Schiacciata or "scacciata" with broccoli and sausage

In Sicily, as in the rest of the world, it's around the dinner table that friends and family gather together to spend Christmas among laughter, stories, games and lavish dinners. The island housewives, even the younger ones with less and less time available, divided between work and family, spend whole days to prepare delicious dishes, which are the real stars of this holiday season and whose recipes are handed down from mother to daughter by generations. Among an incredible variety of delicacies, this year I decided to proposer you a typical Christmas recipe from Catania but now widespread throughout the island. It is, in practice, a stuffed savory pie: the "schiacciata" or, as they say in dialect, "scacciata". There are several variants of this recipe: some stuffed with tomato, anchovies and tuma (a typical cheese of the island's north-east), others with cauliflower and sausage. I have decided to follow the traditional recipe, the one at Christmas and New Year's triumphs on the tables of the whole island.

The recipe is a bit 'long and complex, especially the preparation of the dough requires a bit' of practice, but I will guide you step by step and also, to shorten the time, I suggest you start preparing the day before some ingredients that will serve for the filling: potatoes, sausage and broccoli.

Start to prepare broccoli. After washing, cut the tops: sliced ​​the bigger ones but leave the smaller ones whole. Boil a pan with water plenty of salt (2 tablespoons), when the water bubbles soak the broccoli for a few minutes (max 5 minutes). Then remove them and drain in the colander, where you will leave them to cool. Now started to peel the potatoes, wash and cut into slices. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C and let preheat. In the meantime, take a baking dish and arrange the slices of potatoes, sprinkle with the tomato puree (4-5 tablespoons), add water (100 ml), 1½ tablespoon of oil, 3 teaspoons of salt. After mixing everything, bake the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking, take care to turn the potatoes but gently, to prevent them grinted. Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool in a colander. Repeat the same operation for the sausage: after having peeled and crumbled, put it in a baking pan by adding 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 1 glass of water. Bake, always cook at 200 °
 Cfor about 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Then, remove from oven and let cool. Finally, now that broccoli are very cold, put on a frying pan with 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and one clove of garlic. When the garlic is golden, remove it and add the broccoli. Brown them for a few minutes, turning them with extreme delicacy. Remove them from the pan and let cool in a colander.


Now let us dedicate ourselves to the final part of the recipe: the preparation of the dough, which I suggest you make the day after cooking the potatoes, sausage and broccoli. First you dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water (80 ml) and sugar (2 teaspoons). Now in a bowl or on a pastry board the flour and give them the shape of a fountain, topped with a recess in which you will add the lard and the water in which you have dissolved the yeast. Mix with your hands and gradually add the water required. Only at the end add salt (2 tablespoons). I recommend you add salt only at the end, so that it does not come into contact with the yeast, which would block the leavening. Knead the dough until its appearance is smooth, elastic, but mainly dry: should not remain stuck on your hands and give it the shape of a ball. Now oil a bowl and arrange inside the dough, cover with a tea towel. Let rise for around 1½ hours, until the ball has doubled in volume. In the meantime, prepare the onions: wash, remove the skin and cut into thin strips, and the olives: cut them in half, remove the core and cut into small pieces.

At this point, take the dough and divide it in two parts. Roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured work surface giving it the shape of the pan you wish to use: round or rectangular and high about 1 cm. I suggest you leave a puff pastry slightly larger than the other, it will need to close the side of the schiacciata. Now grease the baking dish with oil and arrange on top of one of the puff pastry, raising the side edges, they'll need to close. Now add the filling you will place in layers: first the Tuma cheese (I suggest you use the Tuma at room temperature), then the potatoes, the broccoli, the sausage, finally again Tuma cheese.

Sprinkle all with onions, olives and freshly ground black pepper. When you place the ingredients, let the free edges, about 2 cm. Now cover with the other puff pastry and try to seal the edges well, rolling them. Perforated with a toothpick the surface of the puff pastry, so as to let out the water vapor during cooking. Cover your pan with a cloth and let stand for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile make preheat the oven to 200 ° degrees static. Spent half an hour, bake the pan and cook for about 40 minutes. After you come out the cake from the oven, brush with oil, further cover with a cloth and let stand for 20 minutes.

