Kind friends who know I've been a little under the weather invited me to a lovely lunch today: first, there was grana cheese, Modican bread and some British pickle [which I haven't tasted for years], followed by this wonderful, homely dish of cannelloni - oh, you should have been with me, reader, to enjoy the aroma coming from that kitchen! - then a fresh fruit salad flavoured with good, reviving Sicilian honey. Finally, along came this beautifully decorated cassata, which, with its layers of sponge, ricotta and chocolate inside, tasted every bit as delicious as it looked.You may be interested to know that the gentle saint of Assisi, besides being the patron saint of animals and of Italy, is the protector of: shopkeepers, rope makers, ecologists, floriculturists, merchants, upholsterers and poets.
I am off to have a drink to him.
16 comments:
It has to be the middle one for me...
You feasts continue to inspire me Welshcakes! I am a big cannelloni fan at the best of times :-) That cassata looks incredible! I have never seen one that looks anythign like it. Do you know if it was home-made or purchased form a store?
How lovely of your friends. I hadn't realised that St Francis was patron of so many things.
Yet again a proof of good friends, especially when you have not been feeling 100%...they are very kind friends indeed.
Every cassata is so different in Sicily. I wish we could get that Italian citrus peel here. I just love it.
Did you know that St Francis used to put ash in his food so that he would not enjoy it? No ash here in this celebratory meal.
Hope you are feeling better soon Welshcakes.
I'll send a slice over right now, Crushed! Mg, it was bought in an excellent little bar here. Hi, dragonstar. Nor had I, till I looked it up in my "Santi" book earlier. Hi, aAnne. Yes, I am fortunate to have such friends, indeed. Hi, jmb. Yes, there are many kinds of cassata. No ash today! Thanks for your good wishes . xx
I was having my breakfast but I've stopped. I want THIS!!
Don't send a slice to Crushed. Send all of it to me! Please!
Drink to him or with him, Welshcakes?
Such good food shared with friends nothing could be better. Enjoy tour day! St.Francis must have been a very busy chap good for him.
I love the middle one!
Look so delicious, and too pretty...
St Francis of Assisi -- the first Italian poet...Hope you had a great feast in his name :-)
see more of you
devika
Ooh delicious as ever Welshcakes.
St Francis has quite a burden. At least he does not have the list St George does.. inlucing syphillitics and herpes usufferers!
I'll let you two fight it out, Calum! Well, I wasn't planning on joining him up there quite yet, James! Thanks, kissa. Yes, a busy man. Hi, Devika and thank you. Yes, I reread the Cantico delle Creature last night. Hi, jams. Yes, St Francis has probably got a less onerous list!
Lucky you, WL. Hope you're feeling better.
Many thanks, WW.
I now have to have dinner before I visit you - if I don't then I get ravenous! But these pix are again yummy. Tell us more about the cassata....is the colouring natural? What flavours...?
Hi, deb acle and sorry for the late reply. Yes, natural colourings and they take a long time to produce such fruits. The best book I have read about it is "Bitter Almonds" by Mary Taylor Simeti and Maris Grammatico.
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