Saint Joseph's bread and the devotion of the Altar

Do you know what "Pane di San Giuseppe" is? Last year on March the 19th, the day of Saint Joseph, I talked about our lovely tipical sweets called sfinci, remember?
But there is also another important tradition in our region on the same festivity, and it's to prepare a particular bread called after the Saint: "Pane di San Giuseppe" (literally Saint's Joseph bread).

It is a tradition that still goes on in some of the villages in the island especially in the provinces of Trapani, Agrigento, Enna e Caltanissetta. The people who are particularly devoted to Saint Joseph, set up in their own houses a kind of Altar (small or big it doesn't matter) that is dedicated to Him. They place a picture of the Sacred Family or the Holy Cross right up in the middle, symbol of Christianity, to be like the Tabernacle of the church. 

At the four corners of the table they place some bay branches and right in the middle all the bread that has the most particular shapes, like real refined sculptures of animales, objects, flowers, ecc... in Sicilian these eatable sculptures are called "cuddure". Tables are also decorated with oranges and lemons which are the fruits that the land of Sicily offers to the Saint.

The altar must be ready on the 18th, eve of the festivity, and houses are open to visitors and tourists to pay respect and express the devotion. If the landlord offers some food to a visitor, it must be accepted, because it's part of the devotion as well. This lasts until the following day when the striking ceremony ends usually at lunch time.
This tradition is at least 400 years old and, as usual, it may change in customs from village to village. 

Being Saint Joseph the father of Jesus we also celebrate the Father's day on this occasion, so don't forget to call your dad or remember him in a sincere prayer.

PICTURES CREDITS:
http://www.atinkite.it/appuntamento.php?id=88
http://www.palermomania.it/news.php?19-marzo-san-giuseppe-festa-del-papa&id=25158

Extortion to Sicilian Chef Natale Giunta: "It was a nightmare!"

Not only recipes in this blog but everything that can be good to know, to spread and to talk about.

Famous Sicilian Chef Natale Giunta, who currently partecipates at the well-known Italian tv cooking programme entitled: "La prova del cuoco" (the Italian version of Ready steady Cook) was on the newspaper in the past few weeks because he had received threats and repeated attemps of extortion on his restaurant last year. The Chef did not pay and reported four men of the organized crime to the Police.

"Sicily has been ruined by these people and this got to stop once and for all. I hope many other restaurant' owners will follow me in action and do the same" - said Giunta when asked to make a comment about the unpleasant facts.

With this article I want to express all my support and solidarity to this man, his job and his courage. Thanks Chef and Good Luck!!!

In the pic above the Chef Giunta with Antonella Clerici, tv presenter.

"Panelle & Kitchen qb": Sicilian street food introduced by our first guest of the year

P like PALERMO, P like PANELLE. 

The two words are forever bond, because the 'pane e panelle' (the panelle sandwich) is together with the other famous 'pane ca' meusa' (the spleen sandwich), the most distinctive and representative street food of the Capital of Sicily. Infact if you ask an Italian about it, I am pretty sure he doesn't know what I am talking about unless he/she has been in Palermo on holiday. If you ask a Sicilian (from another part) he would probably shrug his shoulder too. 

What eaxctly are they, then? They are fritters made of chickpea flour and water. 
How are they? Flat. Superb. Unique. Delicate. These are only few adjectives to describe the PANELLE and trust me, the average Palermo-dweller is totally in love with them regardless of age, profession or social status.

So... there's no better traditional recipe than this, to guest another food blogger to talk about it. Her name is Silvia and her blog (in Italian language) is called Kitchen qb. It's a lovely, well written and inspiring blog and she is not only a great cook but also an excellent photographer. Now she is in her own words... talking about this dish:

<<Here we go! Let's start talking about street food. My city Palermo is famous for this kind of food, so I can't help talking about one of the most renowned one: the panelle. Introduced by the Arabic domination, this food made of chickpeas flour, water, salt and parsley has its  culmination in the final frying phase because of the superb and tasteful result. 

The panelle are usually placed between a rounded bread bap with sesame seeds on top and it's a treat to stuff the panino with potatoes croquettes as well (in Palermo dialect also called "cazzilli", colorful diminuitive referring to their shape that reminds a part of a male body). 