For those with limited time, you can buy at the bakery a loaf of already leavened dough. I advise you to taste the pasta lukewarm, but cold is absolutely exquisite too. You can serve it as an appetizer or a main dish and it is ideal for the palates of everyone: young, children and vegetarians. Hence a Christmas in the spirit of  the riot of taste and also with an eye to saving, which never hurts. To enhance the flavor of crushed I recommend a delicate white, well chilled, or totally counter to that a good red full-bodied but not too fruity


Doses for 8 people:

 For dough:
1 kilograms/2½ lb  of flour of durum-wheat semolina (if you want a dough less "rustic" I recommend you use 500 grams of durum-wheat semolina flour and 500 grams of flour '00)
25 grams/1 oz of yeast
sugar (2 teaspoons)
lard (1 tablespoon)
salt
lukewarm water to taste


For the stuffing:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/vini-e-spumanti/giffaro-cabernet-sauvignon-syrah.html
4 potatoes
1 kilograms/2½ lb of fresh pork sausage
800 grams/1lb 12 oz of broccoli tops (small ones whole, the larger ones sliced)
600 grams/1 lb 5 oz of Tuma cheese (to be used at room temperature, in case take off it from fridge 2/3 hours before use)
2 white onions tender, cut into thin strips
tomato sauce (8 tablespoons)
50 grams/2 oz of black olives
1 clove of garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil

For your shopping we suggest:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/vini-e-spumanti/giffaro-cabernet-sauvignon-syrah.html

http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/vini-e-spumanti/lissandrello-cabernet-sauvignon.html

And, in particular, for your purchases and how original Christmas ideas recommend the packages of carefully selected typical Sicilian products:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/confezioni_cocciudamuri

Pasta with picchio pacchio sauce (pasta a "picchi pacchiu")

Many of the Sicilian friends will smile when reading the curious name of this recipe. In my research to understand its origin, in fact, I found very little information, but according to the most widespread, it seems that this is a wordplay born from the term "Pacchio" that, in the island dialect, indicates the female sexual organ  and, by analogy, this good and exciting sauce has the same nickname. In the proposed recipe that I use this sauce, originally from Palermo, to season the pasta, but the Sicilian housewives add it in various preparations: the pasta with tenerumi, with borage, with zucchini, but also in soups, soups fish, stewed salt cod and, above all, in a famous dish, also from Palermo, the "babbaluci" (snails that are prepared for the feast of the patron saint, Santa Rosalia, on 14 and 15 July). This versatile sauce, ideal for the palates of our vegetarian and vegan friends and some call also abbreviating pic pac, has the great advantage of being easy and quick to prepare. In short, perfect when you do not have much time and want to accomplish something genuine and cheap.

To realize the "picchi pacchiu" sauce, you must first clean up the tomatoes. After washing, place a saucepan with cold water and dip them in. When the husks tomatoes break, remove them from the pot and place them in a colander. Once they have cooled, peel them, open them in half to remove seeds, then cut them into strips and set aside. Now prepare onions and garlic: remove the peel and chop finely, especially the garlic (if you do not like garlic, cut it into two parts so that it can recognize and delete at the end of the cooking sauce). At this point you place on a frying pan with oil, add onions and garlic and let cook everything for a few minutes (3-4), low heat. After you add the tomatoes, the chopped basil leaves, salt and pepper. Let cook for about fifteen minutes.


Meanwhile boil some water for pasta. When pasta is ready, drain it, pour the sauce, some basil leaves and dish out. Add on every dish abundant grated caciocavallo cheese (or toasted breadcrumbs for our vegan friends). For gourmets who enjoy the spicy flavors I suggest you add the dried red chilies cut thinly.





Doses for 4 people:

- 600 grams/1 lb 5 oz of pasta (long or short, choose the kind you prefer)
- 1,500 kilograms/3 lb 5 oz of tomatoes for sauce (if you like sweet tastes, I recommend you use the "datterini" quality)
- 100 grams/4 oz of grated Caciocavallo cheese (for vegan friends, you can replace the cheese with the toasted breadcrumbs)
- 1 white onion (small or half of a large)
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (if you do not like garlic, cut into 4 pieces just so you can later remove)
-  salt (2 tablespoons)
-  freshly ground black pepper (2 teaspoons)
-  extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons)
-  dried red chilli, finely chopped (2 teaspoons; chili is optional)
- fresh basil leaves (some chopped, others left intact)

For your shopping, I suggest:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.htm

Sicilian style cutlet

Melting pot of Italian cuisine, Sicilian style cutlet is, indeed, an exquisite reinterpretation of traditional Milanese recipe that meets typical ingredients, flavors and fragrances of the island, such as caciocavallo cheese, breadcrumbs, egg and vinegar.

This dish provides, precisely, that the slices of meat are marinated in vinegar, a procedure often followed by the Sicilian housewives because the meat, even those of the fish, don't pulp  soften, leaving, instead, firm and compact.

Perfect to prepare when you have little time and you want to bring to the table a delicious main course, these cutlets with their tasty breading and the particular flavor given to it by pickling in vinegar, manage to give delicate palates and lovers of intense flavors.

First, put the slices of meat to marinate in a dish with plenty of vinegar that has to cover them completely. Let the slices submerged for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, open your eggs in a dish and beat them until the yolk and the egg white are well blended. Now take charge of preparing the breadcrumbs. After pouring the breadcrumbs in a large bowl, add the grated cheese, finely chopped garlic, salt, fresh ground black pepper and chopped fresh parsley.

