Sicily Golf Wine and Food

June 15, 2013 8:30 am

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June 16, 2013 9:30 pm

Villa Airoldi Golf Club in Palermo organizes Sicily Golf Wine and Food. This upcoming weekend all participants can play golf,  taste delicious Sicilian food and enjoy a glass of wine.

In the heart of Palermo within a historic 18^th century garden, Villa Airoldi Golf Club is Western Sicily’s most attended golf club. The villa also hosts events such as concerts, art exhibits, book presentations and cocktail parties.

Program of the event:

Saturday, June 15

8:30 AM –  Sicily Golf Wine & Food Tournament (four-ball formula Stableford 9-hole)

9:00 AM – Start of Golf Open Day

11:00 AM – Wine House Aperitif (participating wineries: Brugnano, Corvo, Duca di Salaparuta, Feudo Montoni, Feudo Arancio, Florio, Mandarossa, Marchesi de Gregorio, Planeta, Rapitalà, Tasca d’Almerita)

4:45 PM –  Opening of Coldiretti Area (oenogastronomic excellency-tastings)

5:00 PM – Beginning of Cooking Contest with three junior chefs

6:30 PM – Wine/Coffee Sensorial Experience (mini tasting courses by:

Giovanni Giardina, Master Wine-Taster and ONAV national vice-president,

Arturo Morettino, Master IIAC Coffee-Taster)

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM –  Musical Entertainment

Sunday, June 16

8:30 AM – Sicily Golf wine & Food Tournament (four-ball formula Stableford 9-hole)

9:00 AM – Start of Golf Open Day

10:00 AM – Coldiretti Area Opening with tastings

11:00 AM – Wine House Aperitif

4:45 PM  -  Opening of Coldiretti Area (oenogastronomic excellency-tastings

5:30 PM – Book Presentation: “Chiaracucina” by Chiara Chiaramonte

6:00 PM – Cooking Competition Awarding

6:30 PM – Golf Tournament Awarding

6:45 PM – Instanbike Palermo Award

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Aperitif Buffet and Musical Entertainment

Free Entrance

For more information:

www.villaairoldigolfclub.com

Facebook: Sicily Golf Wine & Food

Post by Maria Lina Bommarito

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Sicilian Rosé Wines: A Seductive New Trend

June 9, 2013
6:30 pm	to	10:30 pm

Rosé & Trend, a wine tasting event dedicated to Sicilian rosé wines, takes place at the exclusive location of Officine Baronali inside Villa Scovazzo, a restored 18th century villa in Palermo.

Wineries from the different areas in Sicily showcase more than forty different wines. Rosé & Trend is not just a wine-tasting, Officine Baronali will serve finger-food and Sicilian gourmet specialties prepared by the restaurant’s chef.

Sicilian rosé wines have become more appreciated because their crisp taste and easy to match ability to blend with food. Whenever a red wine would be too much and a white too shy, the best pairing is rosé.

Participating wineries:
Tasca d’Almerita, Regaleali, Planeta, Corvo, Firriato, Milazzo, Gorghi Tondi, Caruso & Minini, Barbera, Orestiadi, Rapitalà, Marabino, Settesoli, DiPrima, Paolo Calì, CVA, Spadafora Francesco, Bonavita.

Tickets available on site €15

For more information:
www.verissima.it
www.officinebaronali.it

Post by Maria Lina Bommarito

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Officine Baronali – Via Villa Rosato, 20
Palermo

Granita Festival in Acireale

June 13, 2013 10:00 am

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June 16, 2013 12:00 pm

Granita is a frozen dessert made with water and a syrup base, much like sherbet. It’s origins date back to the Arab domination in Sicily which has left so much to the island in spite of its relatively short period (827-1091 AD).
In the past the granita was a privilege only for the rich and aristocratic families as it was made using the snow gathered on Mount Etna and on the Peloritani and Nebrodi mountains, then stored in natural caves and extracted during the summer.

Acireale celebrates this frozen dessert with its own festival from June 13 through 16. For more details and program, please visit www.anivarata.it (ITALIAN).

Photo © Franca Calderone

For reservations

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Sicilian Students Promote the Mediterranean Diet

May 17, 2013 10:00 am

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May 19, 2013 7:00 pm

The Mediterranean diet – declared by UNESCO “Intangible Cultural Heritage” in 2010, is the protagonist of a cultural project created by some Sicilian students. The Rassegna Vino & Olio (Wine & Oil Festival) organized by the students of the P. Mattarella-D. Dolci Institute in Alcamo has the purpose of promoting the Sicilian culinary tradition.

