The Food of Sicily: Recipes from a Sun-Drenched Culinary Crossroads

A member of a renowned Sicilian wine and food family, Fabrizia Lanza runs a cooking school in Regaleali, Sicily founded by her mother. This handsome book of more than 300 pages reflects traditional Sicilian cooking and entices those of us who have not lived there to cook dishes which are not necessarily well known off the island.

For instance, a summer soup uses not only a local squash but leaves from the plant–you can make a good substitution with zucchini. At the first breath of spring, when borage leaves are peeping out of the ground,the brightly-flavored herb turns risotto a vibrant green. Pork from the black pigs of the Nebrodi Mountains in the northeast of the island is roasted with mint and garlic. Fennel is roasted with cardoons and drizzled with honey.

There are frequent sidebars to delve into ingredients, techniques, and traditions. We learn about breeds of cattle and sheep prized for the milk they give for cheesemaking, gain appreciation for the role of bitterness in Sicilian dishes, and are told that sesame seeds were brought to Sicily by Greek settlers before the founding of Rome.

An appealing introduction to a distinctive cuisine.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.