Now place on fire a large skillet pan with 5 tablespoons of extra vergin olive oil and let it heat for good. Meanwhile take the slices of meat one at a time, by dripping the excess vinegar, intigetele by both parties before the egg and then in the seasoned breadcrumbs taking care that the breadcrumbs adhere to well.
When the oil is hot, fry your cutlets until they are golden brown on both sides. Place the slices on a tray lined with paper towel, to wipe any excess oil.

I suggest you to accompanied yours cutlets, to which the special breading and vinegar will give a unique flavor, by a full bodied red wine.

Doses for 4 people:

- 600 grams of veal rump slices, sliced ​​thin
- 200/250 grams of breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 glass of red wine vinegar (if you prefer a milder flavor, you can use white wine vinegar)
- 4 tablespoons of grated caciocavallo cheese (alternatively you can use the peppery ewe's cheese)
- A chopped bunch of parsley
-1 thinly sliced clove of garlic
- Salt (6 teaspoons)
- Freshly ground black pepper (3 teaspoons)

For your shopping, I suggest:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Pasta with pesto sauce in the Trapani's style ("agghiata trapanisi")

Typical of western Sicily, the pesto sauce in the Trapani's style recipe, that is called "agghiata" is, in practice, a reworked version of the traditional pesto sauce. From the East, the Genoese sailors who stopped in the port of Trapani, in fact, did know the pesto to the local inhabitants, who modified it by adding some typical ingredients of their land: the almonds instead of pine nuts, and tomatoes. The ideal would be to step on the various ingredients in the mortar, but if you do not have enough time at your disposal you can use a blender or a mixer. The result will still be a quick and easy sauce to realize that will captivate everyone with its aroma and scents of Sicily. The original recipe also provides for the use of "busiate", a typical pasta format of the Trapani area.

After washing the tomatoes, place on the fire a pot of water and soak the tomatoes. Leave them for about 2-3 minutes until their skin does not begin to split. At that point, drain and let cool them. When they will be cooled, remove the peel, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Now add them in the mortar (or blender) along with basil, garlic and almonds cut into small pieces and two tablespoons of oil. As pounded add the other two tablespoons of oil. When you have finished pounding the ingredients, let stand the sauce, then after about twenty minutes, add salt, pepper, grated pecorino cheese. Mix well and add only a little oil on the surface.



At this point put on fire a saucepan of salted water to prepare busiate pasta. When the pasta is al dente drain it, arrange on plates and season with your pesto sauce. Before adding the sauce, dilute it with two tablespoons of cooking water.

I recommend you to combine pasta all'agghiata with a great dry white wine, which will enhance the aroma of this irresistible first dish.


Doses for 4 people:

- 500 grams/1 lb of pasta "busiate" (alternatively, you can use the spaghetti or bucatini)
- 300 grams/11 oz of tomatoes (preferably plum or Pachino quality)
- 1 tablespoon of grated pecorino
- 70 grams/3 oz of basil
- 50 grams/2 oz of almonds, shelled and peeled
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic (if you find the quality red, but if you do not like, you can not put it)
- salt (6 teaspoons)
- ground black pepper (2 teaspoons)

For your shopping, I suggest you:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/prodotti-gastronomici/aromi-e-spezie/aromi-per-spaghetti-all-eoliana-100g-82.html

Sun dried tomatoes in oil ("pomoduru sicchi")

Sun dried tomatoes in oil are one of those traditional canned in oil that the housewives of the South of Italy prepare at the end of each summer and during the winter they pull out of their pantries to cook or accompany some traditional dishes, so bringing to the table a bit of colors and flavors of the sweet and sunny summer season.

The recipe that I propose below is followed by the Sicilian housewives, for the drying and seasoning.

In most of the Island to make this canned oil it's used San Marzano tomatoes, but in some locations are used those of Pachino, while in others you add the capers when the tomatoes are seasoned. I prefer to use San Marzano and do not add the capers, I faithfully follow the recipe of my home that has always conquered all. Very simple to prepare, sun dried tomatoes in oil, however, require a lot of care and patience during the delicate time sun drying. But if the daily grind does not leave you much time, today you can buy already dried tomatoes.

Wash the tomatoes and cut them lengthwise into two parts, arrange on a wooden board or a baking sheet and season with salt thoroughly. Then cover with a thin net, which is used to prevent that the insects are put above, and put them under the sun from 9 am to 5 pm. In the evening I recommend you store tomatoes inside to avoid damp evening. Repeat this for about 8-10 days, turning every two days, until the tomatoes will not lose all their water.

At this point, wash the tomatoes inside a pot with lukewarm water. Repeat for 2-3 times in order to eliminate all the salt. Then place them back in the sun 3-4 days, until they are completely dry.

