Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

Where in the World: Summer in Sicily

Sicily, Italy’s largest island is the dark horse of the country, cursed by mafia stereotypes and less desirable characters, remains a place of mystery and great beauty despite all the gritty rumors. Sicily is more than an island; it’s a multicultural paradise, historically cosmopolitan with a rich and unique background separate from Italy.

Full of complex characteristics, Sicily’s coral blue seas, amazing views of the Mediterranean, surrounding flora and fauna, and desirable fresh cuisine, make this a beloved refuge.  The island stands tall against all others and is revered for its beautiful touristic landscapes. Palermo is Sicily’s economic, cultural and touristic capital, boasting a great music, art and gastronomic scene.  Along the coast, beaches are filled with people since Sicily is plagued by warm summers; the sea breeze is a welcome retreat to locals and visitors alike. 

Italy is known for being a country filled with food influence and amazing cuisine and Sicily definitely holds its own in this area. There is a wide range of food power on this tiny island due to its proximity to its surrounding countries, Africa, Spain and Greece. Just like most countries, Sicily is famous for a certain type of cookery, and among them is pasta with sardines, spaghetti, eggplant caponata, cannolis and wood burning oven pizza covered in pecorino cheese and sardines.  They are also renowned for several ingredients indigenous to the island, including tomatoes, artichokes, olives, oranges, lemons, apricots, eggplants, pistachios, tuna, sea bream, cuttlefish and sardines. On warm summer evenings after supper, you may catch locals sipping a vibrantly yellow and sweet cocktail chilled on ice called Limoncello.   Discover the island with all the many wonderful recipes it inhabits.

Arancini Rice Balls with Ricotta Cheese
A traditional Sicilian snack, these mini rice balls are golden and delicious!
Makes 20 rice balls

2 cups leftover risotto rice
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
All-purpose flour, for dredging
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

In a medium sized bowl mix leftover risotto rice with fresh parsley. In a separate small bowl, combine ricotta and pecorino cheeses and set aside. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture in your moistened palm and make a small indentation in the center of the mound and fill it with about 1 teaspoon of the ricotta mixture. Fold the rice around the filling to enclose it and pat the rice into an oval. Repeat with the remaining rice and ricotta.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of olive oil to 300°. Set a rack over a large baking sheet. Put the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in 3 shallow bowls. Dredge the rice balls in the flour, shaking off any excess, next dip in egg and then coat with the bread crumbs. Deep-fry 5 ovals at a time until golden brown, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls onto paper towels to drain while you fry the rest. Serve hot or warm.

Sicilian stuffed tomatoes
Serves 6

6 large vine ripened tomatoes, tops cut off and deseeded
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.  Meanwhile, take your tomato shells and drain upside down on a paper towel to get rid of any extra moisture, 20 minutes.

In a medium sized sauté pan over low heat, add olive oil, and then add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft, but have no color. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs, herbs and two tablespoons pecorino cheese.

Using a spoon, fill the tomato shells with the bread crumb mixture, then place in an ovenproof in a single layer. Sprinkle the tops with the rest of pecorino cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender and the tops are golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Pasta with Pesto alla Siciliana
Unlike traditional Pesto Genovese that uses green garlic and basil, Sicily chooses tomatoes instead.
Serves 6

2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
6 Roma tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Fresh grated pepper
1 lb spaghetti, cooked and drained

Grind the pine nuts and garlic in a mortar with the tomatoes, add herbs, and continue grinding until you have a smooth paste. Add enough olive oil into the mixture to transform it into a smooth sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve over spaghetti.

Sweet Herbed Cannolis
Makes 10 cannolis

10 pre-packaged cannoli shells
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
¼ cup confectioners sugar
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped fine
¼ cup shelled unsalted pistachios, chopped

In a medium size bowl, mix ricotta cheese, confectioners sugar, lemon zest and herbs together until combined. Next, fold in nuts. To fill cannolis, place filling in a piping bag or Ziploc bag that you cut at the end, pipe some into 1 end of a cannoli shell, filling shell halfway, then pipe into other end. Repeat with remaining shells.

Limoncello Mint  Granita
Serves 6

1 cup lemon sugar syrup, recipe below
½ cup Limoncello
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and pour into an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until the mixture is firm.  Using the tines of a fork, scrape the mixture into small serving bowls or glasses. Serve immediately.

Lemon sugar syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon zest

In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, add sugar, water and lemon zest and warm through until sugar is dissolved. Take syrup off heat and let cool until ready to use.