Just a few photos of where I live, in Modica, a Unesco World Heritage Site, from its highest point, the Pizzo.
And what Saturday night is complete without a pizza? This delicious Ortolana pizza was consumed with pleasure at the smart new Pizzeria S. Antonio , Modica Alta.
I nearly called this "Pizza not-what-it-seems" as all the Italians I have shown the photo to are convinced it's topped with aubergines! However, pizza estiva or "summer pizza" is more catchy.
My starting point for this was the recipe for soft, Modican pizza I was given a few years ago and I added grilled nectarines - one of my favourite summer ingredients - and pancetta cubes. I used some datterino tomatoes and passata instead of chopped tomatoes.
Pizza estiva
250 gr 00 flour or strong white bread flour 1 cube of fresh yeast, crumbled, or a sachet of easy-blend yeast coarse sea salt warm water 200 gr passata about 20 datterino or other very small cherry tomatoes dried oregano 1 clove garlic, finely chopped chopped basil leaves 140 gr pancetta dolce or unsmoked bacon cubes 250 gr mozzarella, sliced thinly or ready-crumbled mozzarella for pizza a little grated Grana Padana or Ragusano cheese 4 - 6 nectarines, depending on size extra virgin olive oil
Mix the flour, crumbled yeast cube or sachet of yeast and some coarse seasalt together with enough warm water to make a soft, springy dough. I use a processor and it takes about 3 seconds but you can mix it in a bowl by hand if you want. Then knead it hard – slap it against the sides of the bowl. [Do this even if you have mixed it in a processor.] Leave to double in size in an oiled bowl covered with a clean, damp tea towel. Slice the nectarines as thinly as you can, then grill them quickly on both sides on a lightly oiled ridged grill pan. Let them cool on kitchen paper. Now whizz up the datterini or cherry tomatoes in a processor - you just want them mushy - and mix them with the passata, garlic, oregano and basil. Add some coarse seasalt. Cook the pancetta cubes in a bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Slice 6 nectarines as thinly as you can and cook them in a little oil on a ridged griddle pan - about 1 minute per side. Leave to drain on kitchen paper. Cover a baking tray or sheet with baking parchment and oil it lightly. When the dough has almost risen, heat the oven to 180 C [fan] or 200 C. Chuck the dough onto the oiled baking parchment and stretch it out as best you can into an oblong shape. [I love this bit as it’s messy.] Pat it out with the heel of your hand, dipping your hand in the tomato mixture so that it doesn’t stick to the dough. Cover the dough with the mozzarella. Spoon the tomato mixture over, add the nectarine slices and pancetta cubes. Sprinkle over the grated cheese. Put the pizza in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Serves 4 people with generous slices. You could always make two for more guests / hungry people. Italians, of course, like a whole pizza each!
I was delighted to be invited to watch the Festa del Sacro Cuore procession from my friend Marisa's balcony on Sunday and here she is with her husband [with me in the centre]:
The procession takes a slightly different route every year so that, if you have sufficient Sicilian pazienza, you will eventually see it from near your home!
There are those who scoff at the Mediterranean habit of carrying saints' statues around towns and villages but to that I would say that it is no bad thing to gather together in peace and spread a little joy. Everyone is free to join in the prayers that are said along the route, whether from their balconies, sitting rooms or down in the streets - or you can just watch and enjoy the atmosphere. And, if you were a statue, wouldn't you want some fresh air once a year?
We had a little party on Marisa's balcony and of course, there was pizza. Then there was Marisa's cake and I had made some marshmallows to take along:
On Sunday evening a friend invited me to enjoy the festa del Sacro Cuore - the parish festival organised by the little church on the corner, which I hold in great affection - from her nearby balcony and I was delighted to accept.
The festa consists of special prayers and religious services and then, in the evening, the statue of Christ is carried around the district to joyous music and with a crowd following it. On the route, people put up charming little altars where the procession and passers-by can stop for a moment to pray or think. An hour or two later the statue is brought back to the church, to the accompaniment of even louder music but the celebrations are not finished yet! Christ is taken for three speedy turns around the square before he can rest! Then the fireworks begin and I must say, what Modica lacks in population it makes up for in producing noise on these occasions.