Now go to season your tomatoes. Arrange in layers inside the bowl, you have sterilized before, alternating these layers put in inters cloves of garlic and some cloves sliced , fresh chilli both whole and cut into slices and oregano. At the end, add the extra virgin olive oil. The oil will have to overcome the final layer of tomatoes by 2-3 fingers. Every time that you consume tomatoes take care to add a bit of oil.

Usually the dried tomatoes are eaten as an appetizer accompanied by good homemade bread but if you get a little ' fantasy you can also add them to first, second and salads , giving a particular taste that will conquer your friends. Try, for example, to add the chopped dried tomatoes to spaghetti garlic and oil , or try to make a mousse to spread.  You will see the result .

Ingredients :

- San Marzano tomatoes (or Pachino variety , if you love the sweet flavors)

- Green and red hot peppers

- Origan

- salt

- extra virgin olive oil

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Canned tomatoes ("buttigghi i pomodoru")

There isn't a Sicilian boy or girl who at least once when was a teenager has not had to interrupt his summer vacation to help her mother, grandmother, aunts but even the neighbors to do the "buttigghi of pomodoru" (canned tomatoes). Although today it is more convenient to buy ready-made canned, in the Island this preparation is still a summer tradition for many, a bit ' as an anniversary during which the family but also close friends gather to spend a day together. As the Sicilian housewives we can use canned tomatoes throughout the year, avoiding to buy industrial products and why not save a bit ' on the budget of our spending , which never hurts .

First you place a large pot on the fire with water and soak the tomatoes already washed. Just the husk tomato breaks, remove the tomato from the pot and place it in a colander to drain. If necessary crushed tomatoes in colander with a fork to let out the excess water. Just the tomatoes have cooled put them in a vegetable mill and strain them. Applied the mill filter with narrower holes if you want to completely avoid the presence of husks. Be careful to pass the tomatoes several times so don't to waste the pulp, leaving it attached to the husk. If you intend to make a plentiful supply of canned for the winter you will have to boil many tomatoes and in that case we recommend you to use an electric blender .

Now pour the pulp that you have done ​​in the containers that have already sterilized and then sigillateli tightly. In the Island one time as containers were to reuse the bottles of beer that were opened during the year and aside from just to make preserves, from here the dialect word used " buttighi " (bottles) . Personally before to seal the containers I put in half some leaves of fresh basil. I don't add salt because I put it when i use the preservers for the preparation of a dish.


Now take a pot very large, line it with some tea towels and fill it with water. Put in containers, interlocking them gently to avoid breakage but not leaving much space between one and the other, otherwise they risk moving and jostling as they are boiling. Simmer for about half an hour. Finished boiling, outputs the containers and let cool thoroughly before storing them in your pantry. Now you will have canned tomatoes, without any preservatives , that you can use throughout the year .



I highly recommend you pay attention to the glass. Always handle containers with care especially when they are still hot, or while they're boiling !!!

Ingredients

- ripe tomatoes for sauce ( I personally prefer to use the quality San Marzano )
- water
- basil

Meat rolls or "braciole" Messina style

In Italian kitchen "braciola" means a slice of lean meat destined to be cooked mostly on the grill .

In Southern Italy the "braciola" , instead , shows a thin slice, usually of meat, but there are also those of fish or vegetables, containing a filling wrapped on itself. Here we propose the braciola according to the use of chop Messina, where this recipe was brought by the Spanish, but reworked by the inhabitants of the Strait that personalized it, giving us today this delicious dish. There are several variants of this preparation which concern the use of butter or oil instead of lard, the kind of cheese to put in the seasoning, the outer breading of rolls. I propose a very simple version, the traditional one of my house  and to enjoy it at its best, if you can, I recommend to cook the chops on the grill .

First you buy from your local butcher tne meat needed for rolls. You'll have to make you give the small slices of silverside cut very thin, or you can use thick flank, but you'll have to beat with a meat mallet to make it thinner. For the size of slice must have a rectangular shape and be approximately hig 4 fingers and 6 long. Many use slices of bigger size, but consider that you can eat the ideal roll in just two forkfuls. Indeed to realize chops very small, to eat in one bite, is considered a true mastery in Messina.

Therefore, start to prepare the "mollica condita" which will serve for the filling. Pour into a bowl grated crumb of dry bread, (if you grate the bread by yourself, try to remove the bread crust and used only the soft part) and add the fresh parsley cut very thin, freshly ground black pepper, grated Pecorino cheese, garlic chipped thin, almost crushed, and salt.

Now arrange the slices of meat on a level and started to fill them. On each slice put in the middle a thin piece of lard, almost a veil, then pour a small amount of our "seasoned crumbs." Some prefer to use in place of lard butter or oil, strictly extra virgin olive oil. In this case you will have to add oil directly into grated crumbs (4/5 tbsp). Finally, add cheese cut into little cubes. I will suggest you use the sweet provolone, if, instead, you prefer a more intense flavor use caciocavallo ocheese or for a softer taste use a  steamed stretched cheese.

