Santa Lucia's Sicilian tradition in London? Yes we can!!!

The traditional cuccìa, Palermo typical dessert on December 13th.

I am very happy to share with you the success of my first Sicilian dinner in London on the occasion of the festivity of St. Lucy or Santa Lucia as we call her, last friday December the 13th. Do you know why the festivity of Santa Lucia is such a big deal in Palermo city?

Mediterranean starter

   Our tradition imposes to avoid everything made of wheat like pasta, bread or biscuits, except the "cuccìa", a typical dessert made of boiled wheat in grains and mixed with ricotta cream, the classic filling for cannoli and cassata. For this reason real queens of the day are rice (particularly arancine), potatoe pies and panelle.

     
   With some lovely guests from Uk, Australia and, of course Italy, we had shared our tradition and remembered the story of this incredible Sicilian Saint especially how she saved the people from Palermo from the famine, back in 1646.

Thanks to everybody for the fantastic night spent together and of course... W Santa Lucia! :-p

Sicilian food: for some people is "bizarre"

Yesterday I came across this amazing video about Sicilian cuisine. Protagonist is Andrew Zimmern, an American chef visiting Sicily and looking for "Bizarre food", which is actually the name of his tv show. This episode is set in our beautiful island, from Palermo to the deep south, I thought it was a great idea to share it with you. I hope you like it!!!

Thanks to Eternallyprofound for having uploaded this video on youtube.

All you need to know about garlic healthy properties

Some people love it, some other hate it, probably for that terrible breath that leaves on everybody's mouth when we eat it. I am talking about garlic, one of the kings in Sicilian cuisine. Raw or cooked you find it in innumerable Mediterrenean recipes, but the majority of people probably doesn't know the amazing healthy properties of this incredible herb, used as a medicine throughout history to help treating a large varieties of diseases such as:

1. Common cold and sore throat 
2. Blood system and hypertension
3. Everything connected to the heart: heart attack, coronary condition, high cholesterol
4. Osteoarthritis and artherioscerosis
5. Prevention of some cancers: lung, prostate, breast, stomach, rectal  and colon cancer

Especially during this time of the year in which winter is about to come (or in some countries has already arrived) just keep in mind that eating raw garlic in food can be a big help to strengthen your immune system, fight seasonal colds and also an amazing prevention for more serious situations.

The bruschetta as a starter could be an idea, pasta with Sicilian pesto could be another one and a potato side-dish a third one. These are only few recipes that I suggest to refresh your mind. Enjoy!

A creative Sicilian delivers the entire 'pizzeria' at your home!

Yesterday I read a very funny (not to mention amazing) story on a website called Palermoviva. A creative Sicilian pizzaiolo living in the province of Palermo this past summer started delivering pizza with its "ape".

Which is the piece of news? You could ask. Well... this guy does brings you pizza but also brings you an entire mini pizzeria outside your home, where he actually prepares and cooks your pizza on the spot. Isn't he a genius?

The people who have tasted it say the pizza is very good!

I like what the article says: "People think that us southerners are all lazy, but when you have to face an economic crisis, you start being really creative about the type of jobs you can do".

So the message is that you can fight the crisis with your own initiative! Enjoy!

Pics and article come from http://www.palermoviva.it/apepizza-a-domicilio.

Colorful Sicilian Marzipan Fruits: history and origin

Photo Credit: terrenormanne.it

The so called "frutta di Martorana" (Martorana's fruits), also known as "pasta reale" (royal pastry) or "marzapane" (marzipan), are typical Sicilian almond sweets that we prepare and eat only in the period before and soon after the day of November the 1s and the 2nd, which are dedicated in our Christian tradition respectively to All Saints and to the commemoration of the Deads.

Photo Credit: partecipiamo.it

 Main ingredient of these sweets is the "pasta di mandorle", almond pastry, which took its name Martorana after the aristocratic woman Eloisa Martorana, who made build a Benedicte Monastery near the church of S. Maria dell'Ammiraglio at the end of the XII century. This church is infact also known as Martorana. 

Nuns to celebrate the festivity of All Saints used to prepare these almond sweets that reproduce forms and colors of many fruits and vegetables such as cauliflower, tomatoes, carrotts, chestnuts, peaches, apricots, mandarines, figs, apples, pears and a lot more.

Regarding the names, it was also called "pasta reale" because was particularly appreciated at the table of the King of Sicily Ruggero II, while the term "marzapane" has Arab origins: marzaban was a measurement used to indicate the capacity of a wooden box, where usually were sent almond sweets coming from Armenia or Cyprus.

Afterwards with the same pastry they also started to make sheep for Easter, to remember the sacrifice of the Lamb.

Harim Network: food experience in Jordan with Andrea Alì

Mediterannean food is conquering the world! It has already started with a great 4 days cooking course held in Ammam, Jordan, with the Italian Chef Andrea Alì, that will end today.

Organized by Euro-Mediterranean Academy and the society La Panthera establishment, the famous chef Andrea Ali has been a guest at JAU Jordanian University, College of Hospitality and Tourism Education. In Jordan, he has brought his specialties and the most famous Italian recipes, revisited by his personal culinary genius, such as pasta alla Norma, meatballs, tiramisù and the famous ARANCINE!

His cooking is simple and authentic; it is the expression of a tradition that enobles the raw materials of the land, particularly of the Iblei Mountains, on which it is located his prestigious restaurant: “Andrea Sapori Montani”, in Palazzolo Acreide (SR). Inside, local and seasonal ingredients, strictly zero km, which comply with the principles of Slow Food to which he adapts his "cooking philosophy."

The course of Italian Cuisine in Amman will end with a competition among aspiring chef participants who will award the winners with a trip in Italy to visit and live the experience of Italian cuisine in Andrea’s Alì restaurant.

Thanks to this new international project signed by Harim Network, we hope new collaborations will start and the new generation of chefs made in Jordan will discover the Italian culinary heritage.

Cauliflower fritters, another way to eat caulflower!

Do you know how to prepare some delicious cauliflower fritters? This dish is great to make children eat this vegetable, as they don't usually like its strong funny smell. But, if you prepare some fritters like these ones, crunchy outside and soft and tasty inside, I am sure they will love them!!!

Ingredients & preparation for 4 people:
a small cauliflower
1-2 eggs
breadcrumb
grated caciocavallo cheese
salt & black pepper
a pinch of nutmeg or turmeric (optional)
e.v. olive oil

It's always difficult in recipes like this, specify the exact quantity for the ingredients. I usually wash the cauliflower and boil it first in salted water. As soon as it is cooked let it drain on a colander so that it gets rid of all the water that contains. Then, in a bowl place our vegetable and mix it with an egg and 3 table spoons of breadcrumb and 3 of grated cheese (if you don't have caciocavallo choose another you like). 

If the mixture is still too soft add more breadcrumb and cheese, if it's too hard add a second egg. A pinch of black pepper to finish with, and nutmeg or turmeric if you like it too. That's it... we are ready to fry!

On a large pan, pour some e.v. olive oil on a high heat, when the oil is hot take a spoon full of the mixture and with the help of a fork or a second spoon slowly place it on the pan. Do the same for the rest of the mix until the pan is full.

Careful because they cook quite quickly. Once they are ready on one side (few minutes) turn them on the other side and when they are golden brown take them out of the pan and place them on kitchen paper for a little while to absorb the exceeding oil, then on a serving plate. They must be served and eaten while still hot!

This is a lovely side-dish that will turn a boring veg in such an excitig recipe! :P
Enjoy!