Sicilian Girl

Tweet Gnocchi (pronounced neeyo-kee) are small dumplings. They should be light and have a soft texture not dense and rubbery (often the case in many restaurants). In Italy, gnocchi are eaten as a primo piatto (first course). Growing up in a Sicilian household, I never ate this Northern Italian specialty until I visited Venice. I was [...]

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 Every Sicilian I have ever met has a sweet tooth, we love our dolce (dessert), especially those with sweetened ricotta. Sicily’s iconic cannoli with it’s crisp pastry shell, creamy ricotta filling and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar is probably the most well known, followed by the elaborate cassata, a rich layered cake filled with [...]

Tweet Bruschetta is simply yesterday’s bread given new life with a fresh topping of some sort. Italians don’t waste bread, I think it might even be a sin. The type of bruschetta I make is largely determined by the contents of my refrigerator. The last time I made Baked Ricotta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes I had a [...]

Tweet In Sicily, Ricotta di Pecora, (sheep ricotta) is made from the milk of the local sheep, it is not a cheese but a fresh dairy product made from the whey leftover from the making of other cheeses. As with most Sicilian cheeses, ricotta reflects the seasons. In the months from November through May, when [...]

Tweet I have made various types of meatloaf and I have made meat rolls using flank steak (braciolone), but I have never made rolled meatloaf before now. Polpettone con Ricotta (Stuffed Italian Meat Loaf) is a recipe I modified from an old cookbook of my mother’s, which she purchased at a church fundraiser. The Italian [...]

Tweet Sometimes I just want a little something sweet! Have you ever made a batch of pancakes on Sunday morning (or any morning) and had a little batter leftover? So, do you save the batter or throw it out? I rarely throw away food, so the next morning (with just enough batter to make a [...]

Tweet   Need to satisfy a cannoli craving? Don’t have time to make the traditional shells? These Cannoli Bites are the sweet sollution to satisfy your desire for this Sicilian treat. The filling is my maternal Sicilian grandmother’s blue-ribbon recipe. The amaretti crust, although different than the cannoli pastry, adds the crisp texture you’d get [...]