I think I have already said this but eggplant is one of my favourite veggie. You can make so many things with it and it always tastes so good! Today I am going to share with you the recipe for what has to be my all time favourite side dish (that can easily double up…
CAPONATA
After sharing with you the recipe for cabbuci, today I am back with the second part of my Italian Regional dish series. We are back in Sicily and I am going to show you how to make one of the most popular dishes of the island: caponata. It could be described as a cooked salad…
CABBUCI
If you are a regular reader, you will know that I have spent almost every summer holiday in Sicily up until I moved to Australia. I used to stay at a place called San Vito lo Capo, the same place where the Couscous Fest takes place. It is a beautiful little village with one of…
SFINCIUNI DI SAN GIUSEPPE
March 19th is St. Joseph’s Day. It is also Father’s Day in many Catholic countries (Italy included) as St. Jospeh was Jesus’ father and it is considered a symbol of fatherhood. It is also a very important day in Sicily and it is widely celebrated as St. Jospeh is one of the island’s patron saints. …
FISH COUSCOUS
I finally get to share with you what we ate on Christmas day and one of my all time favourite dishes: fish couscous. It is a traditional and ancient recipe from Trapani, the town in Western Sicily where my mum is from. In fact, this is a “guest post from my mum” who is presenting…
AUNT MARIA’S ALMOND PARFAIT
Almond parfait is my favourite semifreddo. I love the crunch of the almond that contrasts with the otherwise soft ice cream like texture! It is a traditional Sicilian dessert, very popular in the area of Trapani, the city where my mum was born. I have already shared a recipe for almond parfait when I first…
BUCCELLATO – CUCCIDDATU
Buccellato is a Sicilian cake traditionally eaten during the holiday season, especially on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve… so it had to be featured on the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I organised for this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 event! It is a ring shaped shortbread cake filled with dried figs, raisins, candied fruits,…
GELO DI MELONE – WATERMELON JELLO
This is another traditional dessert from Palermo and it was included in the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I organised for this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 event. I asked my aunts for my grandmother’s recipe and here it is. I still remember her making it during the hot summer months. It doesn’t take long and…
CASSATINE SICILIANE
These cassatine are the snack version of the bigger and more famous Cassata Siciliana. They are pretty much the same thing (apart from the lack of candied fruits on the top), only smaller and more “street friendly” as they are often consumed on the go on the busy streets of Palermo. They are delicious little…
PISTACHIO GELATO
Sicily is very famous for its nut production, especially almonds and pistachios. There is a town in the Eastern part of Sicily called Bronte which is reknowed for the quality of the pistachios that grow in the area. I wanted to make ice cream and serve it in a brioche (as it is typically served on…
Meatball Spiedini
Golden and savoury, Meatball Spiedini are crisp, layered skewers that combine bread, cheese, and meat for a simple, flavourful dish made to share at any meal.
Crostini
Crispy Crostini topped with rich meat sauce and melted cheese create a satisfying snack or appetiser, perfect for casual get-togethers or weeknight meals.
RAVAZZATE
Ravazzate are yet another great street food dish from Palermo, in Sicily. They are soft buns, filled with a thick and delicious meat sauce, covered in sesame seeds and then baked. I love them! Among all sorts of fried (yet amazing) street food items to choose from, these never fail to be among the items…
RASCATURE
This dish was not originally included in my proposal to Foodbuzz for my 24×24 event on Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party: it was a spur of the moment decision. As they turned out great, I am sharing the recipe with you as well! It is really not a recipe per se, but it…
PANELLE
Panelle are, together with cazzilli and arancine, the most famous Sicilian street food, and that is why I immediately knew I had to feature them on the menu of the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I organised for this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 event! They are delicious on their own when eaten hot, but…
MAFALDE – MAFALDINE
Mafalde are typical bread rolls from Palermo, in Sicily. They are very easy to make and are great to accompany any dish. You can make them as dinner rolls, or serve them in a more traditional way: filled with hot panelle. When planning the menu for the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I…
CAZZILLI – CROCCHÈ DI PATATE
I love all potato croquettes! My mum used to make them often, even though she makes them differently (I will share her recipe too as soon as possible). These, instead, are exactly like the ones you can buy on the streets of Palermo and they were on the top of my list for the Sicilian…
IL SICILIANO COCKTAIL
Sicily is very famous for its citrus fruits… be it lemons, mandarins or oranges. So, one of the drinks for the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party that I organised as part of Foodbuzz’s 24×24 program had to have some citrus in it. I chose orange, because it is sweet and I have a…
POMEGRANATE MARTINI
I always associate pomegranate with Christmas and New Year. It is very common to see it on an Italian table during the holidays. I love its intense ruby colour and the juicy, yet crunchy texture of its seeds. I think it is one of the prettiest fruits that exist! Being very common in the Mediterranean…
FOODBUZZ 24X24: SICILIAN STREET FOOD NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY
The majority of you know that, even though I now live in Australia, I was born in Milan – Italy, by Sicilian parents and even though I was brought up in one of the most glamorous and fashionable cities of the world, I have always been attracted to the simple yet amazingly delicious food that…
PASTA CON I BROCCOLI ARRIMINATI – PASTA CHI VRUOCCULI ARRIMINATI
As I have announced in my Vitello Tonnato post, I have decided to dedicate one post a week to Italian cooking, focussing each time on a different region. There are so many fantastic traditional recipes in Italy that it can be a daunting job to choose from them, but I am having lots of fun…
BAKED ANELLETTI – ANELLETTI CA CARNE CAPULIATA
Today is Father’s Day here in Australia… so happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! On such a special occasion, I usually ask my husband what he would like to eat and his answer is always the same: anelletti! This is definitely his (and my father’s) favourite dish. It is the most popular…
SEDANINI WITH SWORDFISH AND EGGPLANT
This is another typical Sicilian dish. Sicily is very famous for its fresh fish. This pasta can be made with different fresh herbs. I personally like it with continental parsley and mint, but basil goes well with it too. It is usually served with busiati and you can have a go at making some by…
SWEET AND SOUR PUMPKIN WITH GARLIC AND MINT
This is a very versatile dish: it makes a great side dish for meats, but it can also be eaten as an appetizer or finger food on some toasted ciabatta. It is my family’s favourite vegetable dish. We all like its sweet and sour taste and I usually make a lot of it and keep…
COTOGNATA – SICILIAN QUINCE PASTE
This is another one of my family’s recipes. It is a traditional sweet of many Italian regions (especially in the south) and when my parents were kids, it used to be among the most awaited gifts that Sicilian children would get for “all souls day”. You can find out more about the traditions of “all…
CHOCOLATE COVERED MARZIPAN RUM BALLS – MY GUEST POST OVER AT SANDRA’S EASY COOKING
A few days ago I got an email from Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking asking me if I would write a guest post for her fantastic blog. Would I?? Of course I would! I felt so flattered and honored to be asked by one of my favorite foodies to be a guest over at her…
RIANATA
A while ago I published the recipe for sfincione, which can be considered to be the pizza of Palermo. Today I am going to give you the recipe for the pizza from Trapani: rianata. There are a few versions of this pizza, some are made only with oregano (the name rianata comes from origanata which…
