FOODIE FRIDAY: SICILIAN PROVERBS - 8

This time I've decided to combine "Foodie Friday" with this week's Sicilian proverbs quiz. So the proverbs or idioms are all about food [or drink] and there are 10, rather than the usual 6.

Match the Sicilian proverbs or idioms 1 - 10 with their meanings a - j. The answers are right below where it says, "Highlight below for answers" - yes, they are there!

1. Ricotta e meli, màncianni vulinteri.

2. Pane e furmaggiu, nè prudu nè dammaggiu.

3. Nun c'è tavula senza vinu, né predica senza Agustinu.

4. Non c'è megghiu sarsa di la fami.

5. Cu mancia fa muddicchi.

6. Çircari 'i puorri.

7. Pani e paraisu vo' siri varagnatu.

8. Siri 'na carrua anfurnata.

9. Cogghìri l'uogghìu sùpra o màccu.

10. Jornu cortu, pisci longu; jornu longu, pisci curtu.

a. To be like a baked carob pod [ie., to be as thin as a rake].

b. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs [literally, "if you eat you make crumbs"].

c. Go look for leeks [ie., to make excuses].

d. Bread and cheese won't do you any good but they won't do you any harm either.

e. Short days, long fish; long days, short fish [ie., you should eat long fish in winter and short fish in summer].

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f. There's no better sauce than hunger.

g. To collect the oil off broad bean stew [ie., to be so mean that you let nothing escape your grasping hands].



h. Eat as much ricotta and as many apples as you like.



i. There's no table without wine and there's no sermon that doesn't mention St Augustine.

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j. Bread and Paradise have to be earned [ie., nothing is free].

Highlight below for answers [ ie., highlight the space between these 2 lines and the picture]:
1h, 2d, 3i, 4f, 5b, 6c, 7j, 8a, 9g, 10e.

ICE CREAM OF THE WEEK

From the Edicolè again: stracciatella, pistacchio and chocolate.

POLLO ALL'ARANCIA E ALLA MENTA

I invented this tonight and am pleased with the way it turned out:

4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
3 oranges, sliced
olive oil
dried origano
coarse seasalt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh mint leaves

You need a baking tray like this, which has higher sides than usual but is not quite a roasting dish!



OK, line it with baking parchment and brush this lightly all over with some olive oil. Plonk the chicken thighs on the tray for a moment and turn them, so that they get coated in a little of the oil. Take them off the tray and put most of the orange slices on. Now put the chicken thighs back on so that each one is on top of one or two orange slices, skinside up. Season the thighs with coarse seasalt and black pepper and sprinkle over a little dried origano. Scatter a few mint leaves over the chicken. Cook in an oven preheated to 190 C for 35 - 40 mins. Put the chicken thighs on a serving plate and decorate with cooked and fresh orange slices and some more mint leaves.

Buon appetito.

L'ANNÉE DES RETROUVAILLES

I haven't seen my French friend Marie-Laure for 6 years and at the beginning of each year that I've been in Sicily we have promised each other that that year would be "l'année des retrouvailles". However, family commitments, work and life in general had prevented such a reunion - until today. Marie-Laure and her Welsh husband, David, are on holiday in Modica so we met up at the Bar Edicolè for a long, leisurely and loquacious lunch.

It was the first time I've had a full lunch at the Edicolè and I must say the food was excellent. To start, I had pasta with mushrooms and pancetta



while both Marie-Laure and David had rice salad with tuna:



Then we each had arrosto misto with salad:



After all that, Marie-Laure and David could only find room for coffee but I, being more used to Sicilian portions, managed an ice cream!

Then we all headed back to my apartment for another reunion, that of Marie-Laure with Simi, whom she had not seen since my gorgeous one was a puppy:



A happy day and Simi thoroughly approved of the company!

E BUONANOTTE AL SECCHIO!

If a bucket handle has to break, why, oh why, can't it break when the receptacle is not full of dirty water?

I know, I know, for the same reason that toast always falls buttered side down, your printer always jams when you are in a hurry and bills always arrive when you have no money. Anyway, I turned the air blue when my bucket broke and flooded the kitchen this morning and then off I trotted to the supermarket to purchase another one, which cost me €14.90. OK, so you get a mophead and some floor cleaning liquid with it, but I still think that's a bit steep! [To be honest I probably resent it because it is not pretty, edible, wearable or displayable rather than for the price itself.]

