Sicilian Cuisine - rustic but never ever poor...

'La Siciliana' focuses on the family recipes of the south, or rather the beautiful Mediterranean island of Sicily. I'll leave northern Italian cuisine safely in the hands of my Lombardian and Piedmontese cousins - although you might see the odd recipe pop up now and again.

Sicilian cuisine, because of its simplicity and limited ingredients, is often defined by professional chefs as 'rustic' rather than 'fine' dining. It may be defined as rustic, but it is never ever poor! The cuisine is driven primarily by women. They possess a passion for cooking and a wealth of knowledge passed down orally, from mother to daughter, over many centuries. 

In Sicily dishes are mainly composed of locally sourced ingredients such as vegetables, fish, cheese and meat, whilst the Queen of the table is of course pasta which is prepared and adorned in numerous tasty and inventive ways. If you compare Sicilian cuisine to a stage play then healthy vegetarian or fish based dishes take on the starring role; meat does have a part to play but it is usually the supporting act. Especially popular as a first course during the cooler winter months are pulses (fresh or dried broad beans, lentils and chickpeas). 

Dishes are seasoned with the local sea-salt and aromatic herbs that grow in abundance on the island together with lemon juice, pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, raisins and olive oil. Dairy products such as cream and butter are hardly used at all, except in some modern sauces, pastries and cakes etc. Cold pressed unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil is purchased in refillable containers from the local olive farmer and rarely from a supermarket. It is thick, deep green and cloudy. It is used in place of butter to cook and bake with, as well as to dress food. In this pure cold pressed unfiltered form its health giving benefits are well documented by scientists whose research reveals that eating a Mediterranean diet, rich in extra-virgin olive oil, cuts the chances of those at risk of heart attacks and strokes by 30%. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:  For thousands of years Italian people enjoyed the good health associated with a healthy diet, so it's no surprise then that as dishes containing higher quantities of red meat, cream, butter etc have slowly started to creep into Italian shopping trolleys, that obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc levels have  started to creep up as well.

Simply grilled - Seafood a staple of the Sicilian diet.