The Food Of Sicily

 Most Italian culinary focus doesn't involve Sicily. It's usually the North with their  elegant, sophisticated dishes or Naples and Rome with their vibrant flavorful ones. Yet Sicilian cooking is fresh, one of the first farm to table cuisines.The ingredients come from the land and sea and marry the island's varied cultural ancestry.

The island has experieinced a wide array of cultures  starting almost from the beginning of time. The original Sicils (for whom the island was named after0 probably migrated from the iIalian  mainland's Amalfi coast. There were also other tribes , the Sicanians and Elymians which probably came from Spain and Greece..Later the Greeks and Arabs took over followed by the Romans, Germanic tribes, Arabs and Vikings. There was also the Spanish rule in the mid 1700's as well, bringing an Iberian influence to the cooking. There is also the Italian influence evidenced in their spaghetti dishes. The pasta is topped with breadcrumbs and chopped parsley.Another has Arab influences, pasta con sarde, This was created by General Eufemio's chef a Byzantine commander who protected the island''s coast. He needed a hearty meal to feed his many troops. A chef came up with one that utilized local produce, - namely sardines and Arab ingredients namely saffron and raisons.Pistacchios also figure in Sicilian cooing as well, thanks to the Moorish influence.

There are also farms on the island too, providing all sorts of fresh produce. The Sicilians love broccoli rape , drenched in garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes.People from Catania to Messina enjoy a grilled vegetable salad. This is a combination of grilled eggplant, onion, pepper, zucchini and peppers along with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.it can be eaten as a main dish with a good hunk of crusty Italian bread or served as a side with grilled steak or chicken.A favorite snack is arancini made with spinach,. These are fried rice balls stuffed with greens and mozzarella. They can also be filled with meats such as salami and other island cheeses like pecorino or ricotta. Fruit is also abundant on Sicily.Oranges and Meyer lemons are big in cooking and in salads. They're also popular ice flavors. A refreshign dish year round is Sicilian orange salad. This is sliced oranges mixed with black kalamata. olives and cnopped fennel. sliced red onions are also added to it and its' dressed with a combination  olive oil and lemon juice

Sicilian cuisine is a trip into fresh  ingredients turned into delicious dishes. They represent the island's love of the land and the sea. These are dishs with history and flavor.

for Concetta Portelli Helble