Calamari Nests

Tagliatelle "cu bastaddu"

There is a special kind of cauliflower in Sicily, that is also found in other southern Mediterranean lands, which has green leaves and purple curly flowers.

Locally, this beautiful vegetable is called "u bastaddu" literally translated "the bastard".

This recipe has been transmitted from one generation to the other as long as time goes back. For me it is associated with the sweet smell of my grandparents home and of course late winter the season in which this vegetable is harvested.

Delicious and healthy, the recipe could not be easier.

You will need:

- "u bastaddu" the brocciflower or in absence of it you could use broccoli
- extra vergin olive oil
- salt
- water
- tagliatelle

You simply clean the brocciflower, cut it in large chunks, keep some of the green leaves making sure you remove the hard stringy stems.
In a medium size pot bring 1, 2 liters of water to boil and add some salt.
Add some table spoons of extra vergin olive oil and a sprinkle of origano to the water.
When the water boils add the brocciflowers and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Crush lightly some tagliatelle nests, (about 2 for each person but in 2 liters water maximum 10 nests) into the water and cook till the pasta is ready.

Let the pasta rest for some time, so that you can serve it warm. Some extra olive oil can be added according to taste.

This makes an excellent light first course.

Peperonata della Nonnina

Bucatini in Summer Red

Zucchini Flowers Treasures

Orange Tart

The picture is not the most appetizing, this is my problem in trying to record while doing too many other things... However this is one of my favorite winter cakes.

Oranges are the winter Sicilian delight. Not only they are available on the market but with some luck, as you take short tours visiting friends, you will be often presented with the orange bag or crate to take home with you, as a winter sharing gift.

Although in Sicily there are too many orange groves that go uncultivated and are abandoned, thankfully some of the beautiful fruits are harvested by the ones that still care.

This particular tart was made with the oranges from Valle Allegra, an old farm house that has been in Maria Rita's family for generations, and that hosts, amongst others,many citrus trees.

Aubergine Roll

This is a delightful refreshing starter. You will need

- 1 Aubergine
- Crescenza cheese
- rucola lettuce

Stracchino is a fresh Italian cheese which I have not found, unfortunately, outside this country. I suggest that in absence of it you use a soft goat cheese or a simple cream cheese. The result will change but it will be as satisfactory.

1. La' . Cut the aubergine in thin slices about 5/6 mm thick. For this recipe you need to grill the aubergine, you can either do it directly on the grill or in absence of an open fire you can heat up a pan that you have lightly oiled and cook the aubergine on each side, for about 3/4 minutes till the slices have softened and are roasted.

2. La'. When you have grilled all the silces, place a teaspoon roll of stracchino cheese in the middle of each. Roll the slice on itself and secure it by pinning it with a thootpick. Garnish the rolls with rucola or any other aromatic lettuce which you like.

3. La' .enjoy the delight!

The rolls can be accompanied by some fresh bread rolls or some grissini or simple water crackers, they are great accompanied by some dry red wine, possibly Sicilian.

Aubergine Parcels

In Sicily there are many variety of aubergines ready to satisfy the most demanding taste. You can find aubergine stocked in every market place, happily arranged in wooden boxes or in asymmetric piles. The feast of purple and indigo eggs promising delights, charmed me since I was a kid. That is to say that the smell of sicilian summers and the one of aubergine come together as one for me.

The credit to this recipe goes to Mamma Lucia, who creatively reinterpreted the parmigiana traditional one.

You will need:
-1,2 large aubergine cut in slices about 1 cm thick
- bread crumbs
- grated parmigiano reggiano
- freshly made tomato sauce
- mozzarella, or any other cheese which is delicious melted
-1,2 eggs beaten
- olive oil

1. la'- Fry the aubergine slices in a pan with enough oil. Enough means that the aubergine will tend to absorb the oil and you will have to top it each time, with enough oil in the pan so that the slice is half covered. Turn the slices till they are golden brown. Drain the excess oil by placing them in a large strainer, so the slices can retain their shape.