After this step, you must close the rolls wrapping them on themselves .

First inwardly bent the side ends, to prevent the filling comes out during cooking, then you begin to wrap the roll in on itself. Now strung one by one in the rolls skewer trying to stop the side ends. Arrange 5/6 rolls at most to skewer. This is a far from simple task , as we well know. This operation is not very simple to realize, we know well. The advice is not to surrender even if your first rolls will not be perfect. Acquire technical and mastery time by time.

Do aflame well the grill or your electric grill and when it is hot put over the rolls. Turn the rolls on the other side halfway through cooking, roughly when you detach from the grid without difficulty. In general, the meat must remain tender and not dry too much to taste better its flavor .

Meat rolls or "braciole" Messina style is a dish to be served at the table during the family celebrations, because they manage to conquer all: young and old , and for delicious dinners among friends. Even the most refined palates can not resist the unique flavor of tender "braciole" that blend well with a full-bodied and intense red wine, but are united in a very pleasant combination even with a good well chilled white wine, both dray that semidry.

Doses for 4 people:

- 600 grams/ 1lb 5 oz of silverside or of thick flank, cut thin- 600 grammi di fettin

- 200 grams/7 oz of grated crumb of dry bread

- 150 grams/5 oz of sweet provoone cuts into cubes (alternatively you can use caciocavallo cheese or steamed stretched cheese)

- 70 grams/3 oz of grated percorino cheese

- 70 grams/3oz of lard (or butter or extra virgin olive oil)

- fresh parsley cut very thin

- freshly ground black pepper (6 teaspoons)

- 1 garlic chipped thin

- salt (5 teaspoons)

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Fig and almond jam

The fig and almond jam, sweetness riot, is an extraordinary mix of typical Sicilian flavors. To achieve the best I recommend you use fresh almonds and figs. The original recipe for this jam expected to leave the almonds whole and to use figs in their natural texture, but if you prefer a version more velvety for the palate you can pass shelled almonds in a mortar without, of course , doesn't chop too (or you will lose aroma and fragrance) and you can move the figs in a blender or a mixer, before allowing them to macerate with the sugar and the grated rind.

Boil a pot with water and once it reaches the boil remove from heat, pour the almonds and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. After private almonds of peel and dry them. You can skip this step if you decide to use already peeled almonds. Once this phase of preparation, clean the figs with a cloth slightly dampened with water and cut them in half lengthwise. Place them , then , in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and grated lemon peel, cover with plastic wrap and let them marinate in the fridge for an hour. After this time, pour into a steel casserole heavy and simmer until the sugar begins to caramelize , being careful not to brown too much .

Now add the peeled almonds and stir to mix them evenly to fruit. Pour the Cognac and let evaporate at very moderate heat, stirring constantly . When the jam has reached the ideal consistency, remove it from the pot , transfer into clean jars and, at the end, close them tightly.

The fig and almond jam is ideal for a healthy and nutritious breakfast, but just as delicious to serve a tasty snack to all our friends, including vegetarian , gluten-free and vegan . And if your imagination kitchen will suggest it, you can use this jam for garnish some sweets made ​​at home from you.


For 4 jars 4 dl (13,52 fl oz):

-1 kg/3 lb of little and compact white figs
- 120 grams/4½ oz of shelled almonds (if you don't want to peel them, as recipe prescribes, you can buy almonds yet peeled)
- 700 grams/1 lb 8 oz of caster sugar (or, alternatively, brown sugar, I prefer it)
- 5 tablesppons of Cognac
- 1 grated lemon peel

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/prodotti-gastronomici/aromi-e-spezie/aromi-per-spaghetti-all-eoliana-100g-82.html

Rice crepes or Sicilian donuts ("Crispeddi i risu" or "Zeppuli")

Rice crepes or Sicilian donuts, called in dialect " crispeddi i risu " or " Zeppuli " ) according to the places where they are cooked , are cakes very easy to make with honey and rice . However in the island there are numerous variations and according to tradition they are prepared during the Christmas period or on the occasion of Father's Day (March 19 ). Economic and tasty, they are a real delight of which are greedy adults and children .

In a large saucepan place the rice, along with the milk, salt and whole peel of an orange . Put the pot on the fire and let cook over low heat , until the rice has fully absorbed the milk (if necessary, add water so that is not too dry rice) . When the rice has completely absorbed the milk and assumed the appearance of an almost overcooked risott, remove the saucepan from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the rice in a bowl, remove the orange whole peel and add to the mixture sugar , cinnamon, the grated peel of an organge and a lemon, brewer's yeast (diluted with a little of warm water) and, finally, flour. Mix everything gently with a spoon, place over a placemat and let stand for about 2 hours. Take care that the mixture is not too dry, in that case add a little  of milk .



