school and prepared "chocolate chicken" following my grandmother's recipe.

Scorzette d'arancia

Posted on Thursday 21st of January 2010 under Food and Drink | Recipes

When I lived in Venice, my friends used to say that I was too fussy about two things: the beach and oranges. Now guess who spoiled me? Sicily, of course. The free golden sandy beaches of the Ragusa's coast line and the fresh top quality oranges this land produces.

I grew up eating oranges brought to us by friends who had small orange gardens in the area, mostly of the Tarocco variety. One of my mother's friends in particular, Mariuccia, still has a wonderful garden right in the archaeological area of Cava Ispica and, luckily, her son is currently taking good care of it.

Croccante di Mandorle: Sicilian style almonds nougat

Posted on Thursday 17th of December 2009 under Festivities | Food and Drink | Recipes

Croccante di mandorle (almond nougat) is an excellent sweet that you find all over Sicily throughout the year, but during Christmas time it becomes an absolute must have dolce in every Sicilian household, part of the nougat (aranciata, kubaita, torrone bianco) selection served at the end of a meal together with dried fruit.

To make your own croccante you will need:

1kg pealed almonds
250gr sugar
120gr honey
1 orange

How to make:

Cuccia di Santa Lucia

Posted on Sunday 13th of December 2009 under Festivities | Food and Drink | Religion

Today is Saint Lucia day, praton Saint of Siracusa. The celebrations started on the 30th of November and have their central moment in today's solemn mass and procession around Siracusa.