Buon Anno Nuovo!
16 luglio 2010
Buon giorno, well, I guess I dropped the ball again on my postcarding. I have been having a great summer! The day after I finished school, my girlfriend, Claire arrived in Palermo. We spent five days here just hanging around at the beach and then took a little South Western Sicilian road trip. While she was here, Alfio and I took her to lunch one day to a little agriturismo, Ponte Due Archi, in the hilltown of Raccuja. We had a ball and the food was outstanding. It's a tiny place, I believe they have 8 rooms and you can stay there for 30 euro a night. If you want half board, it's 45 euro and full board will be 60 euro (per person).
Our lunch started off with what seemed like a never ending parade of antipasti. (All local. About 80% of what they serve is actually grown or raised right there, and the other 20% is from the area.) Next, you are served your first course. We had a sample of three of their pastas that day, local wild mushroom ravioli, macaroni in pork sauce, and my personal favorite, involtini di melanzane. (slices of fried eggplant that are rolled around homemade macaroni and ricotta. It's heavenly!)
After you've finished the pasta course, there's more! They bring out a platter full of grilled meat. Sausage, lamb chops, and involtini (rolled veal). We usually get this course with a salad. This time we had the most amazing tomato salad with red onions. The tomatoes all looked a bit sickly, but tasted so sweet and fresh. But, you could have a green salad or even french fried potatoes. All of this feast is washed down with their local red wine and if you want more of anything, they will happily bring it to you.
Azienda Agrituristica Ponte due Archi
c/da Grida` Raccuja Messina
tel:(39) 3287182465 / (39) 3886160316
info@ponteduearchi.it
www.pontedurearchi.it
Until next time, wish you were here!
25 maggio 2010
Buon giorno, as May comes to a close, it seems the temperatures are finally rising and hopefully sticking this time. The days are longer and the nights feel warmer. School is ending and my dear girlfriend, Claire, will be here sooner than later. It's going to be the beginning of a fantastic summer!
One of the easiest and tastiest dishes I've made in the past couple of weeks has been something so simple, it made me giggle when I ate it. I took some tomatoes that were a little too ripe, for my taste to slice and eat, and chopped them and threw them into the blender with a bit of oil, salt, garlic, dried chilli pepper flakes, and a bit of onion. Whirled it together and poured it into a pan. The color was a bit pink too at first, but the flavor was pure spring. I poured a bit of red wine and let it simmer, while cooking the pasta. It was delicious.
So, until next time, wish you were here!
12 maggio 2010
Buon giorno! This week Enzo has been showing me the process that leads up to the delicious "pane cunzatu". He first takes the "alacci"(the anchovies) and cuts the heads off and puts them in a big plastic tub with some salt for a few days. Enzo then cuts the tails and packs them with salt, that has been seasoned with oregano and hot pepper flakes. He presses them into jars, alternating their positions, to make a cross like pattern. When the jar is bursting over, they are weighted down with marble pieces. They are left like this for a couple of months. Then, the anchovies are ready to be cleaned and put into the smaller jars with oil or eaten at that moment, like last Sunday. Until next time, wish you were here.
3 maggio 2010
Buon giorno! It's a glorious Monday and I can't believe it's already May, where did April go?
My days have been filled with friends from out of town and we've been everywhere from the mountains, Randazzo and Bronte, to Cefalu and Santo Stefano, by the sea.
Meanwhile, life here goes on as usual. The other day, "the gang" were taking anchovies that had been under salt for some time and cleaning them and packing them into bottles with their olive oil.
As they worked, friends gathered outside the window and finally someone went to get some bread. They put some of the anchovies on the fresh, hot, homemade bread and added olive oil and oregano. ("Pane Cunzatu") Washing it down with their house red. As they worked, they exchanged stories, laughing harder and harder with each tale. No matter how many friends stopped by, there was enough for everyone to sample. It was a great Sunday morning. Until next time, wish you were here!
