hathor

Ciao! I remember reading about last summer's event...what fun! At least for me, I just reading about it. My 2 or 3 cents: Shrimp with pesto: You've got a bunch of sous chefs. Try this...cut the top half off of the shell, then carefully put a layer of pesto between the shrimp body and the lower shell. Only grill the bottom shelled half. Don't flip the shrimp. Unless they are giant honkers, the shrimp meat will cook thru pretty quickly. Its a little bit labor intensive, but it tastes great. For a finish/garnish, dust with orange peel. The fennel orange salad is really good....maybe as a little side dish? And just a wise ass question: where in Italy can you get a salmon?? Have a wonderful time!! Your gorgeous kitchen will look even better when its full of happy people...even if there are 30 of them.

Eewww! I did that too. I looked down, saw INSIDE my hand and keeled over. There really wasn't that much damage...but EEEeeeWWW!

Shaya, your tuna/swordfish due looks just beautiful. I vote the anchovies as well. Ling, Henry: absolutely gorgeous looking meal. Would you mind describing more about the lifeguard thing? I don't have access to any Batali cookbooks.... Thanks. I think parsely/anchovies must be in the air, after last weeks bout of caponata. I took some of those red peppers that I have, thinly sliced them and made a dressing of parsley, anchovies, olive oil and red wine vinegar. At first I thought the flavors wouldn't meld, but by the time we sat down to eat, all the flavors had happily danced with each other, and it was good. Update on the fennel experiment: currently in the freezer I have: fennel-lemon fennel-orange-black pepper fennel-orange-compari and the surprise flavor: fennel-rum I stood there with the extra fennel syrup wondering what to try next, then I started sniffing all the bottles of booze that we have (god, only knows what the guys doing construction across the street were thinking), and thought, gee, the rum aroma seems to work. I was thinking about Kevin's suggestion for using Sambuca, or wishing I had some Varinelli...but I had rum, so I used rum. What a great match! It almost comes off as vanilla flavored, or butterscotch. Someone else try this and tell me if just time to join AA, or did I discover some incredible flavor combination! **edited because I really cannot spell, and I'm an even worse proofreader!

Sorry I didn't answer this sooner Pontormo! God, this thread is moving very quickly!! Actually, I needed to think about my reply. The biggest influence that I can detect, is at the market on Wednesdays in Umbertide. There are these Sicilian 'dudes' who have some of the best produce around. They are kinda rough, so I was a little 'ascared' to take their picture...last week, they wanted to know if I was "Tedeschi"...this was after Germany lost to Italy in the World Cup. They thought that was just hysterical. Whatever, here is a photo of the produce when I got home. With the exception of the lemons, and including the frigerelle peppers that you can't see...all this cost 3,50euros. Uhm...just slightly cheaper than NYC's Greenmarket! Also, take a look at these red peppers, they HAVE to be what we Americans call pimento. They are exceptionally sweet and flavorful. Here's a little story to explain regionality: I ran up to Guido's to get a piece of swordfish (frozen...I know, I know, but its not Wes. so it's hard to get fresh fish). I pulled the piece of fish out his freezer, and he took it and said, "No, that's not what you want, it has too strong of a flavor." I said, "No, I do want sword fish, I want to cook Sicilian tonight." He looked at me as if I had 3 heads..why on earth, would anyone could Sicilian?? I laughed it off, and said it was the heat that made me feel like I'm in Sicily. Inter-regional marriages are far more acceptable, than inter-regional cooking! Dinner was a swordfish based sauce, with capers, raisins, ollives, spices, over cous cous that had chopped mint, basil and parsley. One of the salads was chopped oranges, bits of pepperoncino and slivers of sweet onion. This is a very refreshing salad. I couldn't take any pictures. We just met an American that bought a house here in town, they came for aperitif, stayed for dinner, and I didn't want to scare them with the food-cult thing by whipping out the camera before they put food in their mouths....!

Fennel, orange and a splash of a liqueur - Campari? Or fennel, orange, fig/raisin?Crazy from the heat (and all those beautiful pictures of everyone's food), Claudia ← I really like the idea of fennel, orange, compari. I'm trying now to figure out the best way to extract the flavor from the fennel.... could I be moving any slower??? Must be the heat!

