When life gives you vine-ripened, juicy, summer tomatoes, make (fill in the blank). By the way, what are you making with your summer tomatoes? Today, I’ve incorporated those perfectly ripe tomatoes into a Turkish Spicy Ezme salad. It’s reminiscent of a Mexican salsa, albeit with few additions, namely sumac and pomegranate molasses (both of which … Continue Reading
Pane cunzatu/cunzato is a traditional Sicilian, piled high, open-faced sandwich. You can layer it with anything from fresh and/or sun dried tomatoes; capers; olives; dried and/or fresh herbs; grilled vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and/or artichokes; fresh cheese, such as mozzarella or ricotta al forno (a speciality of Sicily), to canned sardines, tuna, or … Continue Reading
In the Sicilian hilltop town of Ragusa, among the Baroque buildings, churches, and other UNESCO World Heritage landmarks, one of the highlights of any visit is a ubiquitous street food known as scaccia Ragusana (lasagna bread). Scaccia is perhaps best described as a cross between a calzone and lasagna—a stuffed bread full of thin layers … Continue Reading
I love octopus. You name it, I love it (grilled, boiled, braised, etc.). Any octopus fans out there? Yes, you say. Have a favorite preparation? If so, please share. Braised polipetti (baby octopus) is one of my hands down, all-time favorite dishes. As the octopi stew, they release much of their water content, which melds with the … Continue Reading
I recently saw a cartoon in which a couple at an Italian restaurant asked their server, “We don’t eat pasta, what should we order?” to which the server responded, “a taxi.” 🙂 Busiate is a corkscrew shaped pasta typical to the Province of Trapani in western Sicily. The word busiate is of Arabic origin. The pasta was traditionally formed … Continue Reading