Luna Rossa, a Renzo Arbore cover band, played in the church courtyard throughout the proceedings and were still going strong when I left, just before midnight.
My friend, her family and I also enjoyed these magnificent pizze, from left to right, a wild boar sausage and rocket one [which I hadn't tried before and which was delicious] a Margherita and a capricciosa:
A cynical stranger might say,
"Is that it? A few stalls, a band and a statue being carried around?"
This, however, would be to miss the point, which, apart from the religious aspects of the event, is to be together.
I'm not a very nutty person - well, not foodwise! - but I do like pistacchi, so when I saw that you could get a pizza containing them, I couldn't resist it. My local pizza takeaway calls this a "Bronte" pizza because, as every Sicilian knows, the best pistacchi come from that town. Here's my "Bronte" pizza, which also contained mozzarella, tomatoes and mortadella:
Now, in 1799 Admiral Horatio Nelson was created Duke of Bronte. Click here to discover how this happened and to find out about the town of Bronte's possible connection with the British Brontë sisters.
Here's a delicious pizza topping which requires no pre-cooking and, as I invented it on a Wednesday, I might as well name it for that day!
As I've mentioned before, I use the pizza base recipe in Claudia Roden's original Mediterranean Cookery book, but only half the quantity.
When your pizza dough has risen - after about 1 hour - roll it out into a rectangular shape on a floured board. Pull it a bit with your hands to get it the right shape for a baking tray. Put it on a lightly oiled baking tray and spread the contents of a 400 gr tin tomato pulp on it. [You could use a thick passata if you cannot get this.] Sprinkle over some seasoning and arrange 6 slices of Speck on top. Then add 100 gr chopped mozzarella [we can buy it ready-chopped for pizza here] and arrange 12 halved datterini tomatoes [or the smallest cherry tomatoes you can find] on top of that. Sprinkle over some more seasoning. Next, add a few slices of grilled red and yellow peppers [drained] from a jar of grilled peppers in oil and some drained and rinsed salted capers. Add another 100 gr chopped mozzarella and scatter over some torn basil leaves.
Cook the pizza at 180 - 200 C for 25 mins. Decorate with more fresh basil leaves to serve. Serves four very generously and probably six!
I am calling this my "May Day Pizza" because I invented it on this day but you can call it "Red onion and aubergine pizza" if you like!
First of all, make your pizza base: I guess we all have a favourite pizza base recipe and mine is in Claudia Roden'sMediterranean Cookery. I only use half the quantity, though.
While the dough is rising, slice 2 large red onions thinly and soak the slices in cold water for about 15 mins. Drain the slices well and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Then you need to cook them very slowly, in a heavy pan with the lid on, with 85 gr unsalted butter and some seasoning. This will also take about 15 mins. Stir them from time to time.
Rinse 6 - 8 slices aubergine preserved in oil, rinse them and drain again. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
When the pizza base has risen - after about 1 hour - roll it out into a rectangular shape on a floured board. Pull it a bit with your hands to get it the right shape for a baking tray. Put it on a lightly oiled baking tray and spread the contents of a 400 gr tin tomato pulp on it. [You could use a thick passata if you cannot get this.] Put the aubergine slices on top of this, then 200 gr mozzarella. [In Italy we can buy it already chopped up for pizza.] Lift the onions out of the saucepan with a slotted spoon and spread them over the top. Finally, add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Cook the pizza at 180 - 200 C for 25 mins. Add a few more fresh rosemary sprigs to serve.
Buon appetito.
Incidentally, I have read that Claudia Roden's The Food of Italy has been updated and republished to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Congratulations to one of my favourite cookery writers!
What a beautifully set table there was at a party to celebrate my friends' 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday:
The menu consisted of dishes that brought back memories of places where the couple had lived and you may be able to see the little Spoleto pizze at the top of the place settings. The antipasti were all Italian but the main course was roast beef and Yorkshire puddings!
I've mentioned before that a lot of Sicilians are reluctant to try foreign food and so it was with the Yorkshire puddings and gravy. "Peggio per loro - so much the worse for them", as this meant that there was more for the British contingent.
