Il Vero Cannolo SicilianoI had never thought of a cannolo (‘cannolo’ is one, ‘cannoli’ any number higher than that) as an artisanal product before, not remotely. To be honest, I never much think of cannoli at all, their flavour has always been too sweet and rich for me. (I’ve always appreciated Hemingway’s saying, that dessert is for people […]Read more
Nino’s Salty WinesIt was the first phone call I placed. ‘Nino’, I said. ‘I’m coming to Sicily’. ‘Outstanding! ‘The finocchietto in the garden is almost ready’, he said. There was a long silence. ‘Nino?’, I asked. ‘Are you there?’ I heard him swallow. ‘And I know where I can locate some excellent strawberries. I also have a […]Read more
Gaspare and The ‘M’ Word Meet Gaspare…. Philosopher… Bicycle- enthusiast. Ex-police officer. Drinks wine every day. Doesn’t know a damn thing about the stuff. I just had rounded a stunningly-beautiful corner when Gaspare saw me looking at my map. He threw one leg over to the side of his bicycle and rode up, stopping perfectly, something a show-off teenager […]Read more
Crossing Over: The Straight of MessinaI’m on a ferry, crossing the straight of Messina, the body of water that separates Italy from Sicily. To many it’s just a watery obstacle, something that a boat has to do to a train before they can continue on their way. To me right now though, it marks the end of Sicily and the […]Read more
Cirò: Southern Wine Unlike Southern WineAt one point in my education I had five roommates, all from Calabria, all ear-nose-throat docs in training. Like most southerners that study away up north, they always returned to our student apartment with boxes and boxes of foods and wines from home. They brought loaves of gray-crumbed and black-crusted bread the size of car […]Read more
Lipari: Pagan PagentryI’ve been on the island of Lipari for the last three days, resting up a bit, and passing Easter weekend in familiar surroundings. I rented a little room with a 4th-story terrace, and a kitchen, and I’ve been cooking again, with intermittent access (it’s the holy weekend) to markets and wine shops, many still peopled […]Read more