2. la'- Oil lightly an oven tin. Have a dish ready with the beaten egg, and a dish ready with a little hill of bread crumbs, a dish with the tomato sauce and another for the parmigiano. Take one slice at the time dip both sides in the egg and than in the bread crumbs. Place the slices on the tray and continue this activity till you have used half of the fried slices.

3. la'- On top of each slice lay an abundant spoon of tomato sauce and a slice of cheese. Dip the remaining slices in the egg and bread crumbs and use them to top up the other.
Again lay a spoon of tomato on top of the parcels, and complete them by sprinkling them generously with the grated parmigiano cheese.

4. la'- Place the parcels in a medium heat oven for about 15 minutes.

The parcels can be eaten hot but are also excellent served cold. They can be a starter or a vegetarian main course accompanied by rise or cus cus and salad. Their beauty is that their use is as versatile as it gets.

Honey & Ginger Apple Pie

More Apples! Yhoommy!
This recipy came about when I discovered the wonders of the oil based pastry, and when in my large "fammily" communinity there was a debate about the benefit of ginger.
It is quite light and it is dedicated to all ginger lovers.

For the pastry
- 3 cups of flour
1/2 cup of water
-1/2 cup of oil
- a pinch of salt

Mix water and oil and brisk it till it becomes milky in color and creamy in consistence. Add the 3 cups of flour and knead it make a neat dough.
Divide the dough in two, one for the bottom one for the top.

For the filling

-5/6 pealed apples cut in medium chunks
- some grated fresh ginger
- a pinch of cinnamon
- half a vanilla stick
- 2 spoons of honey
- 2 spoons of brown sugar
- 1/2 grated lemon peel

Mix the filling, and cook for about 5 minutes in pot at medium heat.

Flatten down both of the doughs, first with your hands and than with the help of the rolling pin, in order to obtain a surface as thin and as round as you can. Place the bottom dough in a buttered round tin about 26cm diameter, place the filling and cover with top dough, securing the edged by folding them between themselves.

- mix some egg red and some milk and brush it lightly over the pie, to add shine.
Cook in medium oven for about 35-40 minutes, keep an eye on the crust so that it does burn.

This is the perfect light dessert following a fish based meal, or served as a richer dessert with some vanilla icecream.

Soft apple cake

I would like to start this page with one of my favourite of all times, an apple recipy that I learned to appreciate in Holland. When times got tough, my lovely friend Hanna baked one and life got sweeter again.

Apples are often associated with the domestic and the ordinary, often leaving them unapreciated.
They can be used both in sweet and savory dishes, cooked or just raw, with so many different qualities to choose from I believe the apple is the perfect fruit.
No wonder it was believed to be the forbidden fruit in our long lost paradise...

Measurements for a cake of about 500 gr.
- 15 spoons of flour
- 1 teaspoon of backing powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of backing soda
- 1/2 grated lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 4 spoons of sugar
- 1 full egg (mixed with the yogurt)
- 125 gr plain yougurt or butter milk
- 150 gr. of melted butter

Mix all the ingredients together starting with the solid ones and ending with the liquid ones, till you obtain a crumbly paste of a cottage cheese consistence ;).
Place it in a round tin, of about 24-28 diameter, wich you have previously buttered and sparkled with some floured.

- peel and cut 4/5 medium size apples in wedges, and dip them into the soft paste till you have covered most of the surface. They will make the paste rise a bit creating a lovely arched pattern.

-cook for about 30/35 minuted in a medium hot oven. (150/160 c.)
When you remove the cake from the oven place a soft damp cloth on the borders of the tin, this will allow the cake to remain soft and not make a crust.

To gloss it, mix:
-1/2 lemon squeezed
-1 teaspoon of honey
-2/3 teaspoons of apricot jam
And brush it over all the cake surface to spark and shine.

This is an ideal afternoon cake to enjoy with tea or cooffe or any other time you wish.
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