Sicilian Girl

Tweet “Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi voui” Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you please. This old Italian saying sings the truth. Colorful, flavorful and full of fun, Easter is my favorite holiday. Unlike Christmas, where there can be an overwhelming list of things to do (shopping, cooking, entertaining, overnight guests, etc.) […]

Tweet The flavor of Creole cooking in a jar, this mixture of spices makes it easy and convenient to prepare your favorite New Orleans dishes (Pasta Milanese). Depending on where you live in the country, you could purchase a ready-made spice blend (like Emeril’s Essence) or you can make your own. The spices below should […]

Tweet   Saint Joseph, (San Giuseppe) was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. The beloved saint looks after children, unwed mothers, the needy and  is the patron saint of Sicily. To celebrate his feast day on March 19, […]

Tweet San Giuseppe, (Saint Joseph) was the husband of Mary, the Mother of God and is the patron saint of the family. On March 19, in celebration of the Feast of San Giuseppe, elaborate altars will be filled with food all over Sicily and New Orleans. This tradition commemorates the relief Saint Joseph provided during […]

Tweet This pasta dish is a classic for New Orleanians of Sicilian descent. It is the ritual meal (a cena di San Giuseppe) that is traditionally served on March 19th for Saint Joseph’s Day (San Giuseppe). This version is adapted slightly from John Besh’s recipe in his cookbook, My New Orleans.     Ingredients: 1/4 […]

Tweet In Italy, the baking of bread is called l’arte bianco (the white art). Bread provides nourishment and sustenance through the life-giving, almost magical properties of yeast. Bread is to be respected. If you’ve read many of my posts in this blog, you know that I do not waste food, not even bread … not […]

Tweet So, you have an eggplant, half a box of spaghetti, a pound of ground beef and need to make something that will feed six hearty appetites. This eggplant and spaghetti pie will do the trick and is just the thing to get the conversation started. Your family and dinner guests will smile at this […]

Tweet Passoli e pinoli (currants and pine nuts) are commonly used in many Sicilian dishes. Currants are black Corinth grapes that have been dried like raisins, only they are much smaller (not to be confused with fresh, red currants, related to the gooseberry). In baking, currants and raisins are generally  interchangeable. However, the smaller size […]

Tweet When I was  living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I could easily find fresh fish and seafood just about any time of the year. The fish counter in my neighborhood market carried a good supply, but the place to go was Race Street Fish and Poultry, a little local market that had the […]