(Nothing But) Flowers

We’re back from our trip to Sicily and here is a list of highlights from our food experiences (more soon on other aspects of the trip).

1. Fresh ricotta: this needs to come first because several of the others are based on it. Ricotta in Sicily is nothing like that pasty stuff we call ricotta here in the US (granted I love our pasty stuff too). It is fresh, made from sheep’s milk, creamy and soft with a delicate flavor. Mix it in with your pasta, throw it on top of a pizza, spread it on top of your pane siciliano (bread made of durum wheat)—yum!

2. Cassata: a dessert made of fresh ricotta with sponge cake around it and candied dried fruits either on top or mixed in with ricotta. The one I ate (see picture above) had chocolate chips in the ricotta and marzipan along the side. This was delicious! I was slightly obsessed with tasting this and finally was served it on our last day there by my partner’s cousin.

3. Gelato: Sicilian gelato is even better than the mainland gelato- I swear its creamier! Some favorite gelato experiences:

- Mulberry gelato—these are in season for only about 2-3 weeks and the tart gelato they make is delicious.

- Ricotta gelato—We only found this in the southeastern corner of Sicily (in Siracusa and Ragusa Ibla) and it is deliciously creamy.

4. Gelato in a brioche: OK, this could go above but it deserves its own category since you gotta love a people who eat gelato in a sweet bun of bread! This is typically Palermitano but is found in some other areas of Sicily. Especially good with chocolate or nutella flavors. Palermitanos even have this for breakfast in summer!

5. Watermelon pudding and other fruit puddings: Typically Sicilian this pudding is called “gelo di melone”. The watermelon juice is infused with jasmine flowers overnight and it gives the pudding a delicious aroma and taste. Heavenly! My partner’s cousin made this on a visit to the U.S. 9 years ago and I have dreamed of it ever since. Another version is one made of lemon—deliciously tart with miniature strawberries on top. My partner’s uncle who runs his own restaurant in Palermo has made his own version of this: mandarin pudding! I got the recipes from the uncle and am going to make my own.

6. Fragoline: Miniature strawberries!!! These are heavenly and tart and are the size of the tip of your pinky finger. I was a bit obsessed with them.

7. Arancine: Saffron-infused rice balls filled with cheese and then deep fried. So good and a meal in themselves.

8. Fruta da Mattorana: You often see this weird marzipan fruit at Italian bakeries in the U.S. They really come from Sicily, specifically Palermo where they were first made by the Catholic nuns at the Mattorana cathedral in Palermo in the 1600s. These are not delicious—I cannot tell a lie, but they made it onto this list for their cute-kitsch factor. Above are some pictures of some of the best fruta da Mattorana that I saw.

9. Seafood: Generally caught that day and served fresh—Sicily is a pescatarian’s delight! Some favorites were the clams, mussels, octopus, and the smoked swordfish.

10. Wine by the carafe: I am not a wine snob, but I love good wine and trying new wines. I am particularly enamored with the idea of going down to the local wine merchant and buying locally made wine in bulk. My favorite part of our meals was sampling the local wines by doing this—they were all good! Above is a picture of a shop in Siracusa (Syracuse) where you can get your own bottles filled with the local wines of Southeast—generally a Nero d’Avola variety.

One of the best things about Sicily and food is how much Sicilians love it and how assertive they are about where to go to get the best whatever (whether it is a type of pastry, a flavor of gelato, etc.). Meals were long and social and drawn out over several courses. I have to say I truly felt loved and welcomed by the feasts that my partner’s family put on during the time we were there! This list is totally random and doesn’t include many wonderful Sicilian specialties such as panelle, fritella, chocolate made in Módica, various types of cheeses, etc.

We owe many of our fabulous meal experiences to my partner’s uncle and aunt who are both wonderful cooks at home and who have a great restaurant in Palermo. His cousin is also a top-notch cook and host.