MIMOSA DAY

In Italy International Women's Day is widely celebrated and its symbol is the mimosa flower, because it is plentiful at this time of year. Mimosa bouquets are sold in the street, sprigs appear with your coffee in bars and pasticcerie make mimosa-themed cakes like these:

Almost exactly five years after the loss of the woman whose idea the mimosa symbol was, I thought I should repost what I wrote on the day of her death, 12th March 2013. Teresa Mattei has always been, and remains, one of my heroines:

Born in Genova in 1921, Teresa Mattei graduated in Philosophy from the University of Florence and became an antifascist campaigner. During the Second World War she was known as Partigiana Chicchi.  In 1946 she became the youngest woman member of the Assemblea Costituente, the parliamentary chamber charged with drawing up Italy's Constitution, a document which she defended throughout her life.

It was Teresa Mattei who had the idea of making the mimosa blossom the symbol of International Women's Day [8th March] for the simple reason that the flowers are in season in early March and can be obtained at little or no cost. 

Of the potential of women in politics she said,

"Women, in contrast to men, seek knowledge, cooperation and solidarity. They are the bearers of new life. They do not see society as being divided into classes but as a multitude of men and women with the same problems. Women can bring this new spirit into politics, but we have to create the structures that can allow this to happen."

Referring to the Second Prodi Government and its six women ministers, of whom only two had portfolios, she went on to say,

"These poor women can have no influence, because a minister without portfolio is unable to do what a minister with portfolio can, that is, to use a budget to put a plan into action. This is a very serious situation."

I think that first sentence is a metaphor for women's powerlessness all over the world.

Teresa Mattei died in Lari [Province of Pisa] today (12.3.13) at the age of 92.  I'm glad she saw this 8th March and, as she is laid to rest, the mimosa blooms for her all over Italy.

You are not forgotten, Teresita!

A BIT OF A DO

I'm not known for my monarchist leanings but it would have been churlish not to dress up for the Queen yesterday, wouldn't it?

After all, one has to hand it to the Queen!

And over at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale, we decided to have a bit of a do. Many thanks to Cicara Caffeteria and Delizie D'Autore.

The Queen arrived a day late because she couldn't fit us in yesterday. But today she popped in for a nice cup of tea and our students had some questions for her.

These included the most important question of all which is, of course, a culinary one!

Buon compleanno, Maestà!

AUTUMN - 2

Real, but not what they seem:

They are, as regular readers will know, frutti di Martorana.  They are made from pasta reale [almond paste]  Legend has it that the first ever batch of Martorana fruit was made on the orders of the mother superior of the Martorana Convent in Palermo. She had wanted to impress her bishop during his visit so the nuns obediently prepared the “fruit” and hung it from the cloister trees; so “real” did it look that the bishop declared that a miracle had happened, as all the fruits had appeared in the same season!  

On 2nd November, I Morti [the Day of the Dead] children receive Martorana fruit as presents from deceased relatives who still wish to watch over them. Some think that this tradition is morbid but it seems to help children to accept the transitory nature of this life.

Sadly, the Martorana Convent has long gone but the Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, of which it was a part, still stands and is often called the Martorana. It is part of this.

A VISITOR FROM DOWN UNDER

My Welsh-Australian second cousin, John, stopped off in Modica on Sunday and it was lovely to see him again after eight years.

Given constraints of time and temperature, I had prepared a little feast of antipasti followed by chicken filled with pistacchi, pepper, thyme and lemon and served with a tomato and red onion salsa and rosemary and garlic potatoes. [Only the potatoes were served hot.] Afterwards there was a semifreddo from Delizie D'Autore and of course, there had to be some Modican biscuits!

Come again soon, John.

AN EXCUSE FOR CAKE

Today Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch and at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale we've got cake to celebrate!

Grazie, Delizie D'autore!

CHOCOLATE CALLING!

Aren't these delighhtful?  Could you resist them? I couldn't!

By Delizie d'Autore, Modica

READY FOR A SPECIAL SAINT

Sunday is St David's Day and we're ready early at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale:

Thanks to Delizie d'Autore for the spectacular dragon cake. I made the Welshcakes and, as usual, their aroma this morning was, for me, the scent of home.

Late addition

Got my daffy!

FEASTING WITH MY SISTER

My sister had found me after 64 years, she and her husband had flown to Sicily to be with me and now it was up to Sicily [and me] to pull the culinary stops out!

Last Friday morning we had coffee and extras with international friends. There were some very British sandwiches and some very Sicilian almonds

and lots of other treats as well:

Later we succumbed to gelato at the Marina

and later still I decided it was time for Sicilian fast food in the form of focacce, arancini and a pasticcio [pie]:

On Monday we enjoyed a special feast with friends

and had a very jolly time:

On Tuesday I arranged a festa so that all my friends and students could meet Jill and Paul and if I'm having a festa there have to be Welshcakes

and a tipsy cake , along with my chocolate thingies. And why not some chocolate and lime truffles too?

 I left the rest of the catering in the capable hands of Bar Cicara and they did us proud:

The Pasticceria Delizie D'Autore  made the wonderful cake, to my design. It bears the flags of the four countries the occasion united - England, Wales, Italy and the USA [I'll explain the US connections in another post] - plus a windmill to represent Jill's home county of Norfolk, UK and Modica's famous clock tower.

And we finally got to cut it!

There's no better place than Sicily for a welcome and some fine feasting!