A Guide to: Modica

Modica is the perfect place for art lovers and foodies alike. With historic architecture and delicious delicacies, there is plenty to discover on a painting holiday or cookery course in Sicily. Want to find out more? Then read our guide here: https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog/the-best-of-modica/ 

A Guide to Syracuse

Originally a Greek colony, Siracusa retains much of its heritage. If you didn’t hear the sound of Italian being spoken on the streets, you’d be forgiven for believing you were in Greece. Much of Sicily remains a combination of Italian-Greek culture and architecture making it a fascinating region to visit. Would you like to read more about the top places to visit should you find yourself in Siracusa – perhaps on one of our Sicilian cooking, painting or Pilates holidays? Then read more here: https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog/city-guide-syracuse-siracusa-sicily/

Traditional Sicilian cuisine: Nucatoli biscuits

Sicily has an impressive culinary tradition and is full of delicious local specialties. In a trip to Sicily you should try local food to understand the authentic Italian food culture and why Sicilians are passionate about their local cusine.

One of the best ways to discover traditional cuisine in Sicily is have a passionate, local foodie expert guide you. We asked our local Italian chefs what we should try on a cooking holiday to Sicily and where.

Nucatoli,is a typical recipe of the picteresque Modica, in Sicily, a town famous for artisan chocolate production. If you are tempted to have a first hand experience of Sicilian food and tradition there is no better way than a cooking holiday to Sicily! In the meantime and while you are ticking off the days on the calendar why not try to make Nucatoli biscuits at home?

Ingredients

Dough

130 gr all-purpose flour

40 gr sugar

15 gr butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

2 teaspoon of baking powder 

Filling

1 orange

130 gr orange blossom honey

130 gr walnut kernels

80 gr almonds

1 tablespoon of fig marmalade (you could also use dry figs)

70 gr Modica chocolate

Instructions 

Warm the honey and pour the orange zests and the marmalade without reaching the boiling point and then turn the cooker off. Grind the walnuts, toast and mince the almonds, pound the chocolate and add everything to the pot. Work it as if it was short crust pastry, then wrap it with the plastic wrap and chill.

Knead all the ingredients for the dough, then roll it until it is thin and rectangle-shaped. Then cut out 3x12cm rectangles with a scalloped pastry wheel. Sprinkle with flour.

Take the filling and work it into logs more or less a finger thick. Take one of them and place it on a rectangle of dough along the length of it. Do the same with the others. If the dough is still wet add a little flour to help you roll it.

Gently, using your fingertips, tap the length of the roll to make the filling and the dough adhere. Bend it to a S shape. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (until the top gets brown) at 160°C.

When cooled, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Nucatoli cookies are a traditional dessert that Sicilians eat during All Souls’ Day.and are very good at the end of the meal with a glass of Passito wine. Enjoy and if you are interested to find more about Sicilian cuisine and what our local Italian chefs recommend, have a look at our cookery holidays in Sicily.

Eating Healthy During your Visit to Sicily

One of the many misconceptions about Sicily is that it is full of sweets, fattening, fried and unhealthy foods.  Living in Tampa, Florida, which has a lot of Sicilian immigrants that arrived in the late 1800s, their descendants have that inaccurate view of the island’s cuisine.  Most of my fellow Americans in general believe that the food is fattening.  They think Sicilian cuisine consists of a deep-dish, thick-crusted pizza and spaghetti with meatballs.  They are sadly mistaken!  

True, you can find many of these non-healthy foods in Sicily.  The island is especially known for its famous desserts such as cannoli and cassata.  There is no other region of Italy as famous for its sweets.  And there are some fried street foods such as the arancini (rice balls) and panelle (chickpea fritter) that abound, especially in the capital city of Palermo.

However, it is very possible to enjoy healthy eating habits in Sicily.  The expected longevity of Sicilians and southern Italians in general tend to be the highest in all of Italy.  What is their secret?

The secret lies in the use of the natural foods and ingredients that are part of the island’s ecosystem.  The rich volcanic soil and temperate climate makes it ideal for growing and cultivating many of the so-called super foods such as (extra virgin) olive oil, fruits, legumes, vegetables, berries, tomatoes, artichokes, eggplant, garlic, figs, basil, etc.   

