(What’s in the Bag on June 6?)

The items in the bag have evolved with the changing season. We are transitioning from Spring to Summer.

Today’s bags were mostly fruit. Orange season is ending but Peaches, Apricots and Cherries are beginning. Angelo also bought the second Watermelon of the season, and tucked in with the Watermelon, were two lovely Zucchini. As always, they are the best quality he could find. The tray of fruit smells wonderful!

The family knows that I enjoy taking pictures and will photograph the most photogenic items, I tell them “si merita una foto” which means “it is worthy of a picture.” Rose’s grandchildren Salvatore and Giorgia now routinely ask me if a particular food item “si merita una photo.” Here are today’s photos:

Angelo made a trip to the local “Pollaio” (“Pollo” is Chicken a “Pollaio” is a Chicken Purveyor.) He referred to the establishment as “Peppe Pollo.” Later, I found out that the store is actually called Polleria Salamone. It is owned and operated by two brothers. Giuseppe and Calogero. Why is it Peppe Pollo? Giuseppe does the cooking and Calogero runs the store. Peppe is a shortened version of Giuseppe. Peppe Pollo translates into Peppe Chicken, so the store is known by the name of the brother who does the cooking. Such is life in a small village.

Rose made Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes today. It was a wonderful meal. The potatoes were roasted Cuffaro Potatoes. (Will provide more on the potatoes in a future post. They are my new favorite variety.)

Rose does not follow a set recipe for the Roasted Chicken. All of the ingredients are combined in a sheet pan. She allows to marinate for 1/2 hour and bakes in the same sheet pan. Oven temperature is 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, then she raises the temperature to 375 for the last 15 minutes to caramelize. Here are her ingredients:

We ate every bite! Another fabulous meal!

(What’s in the Bag?)

Our family shops for food almost every day. My brother-in-law, Angelo, goes out early to find the best quality produce. My sister plans the menu based on what he brings home. Sometimes he comes home with one bag, sometimes with several. I am enjoying discovering “What’s in the Bag.”

Locally grown is valued, so things are seasonal and the contents have evolved.

I arrived mid-March, here are the early season vegetables Nu Sacchettu:

Finucchieddru (Wild Fennel) – Rose made a traditional pasta dish for Good Friday, pasta with fennel and sardines.

Linticchi (Lentils) – They are a staple for our family, we made Minestra di Linticchi (Lentil Soup.)

Favi (Fava Beans) – They were fresh and tender. We made Frittata and Pasta with Favi.

Piseddri, Arangi e Puma (Peas, Oranges and Apples) – Fresh peas turned into Pasta with Piseddri . Fruit ends every meal.

From the bag to Rose’s kitchen, to the table, it has been delightful.

I debated whether I should publish this post for a couple of weeks. I am ambivalent about sharing a personal event that has profoundly changed my life.

I have decided to share. I am choosing to not project a false impression that my life is about pretty pictures and delicious food. I also want to acknowledge and honor the memory of my sister Nina who was, and is still, so dear to me.

Nina and I have lived our lives together. She was my best friend, confidant and partner in crime. She loved life and was not ready to leave it. She loved travel, music, delicious food, beautiful clothes and our California home and lifestyle. Most of all, she loved our family and all that we represent.

Nina enriched my life in ways that I cannot describe. I would have been content to stay home and read a book. Nina inspired and compelled me (and when she was still with us, our Mother) to participate and enjoy life to the fullest degree. Before misfortune overtook us, we planned to retire together in Sicily to be with our extended family. I wish every day that she could be here with me.

The primary reason I am now in Sicily is because, due to a tragic accident and a protracted illness, we lost our beloved youngest sister Nina on December 30, 2023. We decided to ensure that we would be together by bringing Nina’s body to Sicily for burial.

Our extended family and our friends in the US supported us throughout Nina’s illness and death. Due to the unusual circumstance of taking Nina’s remains to Italy, we were not able to perform the customary rituals for burial in the United States. Delaying Nina’s burial was sad and distressing. I felt that I was denying her the dignity and respect that she deserved.

After three frustrating months, we were able to finally bring Nina back to the village where we were born. I hope she forgives me, because my ultimate desire was to bring Nina to Sicily with me. I was expecting to hold a quiet service with our immediate family.

Nina’s funeral mass was held in the church where our parents were married and where she was baptized.

It was a lovely service. The priest, Don Angelo, does not really know us. To familiarize himself, he researched the church records and found that Nina was baptized on March 19, St. Joseph’s Day. Nina’s funeral mass was celebrated on March 27. Don Angelo presented a thoughtful discussion about Baptism and the progression of life and death. I found it moving and comforting.

Our family participated in the Mass. Anna, my sister’s sister-in-law, presented the readings, my sister’s daughter-in-law, Caterina read the eulogy, our grand-nephew and Nina’s God-Son Salvatore, did double duty: he was the altar server and read the final prayer in Sicilian. (I previously posted the text of the prayer, “L’Urtimu Misteru” on this Blog on March 5, 2013.) The mass participants prayed along with him and applauded his effort. Finally, our little grand-niece, Giorgia distributed prayer cards to the Mass attendants. I am sure that Nina is pleased with everyone’s participation.

Our family left Sicily over 60 years ago, our father passed over 20 years ago. His generation is gone, we no longer have living aunts and uncles. Our connection is now with our cousins. They have seen us sporadically and we have grown up away from each other, but they showed their respect for our family by participating in Nina’s funeral mass. Family members who were not able to attend, have called or made personal visits to us to express their condolences. As a testament to our sister Rose and her family, who still live here, their neighbors, friends and colleagues participated.

Respect is still important here, it is natural to their way of life. It touched my heart that Nina’s life and legacy have been acknowledged and honored by our extended family and the local community.

I am now in Sicily, living the dream that Nina and I shared. It is bittersweet for me, I am happy to share this experience with my sister Rose and her family but feel the lack of Nina in my life every day and in every way.

A wise person in my life reminded me that I can continue to honor Nina’s spirit by living my life as she would have if she had the opportunity, to Love one another and to savor every minute. I am going to try, and I dedicate this Blog to my beloved sister knowing that she would have loved each and every experience.

Ti vogliu bene, Nina. Cu tuttu lu cori.

I Palmi!

Today is Palm Sunday, it is a beautiful sunny day. Rose’s grandchildren, Salvatore and Giorgia brought us Olive Branches.

Our menu was simple, the normal Sunday meal. Pasta, Pollo, Insalata, Frutta e Dolci. I neglected to photograph the salad.

I hovered over Rose’s shoulder as she cooked. Here is what I observed. Sucu tasted like fresh tomatoes, it was made from summer tomatoes that she froze at the peak of the season. The secret to crispy breaded chicken cutlets (without burned breading) is to use low heat and turn often. A little lemon juice on the strawberries brings out the flavor. Dolci from local bar are a Sunday tradition.

Finally an Espresso and Dolcino. (Though I tasted all the pastries.)

Arrivavu in Sicilia!

I am in Sicily!

I have been away from my blog the last few years. My life has been complicated and I had other priorities. Today I was inspired to share!

I am in Sicily with my extended family. It is a joy to be with them! Three generations live in the same building: my sister and her husband live on the second floor, my niece, her husband and two beautiful children live on the first floor, my nephew and his wife live on the top floor. Here is the view from our balcony.

Great food is a priority. My brother-in-law goes to the market first thing in the morning because he does not want his food picked over and handled. He makes sure we have the very best quality. On my first day here, he found: Fava Beans, Artichokes, Mandarins, Apples and Strawberries. Everything was fresh, vibrant and delicious. My sister is a fabulous cook, she made Pasta with Fava Beans and Artichoke Frittata. Looking forward to the next menu!

Let me explain…

#1

Cousin Angela was our houseguest a couple of weeks ago. At 90+ she is the second most senior member of our extended family. She is a wonderful cook and a talented baker. Cousin Angela is no longer responsible for cooking for the family, but she loves to bake  and still bakes up a storm!

#2

The lone zucchini plant in my vegetable garden is very productive. I harvest Zucchini every few days and enjoy sharing the surplus. In the days before and during Angela’s visit, I neglected the garden. The day we took her back home, we found an ENORMOUS Zucchini. We gave it to Cousin Angela, thinking their family of 6 could use it or (if it was inedible) they could add to their compost.

#3

We were invited to supper with her family a week later. When we walked in, she greeted us with “You can call me Cousin Zucchi”, reached into the cookbook bookshelf and pulled out her “Over 100 Zucchini Squash Uses” cookbook.  She had been baking with our zucchini all week!

On the kitchen counter was a display of all the goodies she baked:
Zucchini Bread (one loaf wrapped and labeled for us)
Zucchini Chocolate Cake
Zucchini Cookies…and they had fried some for sandwiches!

So, the culinary stars aligned, Cousin Angela was the perfect recipient of our mutant Zucchini.  Everything was delicious!

We especially enjoyed the soft and moist Zucchini Cookies. With her permission, we share the recipe.

We lost our dear mother this summer.  Today is her 85th birthday.

She was an early to bed and early to rise person and she made the most of the time in between.  Our mother was a loving, energetic woman who lived her best life.  We miss her every day.  Buon Compleanno, Mamma.

Lucia, Making Mbriulati

My sister Rose lives in Sicily. We visited her this summer.

We usually spend our time in Sicily “In Famiglia.”   We do a little sight seeing, reconnect with our extended family and relish Talking—Laughing—Cooking—Eating—-Together.

Everybody in my family enjoys cooking. My father made hearty, traditional fare: wine, homemade sausage and garden vegetables on the grill. My mother bakes bread and makes delicious soups and frittatas. My sister Nina is the sucu (tomato sauce) specialist. I like to experiment with sweets and pastries and love making everything from scratch.

We are all good cooks, but my sister Rose…she is the best.

Rose’s food is familiar to us; we make the same general recipes but her version is, somehow, tastier.

She uses the best ingredients, fresh fish, local olive oil and seasonal vegetables bought daily.   But the quality of her cooking is not just about the raw materials. Her strength is her skill and touch with seasoning. Rose’s food is always perfectly seasoned. Not too much or too little salt, just the right amount. The herbs she uses are present but not overwhelming. The cheese is a perfect complement. She uses olive oil liberally but her food is not greasy.

When we visit Rose, we don’t cook. We set the table, grate the cheese, slice the bread and wash the fruit.   When Rose is cooking, we keep her company and share the time. My mother, my sister and I sit on the side of the table facing the stove and refrigerator and watch as she quickly and efficiently criss-crosses her kitchen for the right pan, bowl, ingredient and seasoning, happily and effortlessly turning out the most delicious food.

We look forward to our traditional “first breakfast” when we visit Rose in Sicily. We get up, bleary eyed and jet lagged, sit at the table and wait while Rose makes an Ovu Frittu. A sunny side up egg accompanied by toasted crusty bread.

She makes one at a time uses a small frying pan. We wait our turn as our egg is cooked in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and served in the skillet where it was cooked. The egg is perfection! It stays hot, the yolk thick but still liquid, the white firm but not rubbery. We dip our toast in the yolk, soak up olive oil and thoroughly enjoy our Ovu Frittu lovingly made by my sister Rose.

It is blazingly hot today and doing something outside is not too appealing.  What to do that’s fun, productive and delicious?

Well…Strawberries and Blueberries are at their peak and I love preserving food…

The answer:

Strawberry Blueberry Freezer Jam!

It really was easy, I had Strawberries, Blueberries, Sugar and Water on hand.  The little jars were in the hall closet.  All I needed to do was run to the grocery store for Sure Jell and I was ready to go. I use the lower sugar Sure Jell in the pink box and follow the instructions in the box.  The hardest part of the task was standing at the stove stirring constantly for 10 minutes.  I also have to make room in the freezer.  It was worth it, I love my little jars of jam!

Sweet Little Jars of Jam

Strawberries, Blueberries, Sugar