Our weather has been blazingly hot! Turning on the oven is out of the question, so our family has been concentrating on quick, simple meals cooked on the stovetop.
My niece, Maria Lucia bought a a mix of fresh seafood: Gamberetti (Baby Shrimp), Pesce Spada (Swordfish,) Calamari (Squid) and Vongole (Clams) at the Sciacca Fish stall at the local market. She used this mix to make Pasta A Lu Scogliu. The “Scogliu” is a rocky seashore, where some of the seafood is presumably found.
Here is her recipe:
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Garlic Clove
Mixed Seafood
White Wine
Ripe Tomatoes, Peeled and Chopped Finely
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Finely Minced Parsley
Cooked Linguini or Spaghetti
Pasta Cooking Water as needed
Preparation:
Add olive oil and the garlic clove to a shallow skillet. Lightly cook garlic clove and remove when it begins to brown
Add Mixed Seafood and saute for a couple of minutes
Deglaze with White Wine and allow to wine evaporate
Add Chopped Tomatoes
Reduce heat to low
Partially cover skillet and simmer until tomatoes are cooked and sauce is formed (10 – 15 Minutes)
Drain pasta and toss into Mixed Seafood Sauce. If needed, add pasta water to loosen sauce.
Add minced parsley, toss and serve
Pasta Lu Scogliu was beautiful and tasty. As always, looking forward to enjoying it again!
Frutti D’Estate (Summer Fruit)
Summer fruit continues to evolve. My latest obsession is the Muluni Giallu (Yellow Melon.) It is sweet and juicy and the perfect accompaniment to prosciutto. It was a refreshing ending with our Pasta a Lu Scogliu.
U Sacchettu continues to change with the season. Here is some of the bounty:
Lumii (Lemons) – From my new house! I don’t know the variety but it is “everbearing” which means that it produces fruit and blossoms at the same time. My niece and her children had a lot of fun picking a small sacchettu.
Gelsi (Mulberries)– We call them “Cenzi” (pronounced “chen zee”) in Sicilian. They are also from a tree at my new house! The Cenzi are almost overripe but they are juicy and flavorful and very messy to pick at this stage. I have plans for Jams and Jellies with next year’s crop. If we can pick more over the next few days, I will serve over Lemon Granita.
Verdura pi Insalata (Salad Vegetables) – Large underripe tomatoes and cucumber. The cucumber is round variety that looks like a small melon. It has a great Sicilian name – Battagliuni (pronounced “bah-ttah-liuni”) It is sweet and crispy with small seeds. We will make our favorite summer salad: Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar and Oregano.
Pumadoru (Tomatoes) – This Tomato variety also has a great Sicilian name – Pizzuteddru – for the little point on the end. This small tomato is the used to make Sucu (Sauce) It is pulpy with few seeds.
Persichi (Peaches) e Millingiani (Eggplant) – The peaches continue to improve, they are ripe, juicy and smell wonderful. These particular eggplants are the prettiest I have ever seen!
It is blazingly hot these days. So Rose will not be turning on the oven, she will make Peperonata for Dinner. This Peperonata is a one pot meal cooked on the stove. It will include today’s Eggplant, Peppers, Potatoes, Cucuzza, Onions, Tomatoes and Oregano. She will serve fresh crusty bread to dip in the vegetable juices. It is one of our favorite meals, looking forward to Dinner!
I closed on my new house today! It needs some updates to make it work for me, but the bones of the house seem good. My favorite feature is the Veranda that extends the width of the house. The Veranda will be a lovely dining and relaxing spot. I look forward to making it beautiful!
The property includes an Olive Grove and various fruit trees. I love the land around the house. This feature is both exciting and daunting. The previous owner, Signor Filippo, loved the property and took great care of it. The last few years he has not been able to tend the land so it needs a bit of tender loving care. I hope to give it some love and make it productive. Wish me luck!
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:
Chicken Thighs
Salt & Pepper
Paprika, Oregano, Thyme
Sliced Onion
Olive Oil
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar (Rose sprays with bottle)
I named my little blog Sicilianissimi to celebrate our lifestyle and heritage…Sicilianissimi means that we are Sicilian to the core and to the greatest degree.
In my opinion, the dish that best represents Sicilianissimi is Pani Cunzatu. There is not a specific recipe, it is basically a sandwich on warm bread. The fillings are humble and are generally found in the Sicilian kitchen. It does not sound like anything exciting on the surface, but the typically Sicilian ingredients elevate this sandwich to something special.
Saturday supper with Rose and Angelo usually consists of traditional celebratory food. Pre-Covid they routinely gathered with family and friends to dance and share a pizza. Due to Covid the group outings have ended but they are continuing to enjoy the food.
Since I arrived, the Saturday night menu has been: Pizza (mostly homemade but sometimes from the local bakery,) Arancini, Panini with Prosciutto, local Cheeses, Mortadella and various Antipasti.
Last night Rose made the Ultimate Pani Cunzatu for us!
Bread, fresh and hot from Rose’s oven
Local olive oil
Freshly grated Parmiggiano
Salted sardines marinated in local olive oil and oregano
Sun dried tomatoes, seasoned (of course) with olive oil and fennel seeds
Salt and abundant pepper
In Sicilian — “ci scialavu” I don’t know an equivalent English term, I would translate as: I found it utterly satisfying.
I am grateful to be able to enjoy this Sicilianissimi experience with my wonderful family in Sicily. Thank you Sister Rose for all you do for us!
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.
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.)
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!
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.
Sicilianissimi in America 