Enrico, calma, calma! I didn't know. * * * Are there any threads devoted to the amazing names of Italian dishes? Sicily's seem to be particularly rich in both historical/cultural information and playful vulgarities, usually at the expense of the Church or body parts. Kevin's food blog last year includes one that I'll omit below, inviting you to look for the link at the beginning of this thread and see for yourself. Clifford Wright often comments on the names for the following among others: Sciatre e Matre: Eggplant sandwich resembling buttocks; the expression also means "Way?!" Cugghiune dell' Ortolano: stuffed baby eggplant, apparently evocative of the farmhand's testicles Olio Santo: Cardamom flavored EVOO; holy oil Riso con gli Angeli: Rice with angels; actually squid, mussels & shrimp Pasta a Vento Barba di San Benedetto: Dessert pasta named after Saint Benedict's beard Spaghetti al Mataroccu: Silly Spaghetti Lingue di Passero: Sparrow tongues; name for tagliatelle Nidi di scuma: Another dessert pasta called nests of foam upon the waves of the sea Spaghetti alla Sala Murisca Taratata: Commemorating medieval battle between Emir Ibn al-Hawwas & Norman Count Roger I; others are called "alla Saracena" or share names with North African countries, e.g. Chachichouka, a vegetarian dish of vegetables and eggs. ← I know! I kept finding weird stuff, like "virgin's breasts" and "the priest's ass". Is this sarcasm directed at the friars? Or is the Sicilian mind just a little bit fixated on sex?

Well, I'm really late this month. Mi dispiace! Here was the question that was rattling around in my brain while I did some research on Sicily: Why did Sardinia view outsiders with suspicion and dread, an island proud to be isolated and alone, while Sicily absorbed and assimilated so much from their invaders? By virtue of its position in the Mediterranean, it was a natural crossroads of cultures. The original, indigenous tribes of Sicily were known as the Elymians, Sicani and the Sicili or Sicels. Most of what is know about these tribes comes from the Greeks, who arrived on the east coast of Sicily in the 8th century BC. Here is a critical difference, the Greeks did not come as conquerors, they came as colonizers. They brought with them agricultural techniques that would introduce the islanders to whole grain and refined flours that would be use for the precursor of focaccia. (Now this is entirely debatable as other sources cite the Romans as introducing wheat.) The Greeks are credited with planting the Malvasia and Moscato vines that are still prevalent in Sicilian wines. There is also evidence that the Greeks used the snow on Mount Etna for making iced desserts using honey and fruits. During this period, it was already possible to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables such as currants, table grapes, apples, pomegranates, pears, figs, fava beans, artichokes, cardoons and of course, olives. Siracusa or Syracuse became the largest Greek city in all of Magna Grecia and the cuisine of the area naturally divided into the elaborate presentations made for the wealthy class and the rustic cooking of the poor. Eventually, the Greeks would come into conflict with the Carthaginian city of Palermo, on the south west side of the island, which led to the rise of the renegade gangs of Mamertines, who antognised both the Greeks and the Carthaginians. The Mamertines tried to play both sides, and wound up through convoluted diplomacy, inviting the help of the Roman Empire. This is history in very, very broad strokes, it was a long and complicated road with a few Punic Wars thrown in, but eventually Sicily fell under the rule of the Roman Empire by the 3rd century BC, where it remained for six centuries. The Romans were not as beneficent as the Greeks. They used and abused the island as its bread basket. Rome and its cuisine became more influenced by Sicilian ingredients and cooking, than the reverse. Although there is records of very extravagant goose preparations made for the Romans. Next up were the Vandals (nice name), then came the Ostrogothics who brought long black leather dresses and pierced eyebrows into fashion (just checking to see if you are awake). The next culinary footnote, is the Byzantines who arrive in 535 and bring with them a taste for agrodolce (sweet-sour). Stay with me. We’re getting to the good part, where the Arabs or Saracens come in and really spice up the table. The Arabs brought with them methods of irrigation for vegetables that lead to many more varieties being available. The Arabs introduce Sicily to: almonds, pistachios, asparagus, peaches, apricots, sugar, melons, saffron, more rice, more grape varieties, many varieties of lemons and oranges, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, and quite possibly, pasta. Clearly, the whole history of pasta is completely unclear, and I’m not touching this one. The Arabic influence elevated Sicilian cooking to a fine art level. With the ability to create refined sugar, the whole art of pastry making as we know it today, was born. The Arab influence on Sicilian cooking is probably the most identifiable of all of the invaders. Normandy came next, bringing with them a love of meat, which proved difficult in the hot and dry climate. They were more successful with introducing salt cod to the Sicilian table, but given the abundance of fresh fish, that is a dubious legacy. Although they did bring a great era of prosperity to Palermo as the importance of Siracusa fades. Spain enters the picture around 1479 bringing with them some of their finds from the New World: cocoa, corn, turkey, and tomatoes. Then there is a very long period where things did not so go so well for Sicily. There is a terrible outbreak of the plague, earthquakes, and the assimilation of Sicily into Italy was a bloody battle for many years. Today, Sicily, which is the largest island in the Mediterranean, with the tallest and most active volcano in Europe, provides a large percentage of the grain and fruits and vegetables consumed in Italy. This barely scratches the surface of the evolution of Sicilian cookery. There is a book, that sounds very interesting and I hope would answer a lot of questions that I have about who-what-where, “Pomp & Sustenance” by Mary Taylor Simeti. Doing this research was somewhat frustrating, because different sources cite various products as being introduced by different groups. For example, one source says that the carcofi and cardoons were probably wild and native to the island, another source says that the Greeks brought them. If I had the time, I would love to continue the research. It would be interesting to pick one item, one ingredient and research it further, something like the traditional way the tuna is caught, or the influence of the monasteries, etc. etc. Another interesting book, that I just finished reading, is “The Almond Picker” by Simonetta Agnello Hornby, which takes place in the 1960’s in Sicily. Not a particularly food oriented book, but very evocative of the time and place. And just because…..here is a photo I took last summer when we were in Palermo. Now, here is a horse that you don’t see every day!