Put a pan with the oil on the fire and let it heat. Meanwhile, pour the rice mixture on a floured cutting board, roll it (the mixture will be higher about 2-3 cm), then cut it with a floured knife, creating little cane long 4-5 cm and thick almost a finger. Work the little cane with hands trying to shape into small cylinders and when the oil is hot start to fry your rice little cane, little by little and over low heat , turning from time to time. Remove them when they are golden , arrange on a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil , finally put the little cane on another plate. In a saucepan heat the honey in a water bath ( or a few seconds in a microwave oven), when it is well liquid pour abundantly on rice cane . Sprinkle the donuts with icing sugar and serve at the table still warm .


I recommend to accompany zeppuli, simple but exquisite and that win young and old, with a fortified wine such as passito, zibibbo and marsala to exalt the citrus taste of rice crepes.

Doses:

- 1 liter/ Us quart of milk
- 300grams/11 oz of rice
- 200 grams/7 oz of Acacia's honey ( if you find it on commerce,I suggest to use organge blossom honey
- 150 grams/5 oz of 00 flour (or if you prefer cake flour)
- 20 grams/ ¾ oz of brewer's yeast

- 60 grams/ 2½ of granulated sugar
- salt (1 teaspoon)
- cinnamon powder (1 teaspoon)
- 2 orange peel (1 whole, 1 grated)
- 1 grated lemon peel
- extra virgin olive oil (4 tablespoons)
- incing sugar (6 teapoons)

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Pasta with fried zucchini ("Pasta chi cucuzzeddi fritti")

Pasta with "cucuzzeddi fritti" is a popular dish in Sicily, probably because the zucchini are grown and grow luxuriantly throughout the island . You'll never find, in fact, a Sicilian fruit and vegetables stand that does not sell these vegetables !!!! The recipe is very simple to implement and economical. There aren't big variations, you can use either long or short pasta and season it with the Parmesan or salted ricotta cheese, as required by the original recipe.

First wash the zucchini, remove the beginning and end but not the peel, then cut into slices not too thin. Now place them in a colander and sprinkle with salt. So zucchini will eliminate their bitter taste. After about half an hour wash the slices quickly and dry them thoroughly with paper towels, to avoid dangerous splashes of oil when fry them. Meanwhile, put on fire a large non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic, which will eliminate just golden. When the oil is hot place your zucchini and let them fry a little at a time. Remove them from the pan only when they are golden brown and place on a plate lined with paper towel to wipe the excess oil. The original recipe envisages to save the oil in which you fry the zucchini to season pasta, but if you prefer a lighter version of this dish you can use other extra virgin olive oil.

Pun on fire a pot with water and salt to cook pasta (you can use both the short pasta or that long, according to your taste). When the pasta is ready, drain and add to zucchini and oil (the oil in which you have fried zucchini ora other olive oil, as you prefer). Finally add the fresh basil, if you can find it, and grated cheese: Parmesan cheese for a milder taste, or salted ricotta, as required by tradition, for a more intense flavor .



I recommend to accompany this first course with a good dry white wine . This recipe is very simple to realize  and ideal for our vegetarian friends, but also for our vegan friends, if you do not have to use the grated cheese. In this case I recommend to add freshly ground black pepper.

Doses for 4 people:

- 500/1 lb  grams of pasta (short or long, as you prefer)
- 3 medium zucchini
- extra virgin olive oil (3/4 tablespoons)
- salt (4 teaspoons to salt zucchini; 2 tablespons for pasta)
- grated Parmesan or salted ricotta (3 teaspoons)
- fresh basil (big leaves quality)
- 1 clove of garlic
- ground black pepper (teaspoons)

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Panelle

Famous all over over the world, "panelle" are an absolutely typical dish of Palermo where, usually, are consumed in paper cone or in a sandwich and for this can be considered a classic example of Sicilian street food.

Simple and economic to prepare, needs, in fact, only chickpea flour for the dough and oil to frying. The only known variant concerns the form to be given to these pancakes: the classical rectangular or the more modern round.

In a pot with 1,5 liters of cold water pour a little bit a time the chickpea flour, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Mix everything very carefully to avoid lumps. When the flour is dissolved completely, place the pot on low heat, add the chopped fresh parsley and continue stirring so that the flour does not stick to the pot. Let cook until the cream has a thick consistency but still soft, about 15-20 minutes. Now pour the mixture on a wooden cutting board, formed a top layer of about 2-3 mm and let cool for about 2 hours. When the mixture is cold and coagulated cut it with a washer and form rectangles (you decide the size). If you prefer the round shape, pour the mixture on the  down of small  saucers.