Students, public institutions, wine and oil producers are all working together to promote local products and sustain economic development. Three days of exhibitions, music, sport and culture starting on Friday, May 17 at 10:00 AM with the conference - The typicality of the Sicilian territory and the Mediterranean Diet - at the Marconi Congress Center (free entrance). Friday and Saturday at 6:00 PM (and Sunday starting at 10:00 AM) everyone is invited to the trade show in Alcamo’s  gorgeous Piazza Ciullo, the heart of the town’s historic center. Local producers offer tastings of traditional food, olive oils and wines.

“The Mediterranean diet” says Sebastiano Bonventre, mayor of Alcamo “must not simply be considered nutrition, but a lifestyle”. It is a combination of habits, knowledge and traditions that go from the countryside to the table.

Sicilian food follows the Mediterranean diet, which is characterized  by olive oil as the dominant fat source and a high to moderate  consumption of fruit and vegetables, grains, legumes and fish in combination with small amounts of meat and – of course – wine with meals. Studies confirm the positive health effects of the Mediterranean diet and let’s not forget that the Mediterranean way of eating is tasty, flavorful and enjoyable!

Post and photos by Maria Lina Bommarito

For information, email rosadeventiwinefoodtour@gmail.com

Address: Municipio Centro Congressi Maroni
Corso Sei Aprile, 119
91011, Alcamo (TP)

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Caponata

Caponata is a very typical Sicilian dish, popular in the whole Mediterranean area. It can be described as a sweet-and-sour salad prepared with different vegetables.

The origins of caponata date back to ancient times when in the aristocratic families a particular type of fish the capone, was prepared with a sweet-and sour sauce. The people not were not able to afford fish substituted it with eggplants and gradually added other vegetables to the original recipe.

Caponata is usually prepared during the summer season when eggplants, the main ingredient, are at their best. There are different versions of caponata depending on the area and family traditions.

Together with the eggplants, various ingredients are used to prepare this delicious and tasting dish: onions, celery, carrots, peppers, green olives, and capers from Pantelleria.

Making caponata during the summer may be considered a bit laborious because of the warm temperature. but the result is certainly worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-sized eggplants
• 3 big white onions
• 3 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 pepper
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 3 Tbs. pickled capers
• ½ cup tomatoes sauce
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• Frying oil

Method

Dice and salt the eggplants letting them drain for 1 hour. In the meantime peal and thinly slice the onions, carrots, celery and pepper.

In a large pan fry the eggplants and remove from the pan placing them in a large bowl. Individually fry the other vegetables removing from the pan and putting together with the fried eggplant. Using the same pan gently sauté the olives with the capers. Add the tomatoe sauce and when it starts thickening add the vinegar and the sugar. Stir and add the other vegetables.

The caponata can be served as “antipasto” or as a side dish.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

Sicilian housewives teach chefs “Signore Ricette”. A innovative idea that brings back to tradition

Cantine Settesoli of Menfi (prov. of Agrigento), one of Europe’s largest cooperative wineries, has launched an original initiative to promote Mandarossa Wines, their top range production.
The idea is to bring Sicilian traditional recipes inside the restaurants in a very original way. A team of housewives has been engaged to bring their cooking and teach professional chefs.

The importance of maintaining local traditions inspired Roberta Urso, public relation manager of the Settesoli Winery, with this original idea. “Wine is generated by its territory” she says “and is the expression of its particularity, vocation and tradition. Wine is territory and best savoured when paired with traditional dishes made with local products”.

“The real custodians of local gastronomy” she continues “are the mothers and grandmothers that prepare these everyday dishes using handed-down family recipies. Besides using natural local products and their hands, they add love and a pinch of creativity”.

Coordinated by Bonetta dell’Oglio – renowned chef and representative of Sicilian gastronomy – these women are putting together their know-how and are restoring traditional recipies often left aside.

The tasty dishes made with simple ingredients are not commonly found on restaurant menus, but they are very much appreciated. The initiative is obtaining great attention even beyond regional borders and as result, many restaurants are requesting the support of this very particular “teaching staff”.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

The traditional way of making granita (VIDEO)

In the last few days, I have been searching how to make the real Sicilian granita and have found several recipes. However, this video on how to make traditional lemon granita is what captured my attention.

If You Wonder About the Difference between Sicilian Pizza and Pizza in Sicily, Read This Post

Scott Wiener at SliceSeriousSeats.com wrote this article that explains in a very detailed way the difference between these two types of pizza.

The contemporary pizza consumer is pretty well-versed in the language of Neapolitan pizza. We know what a wood-fired brick oven looks like, we appreciate San Marzano tomatoes and we’ve tasted mozzarella di bufala. We even know where to go in Naples for the most historic pizzerias on the planet. But what about other pizza styles that bare Italian pedigrees?

The main alternative to round Neapolitan-influenced pies is without a doubt the Sicilian pizza. For most, the name conjures images of a thick, doughy base smothered with a healthy layer of sauce and a mozzarella blanket. On my recent trip to Sicily, I found some interesting differences between what we call Sicilian pizza and what they call pizza in Sicily.

Upon arriving in Palermo, one of the first things I did was scout the local pizzerias. I was surprised not to find many and even more shocked at what I noticed next. Contrary to what I expected, the pizza of Sicily is not square. Am I still in Naples? Did I get on the wrong ferry? Nope, the pizza here is round and I’m just going to have to deal with it. Here’s a shot of the first pizza I ate in Sicily.

Looks a lot like a wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, right? That’s because it is. (Don’t tell anyone, but I liked this one even more than some of the stuff in Naples.) Sicilians don’t wear their pizza tradition on their sleeves the way Neapolitans do. In fact, they are adamant that real pizza is from Naples.

If we’re going to talk about thick squares of bread, let’s just forget the word pizza altogether. The ancestor of New York’s square pizza goes by a completely different name and, therefore, is not found in Sicilian pizzerias. You’ll have better luck heading to a bakery, or panificio. Bakeries are easy to spot and you’ll instinctively know that they are Sicily’s equivalent to Neapolitan pizzerias based on their frequency alone. Trust me, they are everywhere in Palermo.

Just head to the counter and ask for sfincione, a square, pan-proofed dough that fries on the base due to a nice amount of oil in the pan. The word itself literally means sponge, which accurately describes the light, airy feel of the base as well as the way the dough absorbs just the right amount of oil on the bottom. Trust me, “spongy” is not an adjective I usually use to describe breads I like but it really does work in this situation.

Source: SliceSeriousSeats.com

Gluten Free Restaurants in Sicily

I have a couple of friends and some relatives with celiac disease (intolerance to gluten, a protein found in pasta, bread, beer, etc…) and I am aware of how troublesome it can be traveling without worrying about food. The wait staff usually thinks of it as another allergy, so the problem of cross-contamination (gluten-free food touching gluten) is usually underestimated.

For an updated list of gluten free restaurants in Sicily, check the database of AIC (Associazione Italiana Celiachia). Scroll down the page and select Sicily in the region field.

Caponata

Caponata is sweet-and-sour eggplant with red bell pepper.This recipe was provided by Annamaria Simili, chef and cooking instructor at the agriturismo Azienda Agricola Trinità in Mascalucia (Catania Province). This agriturismo (a rural B&B that usually is on a working farm) is owned by her sisterin-law, Marina Bonajuto. One of Sicily’s most popular dishes, caponata can also include other ingredients, even fish. This recipe is from the book Eat Smart in Sicily (Amazon Link) by Joan Peterson and Marcella Croce for Ginkgo Press.

Ingredients

• Sunflower oil for deep-frying
• 2 medium eggplants, 13/4 to 2 pounds combined weight, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 stalk celery, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 6 tablespoons white vinegar

Method

Heat sunflower oil over high heat in a large, deep frying pan. Use enough oil to cover the eggplant so that it does not become mushy. Slowly add eggplant to hot oil. Deep-fry until cubes are light brown and crispy, about 12–15 minutes. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain well. Set aside. Add pepper pieces to the same oil and fry about 2–3 minutes over high heat. Remove from oil, drain, pat dry, and set aside with eggplant. Sautè onion and celery in a small frying pan in olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent. Stir in capers and salt. Transfer onion mixture to a medium-sized frying pan without additional oil. Add eggplant and pepper, and mix well. Stir in honey and vinegar. Cook and stir over medium heat until vinegar evaporates, about 5 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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