Adam, I have this nifty little book, "Guida Gastronomica D'Italia" put out by the Touring Club Italiano, and its the original 1931 edition. Under the "Provincia di Argigento" there is this entry: "Pasta coi broccoli- Pasta di casa condata con cavolfiori (brocculi) fritti, lardo e formaggion pecorinio" So, it looks as if your hunch is correct that 'brocculi' is dialect for cavolfiori.

I like the Sambuca-anise thing with the fennel...but I'm wondering if its enough a counterpoint. Mint-orange-fennel? Sounds like I have a few batches to get started on. thanks!! p.s fennel-orange-basil? Aren't basil and mint in the same family, or am I delirious? p.p.s I volunteer to make the arrangements for any class trip we want to take to Sicily! p.p.p.s. Can you 'candy' a basil leaf?

The size of clams has nothing to do with flavor and it is a misnomer to make a blanket statement like that. Sometimes arselle have more flavor than vongole verace, sometimes the verace do. It depends on where they are fished (or in the case of arselle, where they are dug out of the sand), the day they are fished, the tides, myriad different things. One only has to go to Bagno _ in Forte, and have spaghetti con le arselle or spaghetti con vongole verace, to see how things change day to day. ← Good point Fortedei. I always wondered why one time the vongole rocked and another time it was those little bitty guys. But, to tell the truth, its the roasted peppers that are speaking to me right now.