There is also an abundance of citrus such as oranges (blood oranges and other types), lemons and limes.  It’s impossible to go through any part of Sicily without noticing the cactus and the accompanying fruit known as cactus pear.  It’s also known as a prickly pear or Indian fig.  It is a fruit that is juicy and edible and known to aid in digestion.  You just have to take special care in peeling and eating this one!

Sicilians also have an abundance of organic fruits, vegetables and foods to choose from.  About a third of the organic farms in Italy are located in Sicily.  

We all know the benefits of drinking a glass of red wine every day, especially with your meal.  Sicily has some great reds including Nero D’Avola, Corvo and of course the famous dessert wine Marsala.  The wines from Tuscany get most of the glory for Italian wines but the Sicilian ones are just as good but underappreciated.  Aided by the rich volcanic soil of Mt. Etna, I would say there are some Sicilian wines that are even better.

Fish is also a very important part of the Sicilian cuisine as the waters off the island produce a great amount of high-grade seafood.  Much of the tuna is exported to Japan for sushi making.  There are many fish markets in Sicily where you can have many options of seafood available during that particular season.  And it is also a very important part of the Sicilian cuisine, more significant than pasta.  In Palermo swordfish is used at a meal to signify a special event. 

Another reason for Sicilian longevity is that they are not afraid to walk and use public forms of transportation.  The old Italian custom of la passeggiata, or taking a stroll before dinner is alive and well in many Sicilian towns.

So don’t put off that visit to Sicily for fear of gaining weight.  You can actually have a healthy vacation by eating and enjoying Sicilian cuisine.  You can come back a bit lighter if you are active and follow the Sicilian ways of walking everywhere and eating healthy.  Just try to limit the sweets… especially the cannoli!

About the Author:

Larry Aiello is an Italian-American living in Florida who loves to share his knowledge and passion for all things Italian.  You can find out more by visiting his website at Addicted2Italy.com.  He has also published a few books on Italy, the most recent called: First Time to Italy and Rome Vacation Planner: 2-Book Italian Travel Bundle and is available on Amazon. 

Welcome To Winter In Sicily

Imagine a starry night painted on a cloudless after La Prima Neve. Your breath mists the air and joins the smoke from various street food vendors swirling on a Sicilian street. Welcome to winter in Sicily.

What a beautiful island! Rich in culinary history, as one of its many accomplishments, it’s also sometimes known as God’s Kitchen. Certainly if you wander round the streets it is likely you too will draw the same conclusion and marvel at the variety and ingenuity of the snacks on offer.

Wherever you walk in Sicily, you will come across a speciality. In Palermo it’s Cassata; in Ragusu enjoy Arancine fried rice balls usually filled with ragù (meat sauce), tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas, and then coated in bread crumbs. But around every street corner there will always be another delicacy to savour, fusing deeply held tradition with spontaneity and a twist of modernity.

Who needs a swanky urban restaurant when each course can be eaten in the open air and you can actually see what is being offered before you make a tempting choice? Take a culinary journey through Sicilian streets and if you have a sweet tooth, alas my downfall (well, amongst others!) and you will revel in the confections peppered with almonds, apricots, citrus and masses of sugar in its varied forms.

Arab influence abounds; some habits die hard it seems, as the Arabs dominated Sicily a whole 10 centuries ago! Still, if something works why change it?

These eastern influences can be seen in the use of rice, saffron, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper and pine nuts of course. It’s a paradise for anyone who has an addiction to spice, nuts and fruit and these are all evident as you meander through the maze of small streets.

Of course, if you are health conscious then Sicily is also known for its use of healthy ingredients and you will always find a rainbow of vegetable colours and fibre present in the various pulses used. It’s a hearty and robust cuisine which utilises the very best from soil and sea and if you like fish then Sicily will offer everything from cuttlefish to tuna, sardines to swordfish.

High quality pasta and olive oil are staples but if your fancy is Pecorino you will find this sheep’s cheese in abundance. Yes, but wouldn’t you rather eat something completely different from home?