You must understand, dear reader, that this sort of bucket is the only kind any self-respecting Italian woman will use - indeed she recognises no other - and Rosa, upon her return, would look at me as if I were mad were I to suggest that she manage with my very ordinary old bucket that I brought from Britain. Any Italian cleaning lady will also tell you that there is only one product that you should use on your floors - one which shall be nameless here but which does the job and leaves a strong and pleasant smell for a good few hours , thus proving to your returning menfolk [did I just write that? I'll be drummed out of the feminist movement again!] or visitors that the place has been well and truly cleaned. Our "five minutes and it's done" stair and landing cleaners in this building are much enamoured of this liquid and I'm sure they just spray it around and leave.

"Why the urgency to replace the bucket?" those of you who have got to know me a little may ask, for I'm not exactly one of your "dancing around with my oh, so clever all-purpose polish" ladies so beloved of the makers of 1960s TV adverts. Ah, well, you have to show that you have such a bucket, you see, for your average Sicilian female visitor will find an excuse to inspect every room in the house plus your balconies. If there is no reliable-looking bucket anywhere, vergogna [shame upon you]! This scandal will be all around the town as fast as you can say "disinfettante" and your reputation, along with that of your fellow-countrywomen, will be in ruins. I don't expect to fool anyone into thinking I wash all the floors thoroughly and cheerfully first thing every morning ["first thing" being about midday to me] and several more times after that but at least if I have the approved kind of bucket, I may be perceived to have good intentions, reader!

Title note: "Buonanotte al secchio", literally "Goodnight to the bucket" - Italian idiom meaning "And that's that".

DAILY DOINGS - 24

Another Ferragosto has come and gone, and that means I have almost survived both the summer and the silly season! The summer takes some surviving because of the heat and, for women, it entails even more worrying about one's appearance than usual. As I reported on twitter earlier, the following has become my Sunday routine: shower, epilate, shower, exfoliate, apply moisturiser and then fake tan to legs. [I am pale and it's the only way!] Then wait at least an hour for it to dry and develop a bit [while I read, pluck my eyebrows, exfoliate my face and give myself a facepack]. The "Sicilian silly season" is definitely August, when many stores shut down for 2 whole weeks around Ferragosto and others do not reopen after siesta. It's a bit churlish to want to deny the Italians, who work so hard all year round, their August break, but I do find it absurd that a chemist's can close for a whole month! Even my beloved Altro Posto bar has been closed for the past two weeks but Raffaele the hairdresser is only closing for four days this year, instead of a whole week. This, I imagine, is due to increased competition from several new hairdressing salons which have sprung up in Modica this year. I can just about manage four days without a hairdo!

The Post Office, that embodiment of "abandon all hope", is again closed in the afternoons until the end of August. And, talking of that establishment, last week a post box appeared outside it. This may be normal in other parts of the world but it seems no one had suggested it as a logical place to put one in this part of Sicily!

The Edicolè bar is only closed until Monday afternoon, and they were feeling in generous mood when I popped in for an aperitivo and an ice cream on Friday: how about this for a complimentary snack?

When I bought a kilo of grapes for 80 centesimi from our local greengrocer, also on Friday, he didn't have 20 c in change to give me, so instead he plonked another kilo of grapes into the bag! OK, I know he had to get rid of them before the holiday, but I can't imagine that happening in the UK, can you? It seems that there are some advantages to the "silly season" after all!

Now, changing the subject completely, my friend M from Girl on the Run wanted to see what accessories I would buy to go with this outfit:

Well, I finally got them, in the end-of-season sales!

Meanwhile, Modica's young people have been having a busy time down on the beaches: I'm ashamed to relate that our lovely, clean beaches have been badly littered with cigarette ends and the Comune's machines don't pick them all up. Under the clever slogan, Filtriamo la spiaggia young people have been invited to clear the beaches of this mindless pollution and have been offered a free ice cream for every 50 cigarette ends they've been able to collect today. [I must say, I wouldn't like to be the person who had to count them!] A good initiative, encouraging the young to care about their environment and allowing local makers of traditional ice cream to sponsor an environmental event or the Comune evading its resposibilities and even potentially exposing the volunteers to a health risk? I've heard both arguments here and now would love to know what all of you think.

A FEAST FOR FERRAGOSTO

What a feast at Maria and Luca's today! I'll just let you enjoy the pictures:

There was squid salad [which I had to pass on, as I can't eat fish]:

Maria had made pane condito - [bread seasoned with oil and herbs] served with fresh cheese inside:



She had also made a tomato pizza



and an onion one:

Then there was chicken, cooked by Linda. I asked her what she had put in the delicious stuffing: "Oh, everything, including marmalade", said she. I will try to get more details, reader!