Now place on the flame a non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons). When the oil is hot, fry the panelle, a few at time so that they don't overlap each other, and remove them after a few minutes, just golden. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to wipe the excess oil. Bring on the table piping hot and with a dash of lemon. Alternatively you can consume them in a sandwich, accordin the custom of Palermo.


A nice idea and tasty for a appetizer with friends, it can be to prepare mini panelle to serve with a spritz. If, instead, you want to taste the panelle as a secound course I recommend to accompany them with a good fresh white wine, slightly sparkling. If you prefer you can enjoy them while drinking a light beer ora a red, with a more bitter flavor. In additionm the panelle are ideal dish that you can prepare for our celiac friends.

Doses:

- 500 grams/1 lb of chickpea flour
- 1,5 liters of cold water
- chopped fresh parsley
- extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons)
- salt (5 tablespoons)
- fresh ground black pepper (2 tablespoons)
- 1 lemon

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Fried sardines ("Sarde allinguate")

Fried sardines , in Sicilian dialect " allinguate " probably because once open and clean take the form of a tongue , are an original dish of the Palermo area that, however, today it is prepared from housewives of the whole island .
Th fundamental ingredient of this recipe are the sardines, strictly fresh, which are very tasty and extremely rich in valuable nutritional  values as the rest of the family of blue fish which they belong. easy to prepare and economic (that never hurts !!!), this dish will catch you for its particular taste, a sort of bittersweet due to the pickling, enclosed in a crisp and very light frying.



First, in a bowl prepare a mixture made of vinegar (2 tablespoons) and water (1 tablespoon), then clean the sardines. Remove the heads, open them in half lengtwise, deprive of thorns and entrails. Wash them carefully and pat dry with paper towels. Now place them in the bowl with the mixture of vinegar and water and let them marinate for about ten minutes. At this point, put on the fire a very large frying pan with oil (4 tablespoons) and let it warm up. Meanwhile, prepare a plate with flour (you can use flour 00 or 0, if you prefer a crispy fried) and floured sardines on both sides. Fry them in the pan over high heat and few at  time, so it does not from overlapping each other. When they are golden brown, remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels, so as to remove excess oil. Season with salt, sqeeze of lemon and serve piping hot.

I suggest you to accompany this dish with a white and sparkling wine.

Doses for 4 people:

- 700 grams/1 lb 8 oz of sardines
- 6/7 tablespoons of flour (00 or 0, if you prefer a crispier fry. I use flour 0)
- 2 glasses of wine vinegar (white wine or red, if, like me, you prefer a intense and more sweet  taste
- 1 glass of water
- 1 lemon
- oil (4 tablespoons)
- salt (1 tablespoon)

We recommend for your shopping:
http://cocciudamuri.it/index.php/selezionati-da-cocciu-d-amuri/olio-extra-vergine-d-oliva.html

Pasta with broad beans and ricotta cheese

The pasta with broad beans and ricotta cheese is probably one of the most typical dishes of Sicily. Triumph of simplicity, this pasta is in fact prepared with two ingredients that never miss in the kitchens of the Sicilian housewives: broad beans, those small and more tender, and fresh ewe's ricotta cheese, that is used in particular in the area of Agrigento. For you to really get the delicate and refined taste that is born from the meeting of these two ingredients, I recommend you to use broad beans and ricotta, both fresh. Some recipes prescribe to fry the broad beans in a pan, but in the version that I propose  they are prepared in a pot, so as to affect as little as possible their flavor and let them tender. For the preparation of this dish you can use both of the short pasta, which that long. To you and your palate free choice.

Shell the broad beans from the pod and their interior husk. In a pot, add the shelled braod beans, the shallot cut vey thin, salt, fresh ground black pepper (1 teaspoon), oil (1 tablespoon) and 1 glass of water. Let cook for about 20 minues over a low flame. In the meantime, put on the fire the water for the pasta and cook it. Lay down the ewe's ricotta in a soup-tureen and add two spoons of cooking water to dilute the consistence of the ricotta cheese. When the pasta is ready, drain it, pour into the soup-tureen, add the broad beans and fresh ground black pepper (2 teaspoons). Mix the all for well, but with extreme care not to break the broad beans. Now bright to the table and serve it.

I suggest to accompany this dish with a very mild taste with a good white wine dry but fuit.

Doses for 4 people:

- 1 kilogram/2 lb 3 oz of fresh broad beans, small and tender
- 300 grams/ 11 oz of fresh ewe's ricotta cheese
- 400 grams/14 oz of pasta (long or short at your convenience)
- 1 shallot
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt (for the pasta, about 2/3 tablespoons)
- fresh groun black pepper (3 teaspoons)

Cuccìa

The cuccìa is a Sicilian typical dessert that is prepared on the occasion of the party of Saint Lucy (December 13) during which, according to the tradition, in the Island nobody eats pasta and bread . It's a dessert  really simple to make, however wheat must be soaked for three days before cooking and the water should be changed every 24 hours. This step is fundamental otherwise the grain will remain too hard. There are versions that  prescribe the use of chocolate or cream of milk, but one that I present below is the original recipe made with Ewe's ricotta.