So why not start off with Guasteddi – oh yes, fresh rolls stuffed with ribbons of calf's spleen, then layered Ricotta cheese, strands of Caciocavallo and a quick drizzle of hot lard. Ha ha! Then wander through The Vucciria alleys and experience one of the notable food markets around the Mediterranean. Even on the street there seems to be a strict order for doing things, Sicilians are seemingly in love with ritual even al fresco!

What you will find is a cuisine which shows the hallmarks of poverty but ingenuity too. Whatever the aristocracy was eating, the less wealthy would have the same, made their way and utilising the ingredients to hand. Preserving the taste and aroma of fresh fish, meat, herbs and spices is key and balancing one intense flavour with another is a skill the Sicilians have perfected in their the art of simplicity which is actually a complex procedure!

So, experience Buffitieri - as the name suggests - delicacies to be consumed on the spot, maybe Pane e pannelle or chickpea fritters, so you can reserve a sugar hit for later. Later might mean Sfincione (an oily pizza smothered in onions and caciocavallo cheese) or, wait for it, Stigghiola or goat intestines filled with parsley, onions and cheese! Bread stuffed with beef spleen is another tasty addition to the street menu. Vegetarians might need to look away.

So, if a little street exploration appeals, alongside a touch of cooking and some relaxation at a beautiful villa then it’s definitely worth considering booking a New Year break in Sicily before everyone else has the same idea and places are snapped up. I mean, how frustrating knowing you might be eating left over mince pies and the very last of that slightly desiccated turkey right into the New Year instead of wandering through a foodie heaven!

Cooking courses in Sicily: On the trail of Montalbano, the Sicilian Detective

A cappuccino followed by morning dip in the sea outside his villa; duskily beautiful women, handsome young men, stunning scenery, and a crime of passion solved; some fabulous Italian cuisine and glass of wine to finish...

It’s just another day at the office for dashing detective Salvo Montalbano. To many a cooking course student in Sicily, not to mention hard-pressed police officers in Britain filling out morepaperwork in a drab station over a sandwich, Montalbano’s life must seem a fantasy.

Which of course it is: the creation of Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri. But – with nearly twenty best-selling novels to date and an international hit TV series ongoing, now familiar to BBC4 viewers – the fractious but brilliant and uncorruptible food-lover Commissario Montalbano has become one of the world’s most popular sleuths.

Sicily has been quick to celebrate Montalbano. Those wanting to follow in his footsteps – and meals – will find a warm welcome. ‘Vigàta’, his fictional home town, is based on Camilleri’s birthplace of Porto Empedocle – abandoned factories, chic cafes, lighthouse and all. With an eye for TV-tourism, the town has now officially renamed itself ‘Porto Empedocle Vigàta’!

‘Montelusa’, the location of his office, was based on real-life Agrigento (the Questura and Piazza San Francesco) – though the TV filming is done in Ragusa, which will look very familiar to viewers. Ragusa is a Sicilian gem,a Word Heritage Site in two parts: the stunning new baroque town, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake; and, over a ridge, quieter, atmospheric Ibla. The town of Modica, another Montalbano haunt nearby, is another World Heritage Site, and another two-part town, with a historic centre connected to the lower town by a flight of steps.

Montalbano’s idyllic seaside house, verandah and all, is in Porto Secca, a fishing village just southeast of Ragusa. When they’re not filming another dining scene here, or the Commissario answering the phone with stubbly impatience, you can stay here for bed and breakfast.

Following trails is, of course, hungry work. Foodies have compiled whole recipe books based on Montalbano books and films (I segreti della tavola di Montalbano – ‘Secrets of Montalbano’s Table’, for instance) and bloggers describe dinner parties that recreate some of the detective’s favourite dishes. Here’s a sample menu:
Caponata di melanzane 
Pasta col ragù alla siciliana 
‘mpanata di maiali 
Peperoni arrosto 
Sformatino di cioccolato amaro con salsa all’arancia 

Tracking down the killer isn’t always easy. Fortunately for fans of Montalbano – or simply fans of good Italian food – tracking down his favourite places, and recipes, is rather easier.

Arancini Adelina’s Way

Salvo Montalbano was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths for this Sicilian speciality. Make it for yourself and you’ll understand why.