Next, a 16 kg anguria was brought to the table:



There was much jolly discussion about the best way to cut it



and then it was divided:



There was also sweet Trapani melon:



After that, there was watermelon gel



and finally, torta di gelato:



Grazie, Maria e Luca!

SABATO MUSICALE

Enjoy:

Sergio Cammariere - Ferragosto

FERRAGOSTO: A MOMENT FOR "THE LADY"

As this day of celebration draws to a close in Italy, I ask you, if you can, to spare a thought for one who has had no holiday and no freedom in 14 years: Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was, in a sham of a trial, convicted last week of breaching national security and sentenced to a further 18 months of house arrest. The regime, of course, knew that the eyes of the world were upon them and had this not been the case, I fear that the sentence would have been harsher, as it would have been and has been for others in Burma whom we must not forget.

This shows that we who live in freedom can make a difference and we can do so at this juncture by joining the call for a global arms embargo on Burma. Countries which have already called for this include the UK, the USA, Australia, France and Italy. Countries which have not yet done so include New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland. [This information is, as far as I can tell from several sources, correct at the time of writing; please correct me if I am wrong.] You can find out more about the arms embargo campaign here and how to get involved, wherever you are, here.

"The Lady" and the National League for Democracy are asking only for those freedoms which most of us take for granted:

"When we ask for democracy, all we are asking is that our people should be allowed to live tranquilly under the rule of law, protected by institutions which will guarantee our rights, the rights that will enable us to maintain our human dignity, to heal long festering wounds and to allow love and courage to flourish. Is that such a very unreasonable demand?"

- Aung San Suu Kyi, Letters from Burma [1996].

BLOGGERS UNITE: INTERNATIONAL ART DAY - GINO

Today is International Art Day and, rather than write a story or poem, I would like to take the opportunity to celebrate the art of my dear friend, Gino. Gino has featured on this blog before and you can see a whole gallery of his work here. Tonight I would like to introduce you to two new works by Gino, both of which I like very much:

"Gone for a swim"

"Hedgehog"

Keep up the wonderful work, Gino, for you bring so much pleasure to all your friends, family and guests. I know that Gino would appreciate your comments, dear readers.

FOODIE FRIDAY: CHARLOTTE DI POLLO

I was quite pleased with the way this turned out, although I would call it a galette rather than a charlotte. Technically, I suppose it is neither.

I cannot give you the copyright recipe from this month's La Cucina Italiana and I cannot tell you that it wasn't a lot of bother, because it was. It contains cooked chicken, mashed potato, mashed aubergine and seasoning. I added mint instead of parsley leaves, partly because I didn't have any parsley and partly because mint is a traditional accompaniment to aubergine in Sicily. The tomato slices round the side wouldn't stand up in the cooking ring so I pressed them on after the "galette" had been refrigerated for a few hours. On the top are grilled tomatoes and cooked potato slices seasoned with oregano.

Now I'm thinking up a vegetarian filling. Any suggestions would be welcome.

ANSWER TO "WHAT IN SICILY?" - 23

There were some very creative guesses for yesterday's Sicilian object and now I'll put you all out of your misery. It's a container in which to make pasta dough or bread, so that the flour doesn't go all over the place. [I could do with one myself!] Sometimes, at large gatherings, these containers are used to serve the pasta as well:

Don't worry, folks - I thought one was a pigs' trough when I first came to Sicily! [That shows what a countrywoman I am!]

Some of you were thinking of the kind of trays used for drying tomatoes to make 'strattu [tomato paste] but these are shallower:

Right, everybody happy? On we go!

MOUNTAINGIRL'S PHOTO CHALLENGE - "IDENTITY"

It's Friday and that means it's time for my friend mountaingirl's Photo Challenge. This week's theme is "identity".

My identity in this neighbourhood is "quella col cane" ["the one with the dog"]:



Simi and I are very happy with that!

