I just returned from another fabulous trip to my favorite region of Italy -
Sicily. Spring had arrived. The fruit trees cast a pink and white mantel over the hills, the borage flowers bloomed as blue as the sky above, masses of acacia and mimosa veiled the roadsides with sprays of yellow flowers and the countryside rolled green with a new crop of wheat. Situated just 3 miles off the Italian mainland, Sicily is the largest of the Mediterranean islands. It is predominantly mountainous country, with a wealth of coastal beaches. Sicily seems like another country, full of contradictions and extremes. There is nothing subtle about Sicily. It is a place of intense light and extreme darkness, seductive yet shocking. There’s the most stunning scenery of hills lush with vineyards, ancient olive trees and wheat fields, golden groves of citrus fruit, the most beautiful of Greek temples, Roman mosaics and a stream of architectural treasures including amongst others, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Catalan-Gothic and Baroque styles. And then there are eyesores of illegal and ugly new buildings, brutally sited power stations, incomplete highways and forgotten Baroque masterpieces.
But perhaps the greatest contrast of all is between the deliciously innovative
cucina povera of the ordinary people to the baroque cuisine of the aristocracy.
La cucina Baronale was established in noble kitchens from medieval times to that of the arrival of Spanish aristocracy on the island. Later in the 18th century the aristocratic families adopted an even more sophisticated cuisine when they hired French trained chefs who now incorporated butter, cream and brandy and introduced complex
timbales and
galatines making for rich, lavish and elaborate dishes.
La cucina povera, the cuisine of the common people could not have been more different. This is the food of the Sicilian housewife who had to improvise a little something out of a lot of nothing. These enviable dishes are straightforward, fresh and seasonal with flavors that seem more powerful, hotter, spicier and sweeter. Their simplicity is elevated by the sheer quality of the seafood from the bountiful surrounding seas and the natural produce that thrives under the strong Sicilian sun.
Sicilian food is living history, a heritage of thousands of years of invading armies from diverse foreign lands. The
Greeks came bearing gifts of honey, wine, ricotta and olives and were followed by the rapacious Roman cultivators of wheat, grains and legumes. The
Arabs introduced sugar cane, citrus fruits, eggplant, rice, couscous, spices, methods for fishing tuna and swordfish, the ingenious system of irrigation, the unique palate of sweet and sour and the idea for making ices and sorbets. The pasta industry is said to have been started by the Arabs near Palermo in the 12th century, using grain from fields planted earlier by the Romans. Although it’s rare to find people eating in the streets in mainland Italy, Sicilians love for street food, cucina di strada, also reflects the almost 250 years of Arab conquest.
The
Normans left a legacy of dried fish (
baccala) and the
Angevins/French brought sweet shortcrust pastry, onions and stuffed meat rolls. The
Spanish invasion brought products from the New World such as tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, chocolate as well as the love of florid decoration in food presentation. They also introduced the prickly pear, a favorite Sicilian fruit.
The
modern Sicilian diet relies on grains, vegetables, herbs and spices, olives and olive oil, fruit, nuts, seafood and cheese. Meats and game are more prominent in the central hills and used in very special dishes, not everyday ones. Sicilians supposedly invented meatballs,
polpetti or
polpettoni, which are eaten as a main course, though they often appear here with spaghetti as a caricature of Italo-American cuisine. Pasta, usually made from durum wheat, takes many forms, ranging from spaghetti and
maccheroni (
maccaruna in dialect) to
busiati and
gnocchi. Most celebrated is p
asta con le sarde, with sardines and wild fennel. Other famous pasta dishes include
pesto Trapanese with a delicious sauce made of almonds, basil, and tomatoes and Catania’s
pasta alla Norma, a rich combination of tomatoes, eggplant and
ricotta salata cheese.
Seafood, led by swordfish, tuna, sardines and anchovies are often marinated in oil and herbs, and grilled, roasted, or baked as
involtini. Vegetables are so intensely flavored that they are usually served as simply as possible and often constitute a main meal. But in contrast, it is not unusual to find Sicilian cooking at times so vigorous and expressive with the use of anchovies, hot pepper, mint, basil, oregano, citrus, almonds and pistachios as well as classic combinations of capers and green olives, currents and pine nuts, and vinegar and honey.
Sicilian olive oil is prized and now winning international competitions; Sicilian sea salt is often called white gold. Cheeses are most often made from sheep’s milk and can be found in many stages of aging from fresh ricotta to
Pecorino Siciliano, whose pungent flavor is often sharpened when laced with peppercorns. Cows milk cheese can be found in the form of
Ragusano, mellow and delicate when young, though it may also be aged hard and sharp for grating.
Caciocavallo and
provola are also popular.
Sicilian wine has now come of age and can compete most favorably on the world market. After years of producing mediocre wines and sweet, sickly Marsala, it has now become a producer of elegant top-class dry, sweet and fortified wines. Some of the leading producers available in our market include Planeta, Regaleali, Donnafugata, Cusumano, Morgante, Palari, and Tenuta delle Terrenere. And if you think all Marsala tastes like the one you cook with, I suggest you indulge in one made by deBartoli.
When it comes to the
dessert course, the Sicilians excel themselves. Sicilians have an extreme sweet tooth and most of their pastries are tied to a religious, mystical or historic significance. The queen of desserts is the
cassata, a sponge cake, flavored with liquor, layered with ricotta and apricot jam, coated on all sides with marzipan and elaborately decorated with candied fruit. True Sicilian
cannoli will make your knees weak. Any decent pastry shop will have a dazzling array of marzipan, almond paste sculpted in the form of fruits or whatever takes the creator’s fancy. The
gelato and other frozen desserts are the best in the world.
This article is meant to be a mere introduction to the food of one of the world’s most exciting islands. Sicily is a sensory bombardment, a magical island. The extraordinary cuisine is a mere match to the most exquisite architecture and the traditional graciousness and warm hospitality of the people. I hope that you will have an opportunity to visit this island – you’ll be amazed at what you find there.
CAPONATACaponata is one of the most famous
agro-dolce dishes of Sicily. Its base is a mixture of fried onions, celery, and eggplant to which sweet peppers, artichokes and asparagus may be added. The mixture has been known to be enriched with lobster, shrimp, small octopus or bottarga. It can also be stuffed inside the belly of a whole fish and roasted. Caponata has been thought to originate as seagoing fare, because it is preserved with vinegar.
1 medium to large eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
salt
1 C. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 stalks of celery, diced
3 red bell peppers, seeded and slices
2 cup drained plum tomatoes, seeded
S & P
1/2 C. green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 T. raisins or currants, plumped in warm water, drained
2 T. drained capers
1/2 C. wine vinegar mixed with 2 T. sugar
2 tsp. oregano
optional: 2 T grated bitter chocolate or unsweetened cocoa
3/4 C. toasted almonds
Wash the eggplant, cut off the stem and cut into 3/4 in. cubes. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain. After 30 min. rinse, squeeze dry and pat in paper towels. Sauté in 1 C olive oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. In the same remaining olive oil, sauté the onion, celery, and peppers until soft and sweet. Add the tomatoes, olives, raisins and capers to the onion mixture and simmer for 5 more min. Correct the seasoning and pour into a serving dish to cool.
Caponata is at its best when refrigerated at least overnight, then brought to room temperature before serving. Sprinkle with toasted almonds before serving. If using cocoa, add it to the vinegar and sugar.
previously published in the North End News April 2008