Andrea Camilleri’s 1999 short story Gli arancini di Montalbano (from the collection of the same name, not translated) centres around the detective’s determination to spend New Year’s Eve at the home of Adelina, his housekeeper, who is preparing arancini to celebrate her reprobate sons’ release from prison. Such is Montalbano’s hunger for her unrivalled arancini that he lies to his girlfriend Livia, who has organised a romantic break in Paris; he lies to his boss; he plants evidence – all to get his fix of Adelina’s arancini. These little croquettes of rice and ragù are, Montalbano says, so delicious that even though he had only tasted them once, the memory had passed into his DNA, becoming part of his genetic material.

Here’s how the feisty housekeeper prepares Montalbano’s ill-gotten snack.

For the ragù

200g coarsely minced veal

200g coarsely minced pork

40g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

Small bunch parsley, chopped

Small bunch basil, chopped

400g tin plum tomatoes, chopped

Salt and black pepper

Make the ragù the day before you prepare the arancini – Adelina would have made hers on 30 December. Brown the mince well in a hot pan, then remove and add the butter, onion, celery and herbs, which make up a battuto – the backbone of so much Sicilian cooking. When the onion is soft, return the meat to the pan with the tomatoes and simmer gently for several hours, until you have a rich, red sauce. Season and refrigerate overnight.

For the risotto Milanese

50g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

400g arborio rice

200ml dry white wine or vermouth

1 litre chicken stock

50g grated parmesan

2 egg yolks

Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Then add the rice and cook for a few minutes before adding the wine and cooking until it is all absorbed. Add the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring between each addition until the liquid is absorbed. (A traditional risotto Milanese would contain saffron too, but not Adelina’s arancini - “No saffron, for pity’s sake,” exhorts Montalbano.) When the rice is cooked – it should still have a slight bite to it – remove from the heat, add the parmesan and spread the rice out on a tray or on the worktop to cool. Then add the egg yolks and refrigerate until chilled.

For the béchamel

350ml milk

A few parsley stalks

A bay leaf

Half an onion

A few black peppercorns

30g butter

15g plain flour

Salt and pepper

Place the milk, onion, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns in a pan and heat to a gentle simmer, then strain. Melt the butter and stir in the flour until smooth, before gradually adding the milk. Simmer for 20 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and season.

To assemble the arancini

60g fresh or frozen peas, blanched

60g salami, chopped with a mezzaluna

40g plain flour

2 egg whites

80g breadcrumbs

2 litres groundnut oil for frying

Mix together the ragù, bechamel, peas and salami. Scoop some risotto into the palm of your hand and hollow it out into a bowl shape, placing a spoon of the ragù mixture into the centre and covering with more risotto to seal. Squeeze the ball in your hand until it feels firm. You can make the arancini the size and shape of small oranges, as the name suggests, or form a slight point at one end for a “volcano” shape, as Adelina does in the television adaptation of the story. Repeat until all the risotto and filling are used – the challenge is to get a high a quantity of meat to rice as you can! Roll each ball in flour, then egg white, then breadcrumbs, then deep-fry until golden and drain on paper towels.

10 minutes with US celebrity chef Mary Ann Esposito

Mary Ann Esposito is behind Americas most widely watched and longest running cooking show, Ciao Italia! on PBS. A lover of all things Italian Mary Ann has been sharing her passion for the freshest and most authentic ingrediants since the first airing of Ciao Italia! in 1989! Since then she has penned 10 cookbooks including the now famous '30 Minute meals from The Italian Kitchen' and 'Bringing Italy Home.' Her show is watched by an average of 1.4 million weekly viewers who love her no nonsense, grass roots and very Italian attitude to food, cooking and life!

1. If you could choose a cooking holiday from Flavours in either Tuscany, Sicily, Puglia or Bologna which one would you choose and why?
Oh my! That’s nearly impossible to answer since every region is unique and I love them all. But if you made me choose just one I’d have to say Sicily, because my family roots are there.

2. Who would be your ideal cooking companion on a cooking holiday in Italy?
No question, it would have to be my husband Guy. He’s always been my number one traveling companion and no one knows more about wine than he does.