Where we can find them? Anywhere... in every corner of the city, especially in the "friggitorie" (spots that sell fried food) or at the local peddlers that, with their smell, perfume the entire city.

Ingredients & Preparation:

• 500 gr chickpea flour
• 1,5 litre water
• thinly chopped parsley (as required)
• e.v. olive oil
• salt
• sesame seeds (optional)

1. Fill a large pot with 1 lt water, add the chickpea flour little by little and stir constantly with a whisk to avoid lumps. Put the pot on a medium heat, add a good pinch of salt (about 20 gr.) and keep stirring until it starts boiling and getting thicker.
2. When this mixture will be more solid (similar to the polenta) you can add the parsley and remove from heat.
3. Place the dough on a marble surface previously oiled (or on an oiled oven tray) and flatten it with a spoon or a spatula. Once it has cooled down, with a knife, make some rectangles.
4. Pour some olive oil in a pan on a high heat to start frying our panelle on both sides until golden. 5. Place them on some kitchen paper to absorb the exceeding oil and add a pinch of salt. 6. Serve immediately while still hot, together with little rounded panini.

Note: I only use olive oil for frying, so I suggest to use this one for a better result. Some people also like to squeeze few drops of lemon juice on top and a pinch of black pepper, if you have never tried them, this is about the time.>> 

Silvia

--- Here you can find Silvia's post in Italian language.

Thank you so much to Silvia for being such a lovely guest on my blog. I have to say I do love having panelle with lemon juice on, because its bitterness perfectly combines with the fritters. You can prepare them as starters for a big meal, as finger food on a buffet, or as a proper meal inside a big panino (bread) for a quick lunch on the go, just like Silvia suggested in her recipe and pictures. 

No matter which is the occasion and when you gonna have them, they will blow you away! That's for sure. And vegeterians will love them too! Isn't it amazing?

To make this gorgeous and delicious recipe perfect, let me add a pinch of history: the Arabs that dominated our island from the 9th to the 11th century, were innovators and started to grind the seeds of the chickpeas. The result was flour that, mixed to water and cooked in a pan on a heat, gave a kind of raw dough, that wasn't particularly tasty. But after experimenting they found out that the same dough, cut in thin slices and fried in oil, made a delicious food with an inviting golden color, and little by little, it became very popular. That's how panelle were born. 

And the love story between them and the city of Palermo lasts ever since.

The pictures are all property of Silvia Crucitti & Kitchenqb, except the pic at the top, taken by Rachel Bajada for the SicilianCuisineBlog; you are not allowed to take or download any of them without asking for permission. Thank you.

"Top Italian food blogs for 2013": we are in!

The pic above is taken from Casa del viaggiatore (the Saline at sunset)

I hope 2013 keeps going well, just as it started. Infact I am very happy to announce to my dear readers, (it sounds very official I know), that the Sicilian Cuisine Blog has been included in the list of the 'Top Italian Food Blogs & Websites to follow in 2013' and I am really thankful and honoured for that. The fact that my time, work and passion is recognized and appreciated by others is always a joy and an amazing result. 

So... while thanking the editor Adrien Petersen for appreciating my contents, I also would love to suggest you have a look at his website for its beautiful pictures and its interesting and rich content.

"Italian reflections for travellers, settlers and expats alike." 


I loved many sections: interviews, recipes, vacations, quotations... especially the one from the English writer Samuel Johnson that says: 

View of Mondello beach & the Conca d'oro

 
"A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what is expected a man should see." 

I couldn't agree more.


"Italian reflections for travellers, settlers and expats alike."  

I just feel like I am a bit of the three.

A traditional roast with a Mediterranean touch

Do you want to add a Sicilian touch to your traditional roast? Why not? Either you are having turkey, beef or pork for your Sunday dinner, I would like to suggest you a different and very tasty way of cooking the potatoes that will match just perfectly with any meat.

I am talking about this lovely Mediterranean flavored side-dish, perfect to spice up your meal. It is juicy, tasty and creamy. It makes me think of one of my favorite tv shows: "Blue Bloods" (on Cbs), where the Reagan family gather every sunday for lunch. This would be the perfect dish to serve!

