Eating is a necessity, but eating well is an art, once someone said, and I could not agree more. I just recently took a trip to a beautiful land, a corner of paradise, were the beauty of nature blends perfectly with the delights of its colors, its scent and naturally, its food. The fertile land of the island of Sicily, has gifted me with memories forever stuck in my mind and heart.
What can better describe a full sensory experience than this beautifully arranged platter of food composed of some of the most popular traditional Sicilian ingredients, such as Caponata, (recipe described in a previous post), smoked red tuna fish, fresh anchovies, thinly sliced raw tuna and sword fish, octopus salad, ricotta salata, sun-dried tomatoes, and stuffed peppers. Try to picture yourself in front of such a plate of food, sitting at a table of a quaint restaurant in the small town of Erice, where during the Summer months, the sun is so bright and strong that you cannot forget to wear a hat at all times.
When you are in Sicily you cannot skip dessert, the sweets in this region are so amazingly delicious that you won’t believe it. The most well know Sicilian dessert is the Cannolo, which is often served with a special type of coffee: pistachio cream coffee, which, I must admit, is one of the best things I ever tasted!
Imagine all this feast on your taste buds, the smell of the sea, the gentle breeze and the breath-taking view of the ruins of the ancient temples. All of this and much more, you can find in Sicily!
I cannot forget to mention the sea, the beautiful blue water and its fish, so present in the Sicilian cuisine. The most famous is red tuna, very prestigious and a real treat for its special flavor. My favorite way to eat it is barely cooked on the grill and coated in pistachio crumbs. Check it out below!
For whoever would be curious to visit this amazing island, I would recommend the small village of Erice, with its famous patisserie owned by Maria Grammatico and considered the best one in the whole region, there you’ll find her almond paste cookies, cassata, and cannoli, along with delicious jams and preserves. All naturally home made from scratch.
All of this great food can easily be washed down with some of the most famous wines of the region like Marsala, Nero D’Avola or the sweet white wine called Zibibbo or Passito di Pantelleria ideally sipped on the beach gazing the sea.
Cheers!!!
With Love.
Special thanks to the artistic eye behind the camera lense: @Simone Ciaschi www.facebook.com-Simone-Ciaschi