There were three kinds of anniversary cake - an Italian sponge, a chocolate cake and a traditional British wedding cake, which further perplexed some of the Italians. Those who did try it, though, agreed with the Brits that it was delicious.
I think you need a closer look at the cakes:
I had a lovely time and felt honoured to have been invited so "happy anniversary" again, my dear friends.
Sometimes the aroma from the pizzeria on the corner is just too tempting to resist and I enjoyed this Biancaneve condita ["Snow White" pizza with extra flavourings] from there the other evening. It contains mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, olives, salame, aubergine, onion and Würstel sausage:
I'm sorry I can't share the pizza with you, but I can share this!
Some years ago, I pointed out how insulted Sicilians felt when some British football supporters whose team was about to play Palermo donned T-shirts emblazoned with what were supposed to be humorous "Mafia" slogans. This kind of insult - and it is an insult to all decent Sicilians - has never really gone away but I had hoped that it was happening less often and that this blog, in a small way, might have contributed to changing people's perception of Sicily abroad.
Therefore I was sad to read this evening that Fabrizio Ferrandelli, a Member of Parliament and vice-president of the Sicilian Antimafia Commission, found himself faced with this kind of tasteless "joke" whilst on holiday in Copenhagen. Dining out last night, he and his wife were upset and angry to see a "pizza mafioso" - the fools in the restaurant cannot even get their grammar right, because it should be "mafiosa"- and a "pizza Al Capone".
To the restaurateurs concerned and anyone else who thinks that this is funny I would like to say the following:
1. There is nothing funny about the Mafia and there never has been.
2. Many Sicilians, and other Italians, have died fighting the organisation and others continue to risk their lives doing so every day.
3. Sicilians who come up against this type of "humour" will be not only justifiably angry but also genuinely hurt and I will be angry and hurt on their behalf.
Notes:
The ungrammatical pizza seems to have disappeared from the restaurant's menu now but the "Al Capone" is still there.
Thanks to Alex for drawing my attention to the story on twitter.
If I asked you what you think Sicilians' favourite smell is, what would you say? You might think it was the scent of jasmine or orange blossom wafting through the air at this time of year or one of these in perfume form. Or, talking of perfume, perhaps the island's women finish their toilette with a generous spray of Acqua di Parma's almond fragrance or D&G's Sicily.
Then again, maybe the way to a Sicilian's olfactory nerve is through the kitchen and you might imagine that the unmistakeable scent of vanilla as numerous pasticcerie set to work in the morning or the aroma of freshly prepared foccaccia, pizza or arancini in the eveningwould be at the top of every Sicilian's good smell list.
All of the above would make the list but I can tell you with certainty that none of them would top it: I recently had to visit a non-medical establishment which had been spring-cleaned with particular vigour and everyone - man or woman - who came in while I was there stopped as they crossed the threshold, sniffed the air and declared joyfully,
"Che bel profumo di pulizia!" ["What a beautiful smell of cleaning!"]
And that, dear reader, is Sicilians' favourite smell. What's yours? Just for fun, do please vote in the poll in the sidebar. Thank you.
Pasta alla Norma is one of my favourite Sicilian dishes and I was thinking of it as I walked home past my local pizzeria last night. The aroma was just too much for me, so I went in and emerged, fifteen minutes later, with this delicious pizza alla Norma.
The pizza was of course enjoyed to strains of Bellini!
It's all right - I haven't gone completely off my Conad trolley or lost my English teacher credentials. I was just thinking about Speck [the prosciutto kind], a meat which, at one time, I failed to appreciate. Over the years, I have come to quite like it and I must say it was especially yummy in this pizza of Speck and datterini tomatoes which I enjoyed with friends the other evening:
Sometimes, when the rain outside is announcing its presence noisily as only Sicilian rain can, there are only two answers - ice cream or pizza. As it's too cold tonight even for me to indulge in ice cream, pizza it is. I wonder what's in this one? What do you think?
Circumstances of high tension in my life have brought pizza night forward from Friday to Tuesday this week, on an "I deserve" basis. One of my favourite combinations is that of sausages and peppers and what better way to enjoy them could there be than on a Modican pizza?
