Monday, October 22, 2007

THE TRUE HERALD OF A SICILIAN AUTUMN







Who could not be cheered by the sight of these frutti di Martorana - fruits and vegetables crafted from almond paste - on sale this morning? I showed you some last year but this year there seem to be more vegetable shapes around. I think the tangerine is exquisite and deserves its own photo.

14 comments:

Whispering Walls said...

Beautiful! Hey, WC, have you seen this: http://www.beppegrillo.it/eng/2007/10/the_leviprodi_law_and_the_end.html

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, WW. I read about it in Corriere yesterday but had not looked at Grillo's site. Thanks for the link. - Appalling, if they bring it in.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

You are right WL...more vegetables than the last post...and yes the Tangerine deserves its own photo..the whole table looks delightful.

Gledwood said...

I was just going to ask whether they were made outta marzipan: they're absolutely gorgeous looking!

Sally said...

I've never seen anything like the tangerine before and think it's a positive work of art, love it - though last year I did find some peas in a half-opened pod and some wonderful pairs of cherries. I just love the frutta, it shines through the winter gloom.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Anne. Yes, it's beautiful, isn't it? Ciao, Gleds. Yes, a type of marzipan. Hi, Sally. Yes, they really brighten my day when I see them. The pairs of cherries are lovely, too.

jmb said...

Quite beautiful to look at, but I don't know about eating them. I loathe marzipan so I would keep them for decoration.

Unknown said...

I have never seen anything like it - how exquisite! Is this a local tradition or just not something we really do in Australia?

Lee said...

How pretty! Enough to make one smile! :)

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, jmb. They taste quite delicate, really. I couldn't eat a whole one in one go, though! Hi, mountaingirl. it's very much a Sicilian tradition. Originally they were made by nuns in Palermo. Hi, Lee. They gladden my heart.

jams o donnell said...

Wow those look marvellous. I can see myself enjoying several, although they do look too good to eat.

Anonymous said...

WC -

In the little town in Michigan that I grew up in there was a bakery run by an old Danish couple who had escaped to the US before the war. One of their specialities, apart from the mouth-watering pastries, was small hand-tinted marzipan fruits. These were a great treat for us as children from our Neapolitan grandmother; a small box of a half-dozen fruits was an extra-ordinary treat, reserved for Christmas and birthdays. How lucky you are to have such beautiful confections available to you.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, jams. They are just beautiful and I imagine all the intricate work that went into their preparation.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

What a lovely memory, Ludlingtonian. Yes, I am very lucky to be able to see these every day in autumn.

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