I have been wanting to finish up writing about my time in Italy, but things have been quite busy lately. I only have a couple more things to write about, but I think I was subconsciously avoiding it because it felt like putting the final nail in a coffin. However, right now I am waiting for a screen to dry so I can print, which is about as interesting as watching dough rise. Thus, I figured now would be a good time to write about food (when isn’t?).

It was the last week and I still had food I wanted to prepare. We also wanted to have a final house dinner. Unfortunately, Joey left a day before, but we went out to eat with him before leaving. For this dinner, I made spaghetti con il diavolicchio. This recipe requires putting the garlic and peperoncini in olive oil a few days before the food is actually made. When I first read the ingredients for this dish, I was expecting a spicy tomato sauce. As it turns out, it is more of an oil-based sauce with tomatoes. I was also expecting it to be very hot. It was, but not how you might think. Rather than being a tear-jerking, fireball-inducing sauce, it was just a slow burn that gradually grew, but never became overwhelming. It was very good and I think it could be enjoyed even by those who do not particularly like spicy food. It was a great food to have with friends and a large plate of garlic bread.

Myself and a few other friends had all said since the beginning of our time in Italy that we wanted to visit Sicily. It came down to the last month and finally everything came together. Joey and I went by overnight train on Friday while the girls would be traveling by plane on Saturday. The train, though affordable, was not exactly the best experience. My cabin was absolutely boiling — probably due partially to the fact that the temperature controls were broken. To make things worse, I was on the very top bunk. Nevertheless, I endured the night and woke up to the train being loaded onto the ferry.

Once the train was secure, I went up on deck for the short journey from Villa San Giovanni to Messina. The early morning light against the silvery clouds was so different than what I had seen in Tuscany, but it was absolutely beautiful. We came back onto land and set off from Messina. As the train drove, we rolled past countless citrus orchards. As someone who has spent most of his life in the urban tundra that is Milwaukee, it was surreal to see innumerable trees laden with ripe, bright fruit in December.

After a fifteen-hour train ride, Joey and I finally arrived in Palermo. We rejoined the girls at our hostel, and after a short introduction of Palermo by the owner, we set back out to find some food. The owner of the hostel recommended Bar Touring, near the coast. At this caffè they made arancine bomba, literally “little orange-bombs” (my rough translation). In plain English, they’re fried rice balls. Arancine are made by breading and deep-frying a ball of risotto and can be prepared with a variety of fillings, such as mushrooms, ragù, spinach, sausage, and cheese. Normally they are much smaller, about the size of a clementine. However, the bomba term refers to much larger ones prepared all over Sicily. These delicious bombs are about the size of a large orange, making just one enough for a lunch. We each bought one and then sat on the edge of the sea, gazing at the nearby ships at port.

Next returned to the city and visited a few of the churches, the most notable being the Cattedrale di Palermo. The lack of marble on such a large and ornate church made it stand out to me. I also thought the sculpture of Jesus inside was quite beautiful with its bursting golden rays. By the end of the day we were all pretty tired, so we had a relaxed night. We ate at pizzeria nearby the theater. It was possibly the busiest restaurant I was in during my whole stay. Despite the commotion it was still enjoyable. There were mostly locals there, so it was nice to have the feeling that I was experiencing a true Sicilian family-style pizzeria.

The following day we decided to visit the Duomo di Monreale, up in the nearby hills. On the way there, we stopped at Pasticceria Capello to try La Torta Setteveli, a world-famous cake made with seven types of chocolate. It is nothing more than a chocolate-lover’s dream. This cake is incredibly rich and not to be missed if you are visiting Palermo.

We continued on to Monreale, and arriving a little early, spent some time looking around the city. When we finally entered the cathedral, I was absolutely dumbfounded. The entire church was beset with ornamental gold, red, and green mosaics. I knew immediately that this was far and away my favorite of all of the churches I had visited in Italy. The sheer amount of time and craftsmanship required to create such a work is simply mind-boggling.

On our final day we decided to visit a nearby beach in Mondello. Our walk to the bus stop gave us a little view of the busier, more commercial areas of Palermo. We even saw one man arguing with another from outside of a bus! Palermo was shaping up to be quite an interesting place. A short bus ride later, we found ourselves on a beach with soft sand and azure ocean. The weather was nothing short of perfect and the sun felt so good while sitting in the sand. Being there in December felt like being in a completely different world.

Our time in Sicily was incredibly enjoyable for me, and was a wonderful change of pace from the end-of-the-year academic crunch. Besides just a change of pace, Sicily struck me as being very different compared to Northern Italy. Two things in particular stood out to me.