29 marzo 2010
Buon giorno! Here it is 7pm and it's far from being dark! This is the beginning of my favorite time of year. It's the time of year when people start coming out of hiding. This weekend the town was crowded with folks strolling, riding bikes and even swimming! Here are some things I saw as I was walking on Saturday morning. Until next time, wish you were here.
19 marzo 2010
Buon giorno! I only have two words for you today...FRESH FISH! Until next time, wish you were here!
17 marzo 2010
Buon giorno! We had a special lunch today prepared by Alfio, his "famous" pasta with mushrooms. The giant bowl was full of perfectly cooked fettuccini and there were enough mushrooms for an army. Before I could finish my plate, "the gang" had devoured seconds and thirds and polished off the bowl. Fabrizio enjoyed it so much, he cleaned the bowl with some bread!
After the pasta was finished, Rita served a great zucchini and hot pepper frittata. That platter was also wiped clean with the fresh bread! It was a scrumptious feast! My head was spinning by the end of the afternoon as the conversation went round and round the table. (I still need subtitles!)
Happy happy birthday Mamma! Until next time, wish you were here!!
7 marzo 2010
Buon giorno! A soggy Sunday morning. Ideal weather for staying in the kitchen. I've been making a "sugu di maile" (tomato sauce with pork). The house is filled with the perfect rainy day aromas. They're so warm and comforting.
This past week I've been "experimenting" in the kitchen. I made young tender fave beans with their pods. Something I'd always heard about, but never tried. So delicious! You cut away the two "strings" on either side of the pod and then you simmer both pods and beans until tender. Drain the remaining water and start to saute with a bit of olive oil. I threw in some garlic when I was simmering. As you saute, add some breadcrumbs and a bit of grated pecorino cheese. Really, to die for! I nearly ate the entire skillet full.
The other fun "experiment" was with some old flowering broccoli. I cut the broccoli up into small pieces and boiled that with some frozen spinach. When the broccoli was tender. I drained the vegetables and smashed it all up in a bowl. I added some flour, breadcrumbs and a bit of grated parmesean. I added a bit of water and made a paste like batter. Then I dropped little spoonfuls into a skillet with some oil and made little patties. Before turning them, I pressed a little piece of pecorino into the center of the patty. They were crispy on the outside and so moist and tender on the inside. I brought them downstairs to share with "the gang" as a little appetizer with a glass of house wine. They were gone before they cooled down!
The rain is falling yet again and it's time to put my pot of water on for the handmade macaroni. (the traditional pasta served with the pork sauce).
Until next time, wish you were here!
1 marzo 2010
Buon giorno! Here it is the first day of March and it really has been feeling like spring the past few days. I guess I'm a fair weather writer. It was called to my attention by the president of my fan club, my sister, that I haven't written since September! So, this is for all my dedicated fans, which really just means, my sister, my aunts, Marion and Roberta, and my special bank lady, Marsha!
I guess a little re-cap is in order...September came and so did Cynthia. We had two great food and wine tours. We ate, drank and laughed our way around the island with new friends and fresh eyes.
When I returned home, my mama came for a quick visit after touring the North of Italy for a few weeks. We had a great time, as usual! While she was here, school started and I have two classes of great kids who are so smart and so eager to learn English.
The holidays came and went along with our colds and flus. We rang in the New Year with Alfio's family and it all seemed to pass with a blur. I am, however, so excited for 2010! Don't ask me why, but I feel as if good things are going to happen.
I've just been in California the past couple of weeks. We celebrated my grandmother's 95th birthday! She's such an inspiring lady. I always think if I have a drop of her soul, I'm set! I got to spend a day with her and we were in the kitchen all day preparing this and that. I brought stuff to make arancini, since she's been talking about eating them since my mama was here in October. We prepared arancini for about twenty relatives and passed the day giggling and talking in Italian. My Uncle Frank, Aunt Pauline, and cousin, Veronica were the ones who really got their hands in there with me! It was a great day and the arancini were delicious! The best I've made yet!
And so here it is March already! Today, there was an impromptu lunch and the fish was so fresh I could taste the sea in every bite!
Until next time, wish you were here!