Friday night is pizza night and I've got me a coppata one, containing tomato, mozzarella, sweetcorn and, of course, pancetta coppata. See you all later!
Tonight the new series of Masterchef Italia begins and it's as much fun watching the judges - kindly but honest Bruno Barbieri, the elegant, "cool" Joe Bastianich and "occhi di ghiaccio" [ice-eyes] Carlo Cracco - as the various dishes.
After a long and tiring day, I can't miss a moment of the gorgeous Carlo so I've got a pizza "for one" [by Sicilian standards] again. This time it's called a Giuliana, containing four of my favourite things: potatoes, sublimely spicy sausage, rosemary and grana cheese.
And now it's back to Carlo for me so see you all tomorrow night!
If you order takeaway pizza here, you order a whole pizza for each person, not one to slice and share as we do in Britain. I can never get through a whole pizza, so I was interested to explore the new pizzeria that has opened near my home; it's the first time I've seen "pizza for one person" advertised here.
I was fascinated by the mozzarella, creamed pumpkin, smoked provola, mushroom and rocket pizza on the ample menu and here is what constitutes a "portion for one" in Sicily:
It was seriously good and anyone walking past my apartment door as I ate it - OK, most of it - might have been forgiven for imagining I was having a session with Mr Christian Grey in one of his jollier moods. I was also reminded of this:
So anxious are certain Italian politicians to rid themselves of what they regard as the "burden" of the South that one of their number, Mario Borghezio of the Lega Nord, has suggested that Sicily and Campania be sold to the USA. The idea that Sicily might become a US state dates back at least to the end of World War 11 and the era of Salvatore Giuliano so its resurgence in another unsettled period is hardly a surprise. But let's take a light-hearted look at what the idea could mean in practice:
As far as I know, no one, this time round, has asked the Americans if they want to buy but their arrival might speed up transactions at the post office. On second thoughts, the narrow street that is home to the Modica Sorda post office is far too narrow for all the indigenous cars whose drivers insist on entering it so I can't quite see Cadillacs managing the parking. Most of Modica's streets would have to be widened, in fact, and I think the Modicani would be accommodating about this, understanding as they do the necessity of driving wherever they want to go.
The only time when it is permitted not to drive is during the passeggiata, which takes place after work but before dinner on weekdays and any time after siesta until dinner time on Sundays. This is when men and women parade in their finery along a set route and when you reach the end of the street or promenade you turn around and walk its whole length again. It is also where boy meets girl, man courts woman, local gossip is exchanged and fashion trends are set. It is essential, ladies, to throw on as much bling as possible and the men will blend in once they get used to wearing trainers with suits. [The trainers, by the way, must be by Gucci.]
But we are jumping ahead, for our happy band of American administrators will need to take a siesta after all that driving and competing for parking spaces, followed by lunch. When they wake up, it will not be time for dinner, as at home, but to head back to the office for a few hours. Then, having fulfilled their passeggiata duties and survived until the earliest possible hour at which a Sicilian might consider dining - at around 8.30 pm - they may be relieved to know that Sicily does have its own fast food in the form of focacce and arancini. [Modica even saw off a McDonald's a few years ago so it is better not to mention Big Macs here.]
Pizza, though, is definitely not fast food and should you decide to go out for one you will have to show pazienza while it is cooked in a traditional, stone oven. It will occur to no one to offer you an aperitvo during this considerable wait so you will have to do what the locals do and order a plate of chips to fill both the time and your stomach. You are expected to consume one whole pizza each, not between you but don't worry because when it comes it will be so delicious that you will have no difficulty.
Afterwards you will take another passeggiata as you move on to a bar known for its pastries and you might even get to bed at around 1 am or later on Saturdays. Oh yes, the pace of life might be slower but believe me, you will need all your energy!
Talking of the pace of life, the pace of Italian bureaucracy, as everybody knows, is even slower. No sale has been agreed and I think that, in Sicily, we 'll be happily staying exactly as we are.
I'm a sort-of retired language teacher from Cardiff, Wales, UK, now trying to make a new life in Sicily. I'm not growing vines, making olive oil or restoring a palace stone by stone!