3. What is your essential Italian cooking ingredient?
Lemons. I love how versatile they are. They do wonders for flavors of all kinds of food, from fish to dessert.

4. I couldn’t cook without my…?
Immersion Blender. It’s a must have.

5. What do you do when you’re not in the kitchen?
If I’m not in the kitchen at home, chances are I’m in the kitchen on the set of Ciao Italia. And if I’m not in one of those two places, I’m probably working behind the scenes on the show or doing a book signing for Ciao Italia Slow and Easy, my most recent cookbook.

6. What’s the best thing about Italy?
In Italy there’s a commitment to getting the most out of life, really living it to the fullest. The appreciation, the reverence Italians have for life and for living really appeals to me.

7. Have you had any cooking disasters?
Sure, I blew up the kitchen stove when I was a newlywed. I was trying to get the pilot light lit in order to keep pancakes warm. Singed my eyebrows right off.

8.Please tell us what is your favourite Italian Recipe?

A Drum of Eggplant and Bucatini
Timballo di Melanzane e Bucatini

SERVES 10-12

Recipe from

Ciao Italia Slow and Easy by Mary Ann Esposito

Making a timballo, or timpano, is an event. It becomes the moment in which ordinary ingredients like macaroni, cheese, and vegetables are transformed into an extraordinary, impressive drum of baked pasta that, when unmolded, receives a standing ovation.

The region of Campania claims the timballo as its own and the recipe that follows comes from Sorrento. It calls for bucatini, a thicker cut of hollow spaghetti, which neatly nestles and holds the ingredients together. It is customary in Campania to use buffalo milk mozzarella, a cheese with a delicate texture and superb taste, but it is very perishable and not readily available. Fresh cow's milk mozzarella can be used instead.

Assembling the timballo is easy when done in stages. Make the sauce several days ahead; cube the cheese and cook the marble-size meatballs 2 days ahead. Patience is the key to the unmolding; you will get much neater wedges by allowing the timballo to cool for about 20 minutes - and the joy of tasting that first forkful will be worthy of the best drum roll.

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggplants (each at least 11 inches long)
Salt
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
FOR THE SAUCE
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chopped fresh or canned (drained) plum tomatoes (about 10 medium size)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Tip: Use fresh mozzarella cheese, but if it is not available, substitute pasteurized.

Note: Instead of frying the meatballs, bake them on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350ºF until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Note: For a nice presentation, spread additional sauce over the top of the unmolded timballo and garnish with curls of Pecorino cheese.

FOR THE FILLING

2 cups bucatini broken into thirds
1 pound ground veal
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino cheese
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups cubed fresh mozzarella (fior di latte) cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup peanut oil for frying
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cut off the stems of the eggplants and discard. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Salt and layer the eggplant slices in a colander set over a bowl. Place a large bowl of water on top of the slices to act as a weight. Let the eggplant "sweat" for at least 1 hour to remove the excess water.

Butter a 9 x 3 1/2-inch-deep round mold or cake pan and coat the inside evenly with the 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Shake out the excess crumbs and refrigerate the mold until ready to fill.

To make the sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook, stirring, the onions, carrot, and celery until they soften. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens. Stir in the tomatoes, red wine, and bay leaf. Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Remove the bay leaf before using.

Cook the bucatini according to the directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the veal, egg, white wine, the 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix gently to just combine the ingredients. Form marble-sized meatballs with your hands.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan and fry the meatballs until browned on all sides. Transfer the meatballs to the bowl with the bucatini. Add the mozzarella, parsley, and 2 cups of the tomato sauce. Stir to combine the ingredients well and set aside.

Rinse and dry the eggplant slices. Heat the peanut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant slices a few at a time until they soften, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain the slices on brown paper. Use additional oil if the pan seems dry.

9.What’s your top tip for the perfect Italian meal?
Always use quality ingredients and keep the treatment simple. Let the individual flavors shine through.

10. Where can we find out more?
A couple of places actually...
The Official Website of Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito:

www.ciaoitalia.com
The Ciao Italia Blog: ciaoitalia.typepad.com