Santa Lucia

Yesterday was the day of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of Syracuse, Sicily. The night was magical, ending with the sky full of fireworks.

Check out the link to learn all about her.






Saint Lucy

Buon Compleanno Alfio!

This past Sunday, Mamma made a big batch of macaroni for the ten of us. Needless to say, we enjoyed every bite. Out of the mouth of Mario Piccolo, “delizioso!”

Mussomeli: il Castello Manfredonico Chiaramontano

Of the 200 fortresses in the entire island of Sicily, indubitably the most inaccessible of all is Mussomeli Castle. A masterpiece of 14th- and 15th-cent. military architecture, it was built by Manfredi III Chiaramonte, one of the four deputies who governed the island during the reign of Queen Mary in the 1370s.
Located some 2 km from the town of Mussomeli, with heights up to 780 metres, it appears as an integral part of a rocky limestone crag that towers in solitary isolation above the countryside of Caltanissetta. Walking through this amazing creation we saw lofty cross-vaulted halls in almost every room and one thing that still stands out in my memory was the "Prison of Death". Here, the condemned were lowered through a trapdoor and drowned. The castle had high step thresholds, so in a chase an invader would trip and fall if they weren’t aware of them. They say that this castle is haunted…

Sabato Pomeriggio

After lunch we took a walk on the mountain side in search for our weeds. It was so calm and peaceful there, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the views. But we weren’t alone, we had company…

Nero

The other morning we woke up with a message from Mt. Etna. She must have been talking all night because everything was covered with a dark layer of lavic sand. Cars on the street were black and store owners were busy sweeping the sidewalks. I was told that this was nothing in comparison to a few years back, but for me it was wild.


Click on the title and you can see a live webcame of Mt.Etna.

Saint Martino Assaggiare il Vino

The harvest of the grapes is over and the wine has been sitting in a cool dark place for almost two months. The day of Saint Martino, November 11th, is the day when people have the first tasting of the wine. It is customary to accompany the wine with roasted castagna(chestnuts) and bread. I have to say that this years harvest was a good one, our wine has a nice taste. Every meal from now on, we will enjoy the flavour!

Cotognata

Quince Paste
The other day Mary, my soon to be sister in law, gave us a big bag of Cotogna. Antonello’s mother then searched in her cupboards to find her grandmothers molds, and we went to work. Cotognata
is a thick paste that people enjoy spread on bread. Once the mold is completely dry, it will conserve for months.

2 kilos of cotogna (quince)
3-5 lemons sliced –
• we learned from the bakers wife that the more lemons you use the brighter color the paste will become. Usually, the paste becomes dark, but after trying her advice, our Cotognata became a beautiful golden colour.
1 kilo of sugar

In a large pot add the cotogna, lemon slices, and fill with water. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, discarding the lemon slices.
Core the cotogna and pass them through a food mill. Place the puree back in the pot and add the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. ( You may add juice of a lemon if the mixture it too dry.)
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly. Cook until the puree is very stiff and shiny, about one hour.
Wet the molds and pour the puree into them, and leave to dry for 4-5 days. When the paste pulls away from the sides of the mold, unmold and invert to dry the other side. Dry in a cool place for one month then wrap in wax paper after that.





Mario enjoys the first serving of Cotognata on bread!

Paravati, Calabria

On November 12, we were on our way to Calabria. Our packed bus left Fuimefreddo at 6am for a Mass service in the village of Paravati, a Province of Calabria in the southernmost region of Italy. There, we were to see Natuzza Evolo, the renowned Italian medium, healer, bilocator and stigmatic. Every year thousands of people attend this ceremony and to be a part of this event was touching.

A Night in Catania

Last night I had the pleasure of going out with our friends Carmelo and Flavia. In Catania, the night was alive! On every corner sat a packed bar with live music, and the streets were full of conversation. We started the evening with a delightful meal in the Trattoria del Cavaliere. I finally had my Spaghetti con Nero di Seppia! It’s not a plate for those concerned about their appearance, as your mouth turns completely black. However, the taste is completely worth it! Carmelo and I shared a plate of frutta del mare marinata, and for our second plate we shared a riciola cooked in aqua de mare. This fish was mouth watering, and the broth was perfect!

After dinner, we spent the night strolling the streets from one place to another. Enjoying the atmosphere and most importantly, the company.

La Sposa

I know, I have a lot of catching up to do! This week has flown by and I haven’t had a chance to update this. I have been searching for “the dress” all week. I think I might have found it! These pictures are from the dress store in Giarre, can you get an idea of just how nice shopping in Italy is?

St. Leonardo, Mascali

November 6th is the day the town of Mascali celebrates their patron Saint, St. Leonardo. Mascali is a town nearby, just down the road a bit. We questioned weather or not to go, being that it was 12 degrees Celsius outside. But, we just bundled up and went. The whole weekend was dedicated to him, and everyone came out to celebrate. The streets were lined with vendors selling a little something of everything. We stopped by a Torrone seller and bought a bar to enjoy as we walked.

It felt like summer all over again! There were rides for the kids and a large stage with a live band playing. No one was threatened by the temperatures, for all of us in Mascali, it was a pleasant night.