After the grain has been in soak for three days, proceed to cook it in a pot with water and salt (1 spoon and a half). The cooking of the grain will last for several hours, about 6-8, and must happen on a low flame. Alternatively, to shorten the time you can cook the grain in a pressure cooker (in this case the cooking will last about 40-50 minutes). When the grains is ready, remove from the fire and and leave it the whole night in the pot covered by a tea towel. The day later drain it and then dry it well with a tea towel

At this point, start to prepare the ricotta, that must assume the consistence of a cream. Mix together the ricotta with the sugar until the mixture seems like a smooth cream (if you want you can use an electric mixer). Now add the drops of chocolate, the candied fruit cut into small pieces and the cooked grain, stirring delicacy until everything is well amalgamated. Finish garnishing the surface with a sprinkling of cinnamon powder and some candied fruit, such as cherries. Let stand the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving. If you prefer, you can serve cuccìa to your friends in single little cup.

I suggest you to accompany this dessert with the Sicilian sweet liqueurs like Malvasia, Passito, Zibibbo or, for those who prefer a contrasting taste, a dry prosecco.

Doses for 500 grams/1 lb 2 oz of grain:

- 500 grams/1 lb 2 oz of grain (to shorten the times of soaking and cooking, you can use the already cooked grain, but the final taste will be not the same)
- 800 grams/2 lb of Ewe's ricotta
- 400 grams/1 lb granulated sugar
- 100 grams/4 oz of drops of chocolate
- 100 grams/4 oz of candied fruit (cedar, orange, pumpkin and cherries to garnishing)
- cinnamon powder (about 5 teaspoon)
- salt (1 and a half sppon)

Pasta with sardines ("Pasta chi sardi")

Pasta with sardines ("Pasta chi sardi"), combination of strong and contrasting flavors, is one of the most famous Sicilian dishes in the World, that will surprise you for its unique and extraordinary taste. There are several versions of this recipe prepared with absolutely typical ingredients of the Sicilian territory as sweet fennel or ingredients which are entered for centuries in the island cuisine as pine nuts, imported at the time of Arab domination. Some of this recipes provide, for example, to bake pasta for few minutes before finishing the cooking, or, instead, to add tomato sauce, as is customary in the Agrigento area. I present you the version that is prepared in Palermo, where the pasta with sardines is considered one of the most traditional dishes and cooked for the feast of Santa Rosalia and St. Joseph (now called Father's Day).

First of all clean the sweet fennel, taking care to remove the toughest sprigs, rinse it quickly and put to boil in a pot with plentiful salt water for 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the fennel from the pot but don't throw its cooking water, reserve it aside because you will need later. Dry fennel with blotting paper and cut into pieces.





Meanwhile clean the sardines. Remove heads, tails, plugs, bowels and, finally, open them in half lenghtwise. Rinse carefully them, dry with blotting paper, then, cut into small pieces (but not too small) and store. Now slice thinly the onion  and brown it in a big pan with two spoons of extravirgin oil, add the anchovy fillets and let them "melt" until they become a sort of sauce creamy. At this point add the sardines and fry everything for about 3-4 minutes.

In the frying pan add the grape passolina, the pine nuits, the sweet fennel, 4 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of fresh ground black pepper. Take care to mix this seasoning with delicacy and, if it seems necessary, add 1 tablespoon of the sweet fennel cooking water, that you have held aside. Let cook for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, put on the gas the pot with remained fennel cooking water (if it's necessary add more water) in which you will cook the bucatini. In another pan, pour 1 tablespoon of extravirgin olive oil and add the bread-crumbs, let toats it until it is golden brown, but attention not to make it burn.

When pasta will be cooked drain it well, then pour into the pan with the seasoning and mix everything gently, keeping the gas flame to a minimum. After plating  pasta, sprinkle each portion with abundant bread-crumbs and bring on the table.





I suggest you to accompany the pasta with sardines with a vintage and flavored white wine, well frozen.

Doses for four people:

- 500 grams/1 lb of bucatini pasta
- 500 grams/1 lb of sweet fennel (if you don't find it, you can use the green part of fennel but the final taste will be not the same)
- 500 grams/1 lb of fresch sarde (sarde are also known as sardines)
- 50 grams/2 oz of grape passolina (I suggest you to don't use rainsins or grape sultana because are too sweet)
- 50 grams/2 oz of pine nuts
- 3 salted anchovies
- 1 white onion
- bread-crumbs (3/4 tablespoons)
- extravirgin olive oil
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper