Eating in Sicily. Fresh fettuccine prepared with pomodorini from Pachino in southern Sicily and very hard to get because they are mostly shipped outside of Sicily, Needless to say, the taste was a revelation.

 Another pizza I baked in Sicily. I got some good fior di latte mozzarella at a super market of all places and fresh rugola [misspelled in the States as arugula]. Naturally, the tomatoes were also super fresh and the olive oil was to die for. It was cloudy because it wasn't filtered and not altered in any way. A truly memorable lunch that worthwhile turning on the oven on a very hot day.

Eating in Sicily

 Pasta ca muddica or pasta with breadcrumbs. a simple and delicious fettuccine pasta with just a hint of tomato sauce and topped with muddica atturrata or toasted breadcrumbs was served by one of my Sicilian aunts to a very crowded able. I's hard to note that for expediency she used paper plates. No one seemed to care because the pasta wast very delicious and the company delightful.

 Spaghetti with pomodorini, fried zucchine and toasted bread crumbs. A delicious summer staple in Sicily. Need I say more.

 Another eating in Sicily post. Fresh tagliatelle pasta wit the king of pomodorini the much sought after pachini. These are hard to find because they are practically all exported. I was fortunate to find a few for a memorable summer lunch.

 I love tripe but being the only member of my family to appreciate it I hardly cook it. Luckily a nice restaurant in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily,  called La Buona Forchetta, makes it and made my reservation. It was prepared in a simple tomato sauce, a far cry from trippa alla romana or trippa alla toscana  that features vegetables but it did have that tripe flavor and I enjoyed it.  When I prepare it, I add peas.  But beggars can't be choosers.              

 Summers in Sicily are hot and on very hot days it's better not to light up the kitchen range. That's when you eat a salad and affetati or cold cuts.  This simple dish of bread topped with incredible tasty slices of tomatoes, basil and semi seasoned Sicilian pecorino is ideal on such occasions. I could have added olives but I had run out and it was to hot to go get some. Nevertheless it was a nice lunch.

 As I have stated many times in the past, the genius of Italian cuisine is the ability to create delicious dishes with a minimum of ingredients. There's one caveat, the ingredients must be fresh and of high quality. This is a dish of salsa semplice or simple sauce as my mother called it that I prepared in Sicily. Fresh tomatoes, good olive oil, a garlic clove and good Sicilian pecorino. All ingredients readily available and inexpensive. The end result? What can I say. Uno spettacolo.

 Eating in Sicily. Fresh caserecce pasta with pomodorini and muddica atturrata or toasted breadcrumbs. The latter add a delightful twist making a simple pasta utterly delicious.

Speaking of Erice, Sicily, here is a couscous dish we had in this lovely medieval villege. In Sicily couscous is only prepared with fish. Need I say more.  

 Eating in Sicily when it's hot requires a nice cool salad. This was made from all fresh ingredients except for the canned tuna. Delicious

 The color of the shrimps is real. A typical misto fritto di mare or mix seafood fry that because the seafood is super fresh the resulting flavor is out of this world. This plate was from a small restaurant in Scopello a division of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily. Another memorable lunch.