Soul of Sicily - Cooking Tour, April 27-May 5,  2012

I chose to memorialize my 60th Birthday with a trip to Sicily, a gastronomical adventure through Sicily and the surrounding area. My NJ friends, Mary and Patty made the experience all the more memorable.  Escorted by our very knowledgeable and extremely patient guide, Renee, along with famed chef, sommelier and restauranteur, Pino,we gained entre into the operations of some of the best artisanal purveyors of Sicilian wines, cheese, meats, fish, breads, pastries, pastas; and sea salt, too. When not eating or cooking, we also took in some of the most interesting sites in the local area.



On our second day in Sicily, with Pino as our guide and Renee as our translator, our first stop was, to see one of the most intact Greek temples to be found in Sicily in its classical surroundings.  In the 5th Century BC, Sicily passed from the Greeks, then to the Romans, with lots of influence and trade with North Africa, Tunisia.



Then, it was onto lunch at a charming converted farm house near Trapani that is very popular with the locals for family gatherings. There is even a petting zoo with horses and a donkey. Here, we were treated to local folk music and our first 3-hour, multi-course meal of the week. 




Our first cooking lesson was couscous Sicilian style.  The secret is in slowly hand mixing (counter clockwise) a little water at a time into the dry couscous until it is fluffy and then ready to steam in a special couscous clay pot over a pot of simmering hot water, served with assorted breaded fresh Med Sea fish. Yummy!





No trip to Sicily would be complete without a visit to the  salt pans, the Salt Museum, and of course, the Salt Poet. 








Our cooking lesson with Clara at her house was truly the highlight of the week:  6 women in the same kitchen for 4 hours preparing Clara's recipes for caponata and pesto.  We were horrified when she proceeded to use 8 cloves of garlic for the pesto - one for each of us, plus 2 extra for any unexpected dinner guests who might show up.  When Mary, who is sensitive to garlic, asked that her portion of the pesto be separated out before Clara added the garlic, the expression on Clara's face was priceless.  She could not understand how anyone could enjoy a meal without garlic.  What we did not realize at the time was that after Mary's portion was removed, the remaining pesto would now be even more garlic potent.  Clara insisted that you can never have too much garlic.  It is antiseptic and medicinal! Maybe so, but tell that to our American stomachs.  Dinner was served over classic Sicilian twist pasta, the wine and conversation(translated by Renee)flowed, and the meal was delicious! 





We also learned a few new pasta making techniques from a mother and daughter team of local pasta experts. 





The cappacino and ricotta cheese pastries each morning for breakfast kept us well fortified until it was time for our mid-day meal. Gelato, made with the freshest ingredients and whatever fruits are in season, was truly a delight.  There were plenty of Sicilian wines to taste and savour, as well. 

Arrivederci Sicily   

Soul of Sicily Tours




























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