Where Every Recipe Begins with Love
If you ask me what I miss most when I travel the world, the answer is easy. My mother’s kitchen. Long before I became a tour guide, before I visited 155 countries, before I spent decades introducing travelers to Sicily and the world, there was Mamma Pina.
Like so many Sicilian mothers, she never considered herself a chef. She was something much more important. She was the heart of the family.
Arancini, the pride of the Sicilian kitchen, are fried rice balls filled with meat ragout and peas. They can also be filled with vegetables, such as mushrooms or eggplant.
Every Province in Sicily has its own delicious version of this popular appetizer. The origin of the word caponata is debated, along with the dish’s first appearance in
In ancient times, the flat bread, now known as focaccia, was baked in a family’s home. Later around the 14th Century, the first written recipes were associated with the mainland region of Liguria.
This pizza is often called rustic and simple when compared to other popular pizzas in Sicily.
Pizza is certainly one of the most popular foods in the world, and its popularity greatly increased when Italians emigrated to other countries. Even today following tradition, pizza appears as an appetizer on restaurant menus in Sicily.
This Sicilian salad appears on many restaurant menus on hot summer days. It is also served at the Feast of Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve because it goes well with seafood.
Sfincione (most likely meaning “sponge”) pizza originated as a peasant food for field workers in the small town of Corleone in the Province of Palermo.
Who doesn’t love lasagne?
While this popular summer dish may have few ingredients, it has a tremendous flavor.
According to legend, this very popular pasta was named after an opera of the same name.
This dish likely originated in the Province of Trapani, but it is popular in every province.
Historically this simple dish has fed many generations of Sicilians.
This traditional pasta most likely originated as a dish for the poor in Southern Italy.
Trofie al Pesto has becoming increasingly popular throughout mainland Italy and Sicily. It is one of the most famous pasta dishes from the region of Liguria.
If you do not like rabbit, substitute chicken or turkey.
Tired of veal marsala, try this dish.
This popular dish is often associated with the Province of Messina.
Traditionally Sicilian families include this dish in the Christmas Eve dinner called the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Buccellati (Little Bracelets) are Sicilian cookies, traditionally served at Christmas time.
A dessert eaten and enjoyed worldwide, these pastries originated in Sicily.
This traditional cake is often associated with the Provinces of Palermo and Messina.