Ciao tutti!!! I've had no internet for the past 10 days...don't ask. The entire region is waiting for the mystical 'cavo' from Citta dei Castello...and it may acutally have arrived. So, at least for today... I have internet! woo-hoooo!! Regardless, I may not have done the history lesson yet, but I have been cooking! The great granita experiments! It started with a simple lemon granita served in the lemon shells and served with far, far too much limoncello (read: large, very bad hangover) Then I tried: campari limonatta granita. This is a very good thing. The lastest attempts: *lemon-mint-black pepper granita *orange-basil-pepperoncino granita (oooohhhh yes!!!) I've been 'challenged' to come up with a fennel granita...any ideas??? Fennel-orange..and??? Elie: the salt baked/orange stuffed fish is my absolute favorite. If you don't have pounds of salt laying around, just press the skin of the fish into as much coarse salt as you can spare. And to whomever asked the question, no, the fish meat does not get at all salty. The salt acts as a natural mositure barrier, sealing the salt in, and then you peel away the salt/skin crust. Divine. Ling, OH MY GOD. Beautiful presentation of the liver!!! Oh, and that almond, pistachio, pine nut pesto. Here is my arm, there is the vein....just fill me with it!! (Can you tell that I'm still giddy from last night's game??) Tonight's dinner brings us to an ingredient no one has played with yet...cous cous!! We currently have an abundance of zucchini's....no, that's an understatement. So, tonight I made a 'zucchini barca'. I took a long zucchini, slit it, put in some sausages, sicilian capers, tomatoes, cheese, roasted it and then served it with a sultana raisin couscous. Then to add that Sicilian 'je ne sais quoi" a lemon-pepperocino juice. Couscous is just about one of my favorite things. I know. I know. The picture belonds in the "Regrettable Foods" thread, but it tasted really good. Here, to make up for the nasty photo....we had dinner on the roof, and this was tonight's sunset. I promise the history lesson is coming...soon, maybe tomorrow...but the cooking has been underway. Two things that everyone must do: go find some pure Sicilian sea salt, and some nero d'avola wine. And here is a shot of the salt flats, near Palermo.

I was an importer for many years...restrictring an importer to one port is a death knell. For many reasons, you may need to use Baltimore, Newark, Philly or even LA. Lack of vessels, vessel schedules, lack of rail space, etc. etc. To restrict the importer is just plain wrong. Its hard enough to do business and make a profit. The sentiment of bringing business to Philly is good, but it is politcally motivated, not reality based.

There is ALWAYS room for you...and for the cats!

I am! I am! But, first I have to plant the sweet corn! Italians are not known for their love of corn on the cob!

This sounds delicious! But, I would like to check just one point with you. "Transfer to a food processor and pulse 30 minutes to blend." That sounds like a long time to pulse....just wanted to double check that, particularly as I'm going to need to do that by hand. Thanks!!

--James Joyce, Ulysses ← ".....mmmmhhhh.....fried hencod's roe....." -Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

That sounds fantastic!

I can't believe I had to read this far down before someone mentioned the Simpsons! Homer is to food what Flipper is to water! Its his natural environment! " Oh, Margie, you came and found me a turkey...."

I think it's wiser to dip them quickly in ice water rather than soak. If they are too long in water, the petals get saturated and are ruined. I'm with shelora re preperation. The fried are lovely but you really can taste them in a quesadilla or squash blossom soup. ← And you have a recipe for squash blossom soup that you want to share? You are dead right about soaking the blossoms...you only wind up with blossom mush.

Wow! Gorgeous food! I've been a slacker as well, house full of people and not much computer time. Ling, your photos are beautiful and the food certainly looked delicous!! Kevin, I've been dying to try and make the carta musica, but I didn't think mere mortals could pull it off, now I'll have to give it a shot. 10 sheets left? No problem. Just eat them! Our local Sardinian restaurant serves them warm, with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Its the real reason I go there. I eat the whole basket immediately. Its so damn hot here right now, all I want to do is lay on the floor next to the panting cat, and drink cold white Sardinian wine.

As blossoms are abundant and cheap right now, the other day I experimented with slicing them, sort of chiffonade style, then fried them. I used the flower bits as a garnish on a clean pasta dish. Added an interesting dimension.

Prego Bull Terrier! (don't tell anyone...but I'm a Verdicchio dei Matellica girl! )

What kind of wood are you using? I've been experimenting with Italian style "carbone", but I think wood is the way to go. Wood. And time. Sometimes I have the wood. Sometimes, the time. Its getting them to coincide, that's where I have the trouble!

Bull Terrier, you are right on the money about a lack of restaurants in Jesi. But, you must check out Gatto Matto. Very friendly place, and the grilled Angus steak is incredible. Its one the dish that I would travel back to Jesi for!

Maybe this will help you visualize the stuffed blossom. Here is a photo of the little fellows stuffed with some fiore de latte mozzeralla and bit of anchovy. Basically you put a bit of the stuffing near the base of the flower, and then give the petals a a little twist to close them. Gentle twist! Then they were dipped in a yeasty batter and fried, like the beautiful tempura flower above.