January 11, 2007
Sicily: Looking Back
I've left Sicily behind me for now but am newly amazed by its beauty each time I go. I'm sure there are places in the world, your own places, of which you think the same thing. Places where, upon landing, your soul relaxes, your body sighs, your eyes rest on the landscape and you think (secretly), home.
I've left behind, for now, the daily flurry of activities and people, every day grounded by the distinct reliablilty of meals (and preparing them). Each day I'd wake up and walk to the balcony door, sweep away the curtains so I could see Mont Erice. I'd pad down the creaky spiral stairs, bundled in my guest robe, to the kitchen, where Zia Anna was inevitably in some form of preparation for dinner. My first full day there, Christmas Day, I came down at 8:30 a.m and worked in my pjs until the first guests arrived at 1. I was in my element.
Each morning, while they dipped their sweets into saucers of warm milk and espresso, I'd boil myself an egg and set up my bread strips for dipping, wary of acting the foreigner. But as my family is always so loving and accepting with me, they accepted my egg and bread business as well. Except for holidays and Sundays, we spent mornings in Trapani for errands or shopping, then rushed back home by 1 p.m to make dinner. The days surrounding the holidays were a happy (now fading) dream of non-stop cooking. I'll go into more detail in a few follow-up posts, but here is a short recap - my Sicily food highlights:
Christmas Day: My absolute favorite was the lamb and potato main course. The lamb is cut up into joints, small manageable pieces. First, Zia Anna boiled the lamb for a few minutes to release some of its fat. Then, in a roasting pan on the stove, she sauteed onions before adding the lamb pieces. As the lamb colored, she sliced and added the potato. After a good stir around, the lamb went into the oven to roast for a few hours. It was so tender.
In Italy, the days between Christmas and New Years are spent visiting relative and friends for dinner and playing card games until late. I feel like I ate enough for the next month! But it's hard to pass up food I know I won't get when I'm back in Germany, especially when it is being cooked for me!
For instance, one night we went to my cousin Giuseppe's house especially for his father-in-law, Diego's, specialty --- "panzerotti". Diego creates these calzone-type beauties with the concentration and expertise of a professional chef. The panzerotti are made with various typical fillings for the area: cauliflower and onion; spinach and garlic; prosciutto and provolone; tomatos and provolone; mushrooms; spicy peppers. They were cooked in a brick oven (instead of the more common method, which is frying). I tried a small piece of each one, and they were all delicious, but my favorite was the tender "cavolfiore" (cauliflower), naturally rich and creamy inside the still hot bread.
New Year's Day: Take a look at this fish. It was 5 kg! This was a spigola or snapper, and my uncle brought it home from the fish market with its two bursting egg sacs. They prepared it simply, in papillote, with slivers of garlic, fennel, and lemons inside. There is nothing like an incredibly fresh fish prepared in this way.
Every meal was followed by huge platters of fruit, and then coffee and wonderful Italian pastries. Of these, my #1 favorite - the word that makes me salivate - is the lovely, delicious profiterole. Oooooohhhhh, profiteroles. I could write a song about them. Especially the ones made a caffè. Look at them. I can almost taste the creamy, cool centers.
Of course I am barely touching upon the amount of wonderful food I was able to taste. I'm still waiting for my aunt (ahem) to send me the recipes so I can share them with you.
Here is to a happy 2007, filled with tastiness and new discoveries.
