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In The Heart of SicilyBy Carole Kotkin
One of the things about Sicicilian cooking that I learned is that there is nothing complicated or fancy about it. It’s about getting simple cooking absolutely right. I’ll have wonderful memories of the unique cooking in this region, the warm people, the beautiful landscape, and the sunny, lusty climate. |
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TM
If you ask a Sicilian if he is Italian, the answer you
are bound to get is, “No, I’m Sicilian.” Sicily is one of the
Mediterranean’s most intriguing destinations, unique unto itself rather than
a mere “part of Italy.” It’s a blend of ancient culture, zestful
traditions, and cordial hospitality. The mild, sunny Mediterranean climate
makes traveling in Sicily pleasant all year round. Even in winter you can
take time out from sightseeing to sunbathe on golden beaches. It’s a land of
breathtaking coasts and lush tropical greenery, of layered cultures, fallen
empires, and ancient myths.
The most spectacular feature of Sicily is Mt.
Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano. It is said to be visible
wherever you are. You can combine excursions into the countryside with
visits to fascinating archaeological sites. Nowhere in Italy did the Greeks
encompass the country so completely as in Sicily. Siracusa’s Teatro Creco,
built in 5th Century BC and Agrigento’s Doric temple, are just two
examples some of the best-preserved Greek outdoor ruins that rival any in
Greece or Rome.
Recently, Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, a
non-profit educational organization whose mission it is to preserve the art
of traditional cooking, offered me the opportunity to travel to the Baroque
town of Ragusa to attend Cheese Art 2004, a biannual event showcasing
traditional cheese making. It was sponsored by Corfilac, a dairy
research center founded in 1966 to preserve artisanal cheese making methods
by bringing technological and research assistance to small farmers. Cheese
Art was held in the ancient Donnafugata castle outside Ragusa. In 1630 this
scenic hill town in Southeastern Sicily was split in half by an earthquake.
Several bridges now connect the newer part of town, Ragusa Superiore, to the
older lower Ragusa, built on the ruins of the ancient city of Ibla. The two
parts of the city meet at Piazza della Repubblica. Stone staircases link the
two levels. Walking down to the old town center is fun, but you might
want to find a taxi to come back. 
The conference focused on Ragusano cheese because it is
a remarkable example of the preservation of a thousand year-old cheese
making tradition. Large rectangles of this cow’s milk Provolone-style
cheese, about four times the size of a bread loaf, are tied in the middle
with heavy rope and suspended in caves to. During this time (from 6
to 12 months), it is regularly rubbed with a mixture of oil and vinegar. The
result is a strong, savory flavored hard cheese that can be eaten young and
smooth or aged and granular. Among other Sicilian cheeses are Pecorino Siciliano, made from Ewe’s milk, goat and cow’s milk cannestrato, and cow’s
milk Caciocavallo Palermitano. Cheese stamped with D.O.P. (Protected
Designation of Origin) is the highest form of recognition for agricultural
products and foodstuffs. It means, for example, that the cheese is produced
only within certain officially recognized production zones, using milk
collected in the same area. Wine is designated with a similar D.O.C.
certification. With cheese, you must have wine, and there is never a
Sicilian meal without wine. It’s as vital an ingredient as olive oil or
pasta. Sicily’s warm, dry climate, sloping hillsides and rocky soil make it
ideal for growing grapes—on par with California’s Napa Valley. A new
generation of Sicilian winemakers from such family-owned estates as Planeta,
Donnafugata, Spadofora, and Fazio is gaining worldwide recognition for their
excellent mid-priced and premium wines. 
If you like good food, you will find the island a
gastronomical paradise. The cuisine is a reflection of the island
itself. The cooking of Sicily, known by the terrm cucina povera (cuisine of
the poor), is an earthy and flavorful mixture that encapsulates 2,800 years
of invasion and conquest. The island has always been a crossroads where many
different civilizations have met and left a heritage of extraordinary
cultural variety. Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman,
French, German, and Spanish all have contributed to the province’s delicious
culinary tradition. During the Bourbon occupation at the end of the 18th
century, the aristocratic families of Sicily wanted professional French
chefs in their homes. A refined “Monzu” (from the word monsieur) cuisine
developed from this; distinctly different from cucina provera. Recipes vary
from village to village and are passed down verbally from mother to
daughter, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. The signature dishes of Palermo
are different from those of Catania, which are again distinct from those of
Trapani. There are also classic dishes that are widely popular island-wide:
pasta con le sarde (with sardines), pasta alla norma (with eggplant, ricotta
salata, and tomato), caponata (sweet-and-sour eggplant stew), couscous alla
trapanese (with fish and chicken) all manner of swordfish and tuna, cassata
(a rich ricotta-based cake), and cannoli. The island is surrounded
by the blue waters of the Mediterranean teaming with swordfish on the east,
and red tuna on the west. Sardines and anchovies are found everywhere. The
best known Sicilian seafood dish is spaghetti con sarde, tossed with
sardines and olive oil. Most fish is simply grilled or roasted, perhaps
drizzled with a little olive oil or marinated first with white wine and
herbs, perhaps garnished with olives or a wedge of lemon. You’ll find red
mullet cooked in an orange and lemon sauce.
No single ingredient, not even tomatoes, dominates the
food. Dishes are perfumed with cinnamon, anise and clove and scented with
basil, rosemary and garlic. Wheat, along with some other grains, has been
the mainstay of Siciclian agriculture for 2,000 years. Scholars believe
pasta was created in Sicily 1000 years ago. It is usually served with
vegetables, seafood, cheese or meat sauce and can be the first course or the
whole meal, but it’s always present. No Sicilian meal is complete without a
loaf of bread, usually made from semolina flour or a bottle of olive oil.
Sicilians take their olive oils very seriously. Just ask noted Italian
cookbook author, Giuliano Bugialli, who says, “Bread, wine and olive oil are
the heart of Italian regional cooking.” Olive oil, a true artisan product,
that Bugialli calls “a gift from God” is an indispensable ingredient in the
kitchen. Besides being used for cooking, a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil
sits proudly at the dining table to drizzle on salads, toasted bread, pastas
or soups. 
Sicily’s second most important crop is citrus fruit,
especially lemons, that show up in many Sicilian desserts. The infamous
Sicilian sweet tooth dates back to the cultivation of sugarcane, without
which there would be no cannoli, no marzipan, no nougat, no candied fruit,
no cassata, and no gelato. Sicily’s ubiquitous almond-based cookies and
sweets are well-known. In particular, frutta martorana, colorful marzipan
fruits originally made in the fifteenth century by cloistered nuns in a
Palermo church called La Martorana, are among the islands most popular
treats. Sicily also grows an abundance of almonds, figs, capers, prickly
pears, and carob.