QUIZ: SICILIAN PROVERBS - 7

Match the proverbs 1 - 6 with their meanings a - f. Where there is a similar proverb in English, I have used that as the idiomatic translation:

© Pictures of Rome courtesy of Rome.info


1. Megghiu giustizia di Diu e no giustizia di lu munnu.

2. Ariu russu: o acqua o ventu; si nun chiovi, fa bon tempu.

3. Vesta longa fa la donna.

4. Biddìzzi e ddinàri nun si puònu ammùcciari.

5. Tutti 'i strati spercinu â çiazza.

6. Cu' spini simina, zarbi arricogghi.


a. As you sow, so shall you reap.

b. A long dress makes the woman.

c. All roads lead to Rome.

d. Red sky brings water or wind; if it doesn't rain, it will be a fine day.

e. Beauty and wealth cannot be hidden.

f. God's justice is better than man's.

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Highlight below for answers:

1f,2d,3b,4e,5c,6a.

WHAT IN SICILY? - 23

Not one, but two, quizzes for you tonight: We haven't had a "What in Sicily?" since May so who can tell me what this object would be used for? [This is a small version.]

"Proverbs" quiz coming up later.

ICE CREAM OF THE WEEK

Melone, stracciatella and amarena at Bar Edicolè.

A SADDER TALE OF THE SEA

The sea, which brings pleasure to millions of Italians and non-Italians alike during summer, remains a harbinger of tragedy to would-be illegal immigrants trying to reach Europe via Italy's shores.

On Sunday a dinghy was found drifting about 3.5 miles off Pantelleria, after its motor had failed. Of its cargo of nine desperate souls, four had thrown themselves overboard in the hope of swimming to shore. Two, including a male minor, managed this feat. Another swam for twelve hours until he was rescued by a pleasure craft. This man was taken to hospital and was declared to be out of danger by Monday. A fourth man has not been found, despite extensive searches by the Italian Coast Guard, Police and a naval helicopter. It is possible that he reached the shore and has mingled with tourists. Under Italy's tough new immigration laws, if this is so he is likely to be quickly located and deported. A fishing vessel helped the five men remaining on board the dinghy. They were taken to officials in Pantelleria and were later declared fit.

I can't help thinking that somewhere in North Africa there is a mother who may never know what happened to her son. If I see a shooting star tonight, I will make a wish for both of them.

SCACCE AND STARGAZING

"Come round tonight to eat scacce and look for shooting stars", said a friend who rang yesterday morning [for you can still make a wish if you see a shooting star on 11th or 12th August]. I did not need much persuasion, reader, for Linda makes delicious scacce [focacce] and has a lovely garden in which to tarry.

Above: tomato focacce Below: ricotta focacce

Below: me, stargazing.

A DAY AT THE SEA

I loved the sea as a child and I still love it - provided it's warm and once I'm in it, that is. I must admit, though, that the thought of going to a beach fills me with panic: not because I'm afraid of the sea or of showing more of me than is usual, but because of all that applying of strong sun cream, over and over again, changing, worrying about the state of my makeup, trying to get sand out of my sandals and afterwards it's "Oh, my god - my hair!" Indeed, I can never work out why all the hairdressers in Modica do not set up booths right at the top of the beach. Long ago I decided that beaches and vain, non-tanning, city women like me were never meant to mix and it's been years since I went swimming. [Oh, yes, I can swim! My Dad made me have lessons when I was 9. I'm constantly surprised by the fact that, in this sea-loving culture, so many of my friends say that they have never learned this essential skill.]

Despite these reservations I was delighted when friends Gina and Carlo invited me to their house at the Marina on Monday. Bright and early [well, 10 am., which is very early for me] we were sitting under parasols on our little plastic chairs on the Marina di Modica's lovely, clean beach. I say "little plastic chairs" and I mean "little plastic chairs". Everybody takes these along for, although they look like chairs for children, they are very practical for the purpose and there's not an awkward deckchair in sight. Once we'd greeted some mutual and, for me, new friends, Gina and I spent a happy three hours or so doing our improvised version of water aerobics and dancing in the sea to the music blaring from the loudspeakers on the beach. She laughed at me when I exclaimed, "I'm not sure I remember how to swim!" She replied that there was only one way to find out and thus I discovered that the old saying is true and you don't forget how.

A few minutes before 1pm there was a noticeable exodus of women from the beach, for the pasta pan waits for no one. Gina served up tortelloni con panna e funghi freschi [tortelloni with cream and fresh mushrooms]



then veal scaloppine with peas:



There was fruit to follow and later there was ice cream. Gina and I spent the rest of the afternoon gossiping on her lovely, shady terrace.

This is the first time I've posted a picture of Gina on this blog and those of you who have enjoyed her recipes here might like to know that she is the lady in the purple and black bikini. Her husband is standing behind her, on the right.



Thanks for a lovely day, Gina and Carlo.