BUONA PASQUETTA - HAPPY EASTER MONDAY

This Easter traditional processions are back and Modicans, yesterday, were able to enjoy their beloved Madonna Vasa Vasa, the Easter Sunday procession in which statues of Mary and of the Risen Christ are carried around the town until, eventually, they meet. Other towns have also been able to celebrate in their traditional ways, although there was much polemic about this at first. In the end, I think, it was conceded that people cannot live under Covid restrictions forever and at some point they have to be trusted to be as careful as they can while attending such events. Let us hope that all will be well.

I did not attend, preferring to spend the day here with my dog and perhaps have a day of reflection but I certainly did not lack for food! A kind friend brought me lamb impanate (pies) and cassate (also known as cassatelle or cassateddi) di Pasqua. These last are very different from the iced cassate beloved of tourist magazines and are pastries filled with ricotta and honey. They are a particular speciality of south-eastern Sicily. I made for myself my spezzatino di Pasqua of lamb, onions, artichoke hearts, yellow pepper and potatoes spiced with sumac and flavoured with rosemary and sage. (Lamb cuts are smaller in Italy than in the UK, hence the seemingly vast quantity. I will freeze some.)  The last photo shows two slices of a superb colomba (dove-shaped cake) which was also a gift and it is flavoured with Modican chocolate and amarena (black cherry) icing. Can I make colomba?  I have never tried because there are professional bakers who do it far better than I ever could and have space and equipment for the long, natural rising required, as with panettone.

Happy Easter Monday, everyone!

SWEET CATANIA

A day in Catania is always a welcome change but when it's 40°C, my first port of call is not my favourite bookshop but the first bar selling yummy-looking gelato (not that it ever looks anything but delicious). The one below, with stracciatella, pineapple and gelsi (mulberry) flavours was particularly so.  I liked the idea of the mini-cones on top, too. Later, when a friend suggested a break in order to partake of a little cassata and iced tea, who was I to refuse?

SWEET INSPIRATION

There was lots of sweet inspiration in Siracusa last week, in the shape of a cassatina [little cassata] and the delights on offer in the chiller cabinet at the Pasticceria Leonardi. Later in the week a student brought me some torrone ideal from the Caffé dell'Arte in Modica. Made on the premises, this is lighter than the torrone mostly eaten at Christmas and my student told me that, in times gone by and before refrigeration, people used to make this type of torrone as a summer treat for their children. Thus it also goes by the name of gelato di campagna [countryside ice cream].

Now here's a sweet oldie for you:

Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon - Sweet Inspiration

A BETTER EVENING

It's always nice to receive a little gift, especially when it's a cassata siciliana. My evening just got a whole lot better!

NEW YEAR'S FEAST WITH GIOVANNA

Giovanna was my first Sicilian friend and it was she who gave me my first Sicilian cooking tip, twenty years ago: "Always put a potato in the pasta water." I have never been able to establish the scientific basis for this but I have been adding that potato ever since! Giovanna is one of the most creative cooks I know and she is not afraid to mix sweet and savoury or to experiment with ideas from afar. Now I'll let you look at the feast she prepared for New Year's Day:

I loved her new idea for presenting antipasti:

 There were these as well:

As I can't eat fish, I had to pass on the fried baccalà  [salt cod]:

Then we sat down, first to lasagne:

 I had to pass again on the shrimp and strawberry risotto but I'm sure it was delicious:

 Next there was veal in a carrot and mint sauce for the non-fish eaters

and vitello tonnato for the others:

There were stuffed peppers, too:

Pineapple is popular at this time of year to refresh the palate:

Giovanna's tronco was a work of art:

 There was my favourite light dessert, gel al limone:

I'd made and taken along another semifreddo di marrons glacés, as it's light and everybody seems to like it:

And what could be better than a Sicilian cassata with the champagne?

Grazie di nuovo, Giovanna!

IL TEMPO VOLA

"Tempus fugit", for here we are at the end of Easter week and I haven't yet shown you the culinary delights offered at Linda and Chiara's Easter Day feast, so I will put that right immediately.

Grazia not only made the stunning bread dough centrepiece, but this dish of tagliatelle:

Then there was roast lamb with potatoes and even mint sauce!

 Sunday isn't Sunday in Sicily without chicken cotolette:

There was chicken that had been slowly cooked in wine too:

And there were bacon rolls:

Time flies, as do doves and of course there was an Easter colomba:

I'd made some of my chocolate thingies, as everyone seems to like them. [It's getting difficult to find Amarena Fabbri down here so I used German black cherries in syrup from the blessed Lidl.]

Linda and Chiara had made this tart of frutti di bosco and pears:

And later a friend brought round these home-made Sicilian cassate, without which Easter cannot be complete:

While time sets about flying, waist lines take to widening, so next week we diet!

LUNCH AT THE CAVA

Yes, I was lucky enough to be invited to yet another feast on Saturday, this time a gathering of friends at the Cava d'Ispica.

The Sicilian countryside has a beauty all of its own

despite the cables:

Can you spot the wild asparagus?

I hope this poppy wasn't feeling too lonely:

I'm glad this mill wheel has been preserved:

And now to the food!

There were home-cured olives and sun-dried tomatoes

and perfect homemade pane consato

flavoured with olive oil and origano:

:

There were freshly picked grapefruit, oranges and cedri, the latter best eaten just as they are, with seasalt:

There was asparagus risotto

and spaghetti al limone:

Meanwhile, a fine fire was blazing

helped by these:

Soon it was time to add these

and, a little later, to eat them

with simply cooked, delicious chicken:

Then there was cheesecake

and sponge cake

and I took along some rather imperfectly formed Welshcakes:

But the star turn was undoubtedly this tray of perfectly formed, mini cassate siciliane.  It is, after all, nearly Easter!

Grazie per la festa, amici.