Very easy to make, you just need the right ingredients. For 4 people I usually consider 8 medium sized potatoes, plus 2 onions, a can of peeled tomatoes, salt, oregano, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation: 
1. Preheat the oven at 200 C°;
2. Peel the potatoes, wash them under running water and cut them in big pieces. 3. Peel the onions as well and chop them in thin slices.
4. At the bottom of an oven tray spread some olive oil, place the potatoes and the onion and add the can of peeled chopped tomatoes.
5. Mix all the ingredients very well, then add abundant salt, oregano, a pinch of black pepper and some more oil on top. 6. Place in the oven for about 35-40 minutes (depending on how big the pieces of the potatoes are), but remember to check them and turn them after 15-20 minutes, and then again after 30 minutes.

These are usually the potatoes that you buy here in western Sicily with the chicken roast, so some of you may have recognised them. If you want to propose a new recipe with an old ingredient this is definetely the perfect solution. Enjoy! :-)

Food is all about sharing... especially at Christmas!

Merry Christmas dear readers! My best wishes to you on this special occasion of the year.

  

I believe sharing begins at home and I believe the more you share the happier you are. 
I think food is all about sharing, isn't it?


Otherwise why would we be spending the whole day or the entire previous afternoon to think of a special Menù, prepare amazing dishes, set the table in the most beautiful way, buy lovely presents for everyone? 
Because we want to share our lives with others and that starts with food.

So... here it is my suggestion: have a great Christmas lunch because is one of the most beautiful and touching festivities of the year, but if something goes wrong... like the roast is a bit burnt or the pudding decoration isn't perfect... that's fine, keep smiling and just let it go. Have fun, don't fight with others or with yourself. Everyone will be happy anyway and will appreciate the efforts and the love with which you did all these things.

This should be, I believe, the spirit of Christmas, a family that stays together and that shares food, time, laughs and in the end, only in the end, some presents. Don't forget it!

Have a Wonderful Christmas Time from... THE SICILIAN CUISINE BLOG!

Pears cooked in 'Nero d'Avola' served with whipped cream

 

Do you know how to cook pears in Sicilian red wine and serve them with soft delicious whipped cream? Ok... I will tell you! As Christmas is very close by now, here there is a lovely idea to make a dish with juicy fruits that can also count as a great dessert for one of our upcoming festivities: Christamas Eve, Christamas day, St. Stephen's day (which is boxing day), New Years Eve, Capodanno (New Year day) or Epiphany. See how many occasions we have? 

Infact to be honest... we often forget about fruits when we prepare big meals. We are usually (here in Italy at least) concentrated on the first dish (fresh pasta? baked pasta? lasagne?), the second one (pork? turkey? beef roll?) and the dessert (cake? pie? pudding?), so we tent to miss out the 'fruit course'.

But, if you like the idea, this recipe is elegant and easy at the same time, as you can cook the pears in wine the day before and whip the cream on the big day!!!

Ingredients & Preparation for 4 people: 4 pears cut in halves - 1/2 lt Nero d'Avola (Sicilian red wine) - 200 gr double cream - 200 gr caster sugar - 2 big pieces of lemon zest - cinnamon

1. Wash the pears under running water, cut them in halves and remove skin and inside.

2. Place them in a sauce pan on a medium heat with the red wine to cover them all, plus 100 gr caster sugar, the lemon zest and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

3. Let them cook like this for about 25 minutes, time is also related to the quality of the pears, if they are pretty ripe and soft (but not too much!) probably 15-20 minutes would do, but if they are hard better 30 minutes. You need to check them anyway from time to time!

4. In the meantime whip the cream with the remaining sugar until smooth and soft.

5. As soon as the pears are ready (try them with a fork to test how tender they are) take them out of the sauce pan and place them on a dish to cool down, while keep the sauce going on the heat to restrain a bit more. We are looking at a red wine syrup of some sort that will be poured onto the pears when served so it has to be more juicy than watery.

6. Once the sauce is ready place the pears on a serving tray and the whipped cream in a bowl so that you can serve them separetely. Pour the Nero d'Avola syrup onto the pears and serve straight away.

If you want to try this recipe on a normal Sunday lunch and want to keep it low fat just serve them with plain white yogurth instead of the cream. It will be as delicious as the first one!

Enjoy :-)))