Firstly, I noticed that many of the buildings had obviously sustained significant damage at one point in time. There were even ruins of buildings left standing in places. A little research online suggested that these conditions were caused by the Allied invasion of Sicily during WWII. Whether or not this is true I am unsure, but it seems plausible. However, it made me wonder why the buildings had gone so long without being repaired or rebuilt. One website I came across suggested that money for reconstruction had been squandered away by government corruption. Despite all of this, the questions of why became increasingly irrelevant to me as the conditions simply became part of Sicily’s charm. I have always been a fan of old, reused buildings and urban ruins, and Palermo is definitely a treasure trove for that.

Secondly, the way in which people related to one another was a marked difference from my familiar “norms.” It was not unusual to see to guys walking down the street arm-in-arm, or see two friends kiss each other on the cheeks (something that could get you chased out of town in certain parts of the US… or shot). Also, while on the bus to Mondello a young boy (I believe he said he was 5) sat next to two older gentlemen, who were bus drivers. They all began chatting casually, and when the men stood up to leave the boy gave them a hug. All the while, the mother standing nearby acted as though this was perfectly normal, something I don’t believe you’d see in the US. I understand that in a general sense it all boils down to cultural differences, but it was refreshing for me. You could tell in the way that people talked and behaved that they truly cared for each other, even a stranger they just met.

Sicily is very different from Northern Italy, and appears even more so when compared with the US. Some people might not like it — they might talk about the ugly, damaged buildings or whisper about the presence of the Mafia. For me however, Sicily is a place that, despite whatever imperfections, still retains an irresistible charm.

I love truffles! No, I’m not talking about the kind that come in boxes, wrapped in little pieces of foil — I mean the rare, delicious fungi that is found by specially trained sows and dogs. These aromatic tubers grow, among other places in Europe, in the northern and central parts of Italy, and as such have become a part of the local cuisine. One of the first things I ate after arriving in Italy was Pecorino cheese with truffles, which they served at the Castello Verrazzano winery when we visited. I have been in love ever since. Truffles are powerful in that way. People tend to react quite strongly, either loving or hating them. I have never heard of anyone who thought truffles were “just okay.”

When I saw that Fred’s cookbook had a recipe with truffles, I knew I had to try it. The recipe called for fresh black truffles (tartufi neri) and after asking my Italian professor was directed to a shop that sold them. I knew that they were expensive, but I didn’t know to what degree. After entering the store I discovered that black truffles were €1.00 per gram and white truffles were €3.80 per gram. Think about that for a moment. That’s up to €3,800 per kilogram (2.2 pounds)! With a recipe that called for fifty grams, it was simply too expensive! I decided to compromise and buy some thinly sliced black truffles in oil instead, which were significantly less expensive.

When I returned home I decided to make a half recipe, just in case something went wrong — no sense wasting good truffles. I immediately began preparing the Spaghetti al Tartufo Nero. The recipe is quite simple, calling only for spaghetti, truffles, olive oil, and anchovy paste. The dish was ready in no time at all and I began eating. It was delicious, as expected! I was a bit apprehensive about the anchovy paste, but because it was such a small amount it gave just a little flavor without overpowering.

Shortly after, I decided to use the rest of the truffles I had bought and remembered stumbling across some recipes at the website for 4 Leoni. It seemed a bit strange, because it essentially instructed one to make plain risotto and then add a truffle sauce, prepared on the side. I was used to risotto recipes calling for something to be cooked along with the rice. However, when it all came together none of that mattered. The cream and Parmigiano made the risotto rich and creamy while complementing the truffles perfectly.

If you would like to try the risotto I made, you can find the recipe here. They do not give the quantities to make the risotto, but a six-serving recipe in Fred’s book called for 1 liter of vegetable stock and 450 grams of good rice (Vialone or Arborio work well). I would also suggest having a little extra stock on the side in case the rice takes more liquid to cook (making risotto is not an exact science). For those trying truffles for the first time, it may seem like eating a form of money. But if you love it, it won’t matter and you will gladly eat that currency — delicious, delicious currency.

I’ve made a lot of food since my last food post, so rather than posting them one by one, I’ve decided to show all of them at once. Quite some time ago, I made Tagliolini al Limone. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to eat the lemon rind after cooking them with the pasta, but even without them this pasta dish packs quite a punch! It’s certainly not something I would fix often or eat in large amounts, but it is quite good, especially with fresh lemons from the Campania region. Although the combination of citrus and Parmigiano is not something I expected to work well, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious these two flavors were together.

Next, I prepared pesche cotogne with Chianti, which is not actually a recipe from Fred Plotkin’s book. I asked my Italian professor what cotogne means after buying these peaches in the open air market. She explained that the word literally means “quince,” but pesche cotogne are simply a different variety of peaches. She then mentioned that these are often eaten with a little bit of wine and sugar. In my online research of the pesche cotogne, I stumbled across a website mentioning these peaches being eaten with a little bit of Chianti wine, of which I just happened to have a bottle! I cut up one peach and poured a little Chianti over the slices (no more than a small shot glass). Then I topped them with some sugar and a couple pinches of cinnamon. They were delicious! If you happen to find some of these and want to try it, I would make two suggestions. Firstly, don’t eat the peaches until they are well-ripened. If they are not, the flavor of the wine will overpower that of the peaches. Secondly, give them at least a few minutes to sit and steep in the wine. This allows the flavors to better intermingle and makes it an even better treat.

The following dish, a Frittata Modenese, came from Emilia-Romagna as one might guess from the name and ingredients typical of the region. Frittate are essentially omelettes, but with a few subtle differences. Firstly, while fillings are usually folded inside omelettes, with frittate they are mixed in with the eggs and cooked together. Secondly, frittate are cooked longer than omelettes and therefore develop a firmer skin. Thirdly, they are usually served at room temperature or even chilled. This particular one was made with just eggs, Parmigiano, and balsamic vinegar. This is another example of flavorful yet simple Italian cooking.

I finally got around to making a sweet dish from the book, Pere Martine al Vino. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to prepare this exactly as suggested. First of all, I could not find Martina pears, so I had to settle for Bosc pears. Secondly, because a Barbaresco was unavailable, I used a Barbera as suggested by the lady at the enoteca next door. The wine was excellent by itself — it had cherry flavors that set it apart from any other wine I’ve had in Italy! Together with the pears it was wonderful as well. Topped with a little bit of sugar, this was indeed a rich treat.

More recently, I prepared Risotto alla Parmigiana. This is exactly what it sounds like — risotto with parmesan, but don’t let that fool you. This dish is both appetizing and filling. The flavor of the parmigiano is neither overwhelming nor lost. This is an easy recipe I will probably be making quite often on busy nights next semester.

Finally, my most recent culinary exploration was Zuppa di Vino di Terlano, or Terlaner Weinsuppe in the German that is spoken in Alto Adige where this recipe is from. Late at night I was unable to find the Pinot Bianco called for by the recipe, so I settled on a Pinot Grigio instead. This soup is unlike any other I have ever had — a little sweet, a little creamy, maybe even a hint of bitterness. Nevertheless, it was flavorful and rich, especially with the cinnamon croutons. It certainly hit the spot on a cool night after a long day of classes.

Now it’s getting late, so I must decide what recipe I shall make next so that I can get groceries in the morning. Until next time…

Earlier last week I made Tajarin con Gorgonzola e Noci, another Italian pasta dish from Fred Plotkin’s book. I had heard of Gorgonzola cheese before, but never eaten any. It is, put simply, Italian blue cheese. The kind that I got was a softer consistency closer to Brie, but it is possible to get it in a firmer, crumbly form like the blue cheese that is common in the US. The Gorgonzola was quite flavorful, so much so that I was actually worried it would be overpowering in the pasta. However, once melted with cream and butter and mixed into the pasta with the walnuts, it is perfect — enough to taste, but not so much that it is overwhelming. This is definitely a recipe I will be taking home with me!

Last weekend the Arcadia students set out for Napoli, Sorrento and Pompei. The way there brought troubles — there was an accident on the highway and traffic was backed up to a standstill. Thankfully, because traffic wasn’t moving we were able to get off the bus and walk around a little. After the traffic let up, we were able to make progress towards our destination, but still couldn’t make it to Pompei in time for our tour. We ended up rearranging our schedule and going to Sorrento Saturday and Pompei on Sunday.

Driving through Napoli and Sorrento, one of the first things I noticed was the color. The scenery passing by was reminiscent of vibrant houses I have seen in pictures of Latin America. One of my favorite color combinations on buildings was a cool, medium gray with Ferrari red shutters and accents. In Sorrento, the walls lining the narrow streets envelop you in a sense of warmth. It is almost as if the architects based their color palette on the peppers hanging from street stands and storefronts. Even a dome I saw in the city was topped with colored shingles. I don’t recall anything particularly significant about Sorrento, but it provided me with an opportunity to take pictures and I certainly took my share.

After visiting Sorrento, we went to the town of Vico Equense, where we stayed overnight. We ate dinner at L’Università della Pizza, where I had quite possibly the best pizza I’ve ever eaten in my life. The desserts were delicious as well. I don’t know what mine was called, but it was a sweet pastry filled with whipped cream, with a sweet liqueur drizzled on top. The view from the hotel where we stayed was gorgeous. From the patio outside I could see Mount Vesuvius from across the bay, and from a balcony on the building I was able to look over the small town and out at the hills dotted with lights.

The following day, we went to Pompei. I was told that it was a major port city at the time, but even by today’s standards it could still qualify as a large town. It was amazing to see the excavated buildings and how they had been preserved over so many years. Many frescoes were still quite visible on the walls, and mosaic tile floors made of tiny pieces were still intact! As amazing as it was to see, it left me wanting to experience Pompei in its former glory. I guess I’ll just have to imagine, but visiting was in and of itself a kind of trip back in time, a glimpse into what it might have been like.