Ten tasty ideas from Germaine Stafford on how to enjoy one of Italy’s most exciting regions..
1. Repair to Ragusa
To sample the very best of Sicily’s gastronomy, place yourself in the capable hands of Ciccio Sultano, chef, and Angelo Di Stefano of the distinguished Ristorante Duomo. Let them spoil you with their intelligent twists on Sicilian classics in beautiful Baroque surroundings.
(www.ristoranteduomo.it).
2. Indulge your sweet tooth
What with cassata and cannoli made with fresh sheep’s ricotta, mouth-watering granite and ice creams and exquisite almond pastries as beautiful as they are delicious, no visit to this region is complete without sampling these scrumptious Sicilian sweets.
3. Go crazy for Cous Cous
Every September, San Vito lo Capo hosts the world’s largest cous cous festival where teams arrive from all over the world to exhibit their skills. Alternatively, local trattorie offer cous cous all year round – don’t miss the delicious version served with fish soup (http://www.couscousfest.it/).
4. Have a tasty holiday
Experience what real Sicilian food and culture is all about! Through Katia Amore's cookery school you can try and make wonderful sicilian recipes, taste Mediterranean flavours and explore the South-East of Sicily (Modica, Ragusa, Siracusa).
5. Take a Jaunt to Noto
Corrado Assenza’s Caffè Sicilia is a haven for serious foodies with everything from the coffee and the almond granita to the basil-scented chocolates and pistacchio pastries: a testament to superlative ingredients and Assenza’s extraordinary talent. Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 125 (+39) 09 31835013.
6. Hit the streets
After a morning’s sightseeing in downtown Palermo, take a break and enjoy some of the city’s cucina povera. Antica Focacceria San Francesco is a favourite haunt with locals and serves everything from rice balls and chickpea fritters to delicious oven-baked pasta timbales. Via A. Paternostro, 58 (+39) 091 320264.
7. Eat, drink and be merry
Cookery lessons, guided excursions, wine-tasting, gourmet meals – Michele Gallo’s epicurean tour soffer all this and more. Covering all angles of the island, Sicily Travel Net offers foodies a taste of this region they’ll never forget. (www.sicilytravel.net).
8. Caper about on an Island
The island of Pantelleria is famous for its excellent capers. Spend a weekend at the Agriturismo Zinedi and try their caper pâté, pasta with sea bass and capers and calamari stuffed with, tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts… and capers (www.agriturismozinedi.com).
9. Be a Gipsy
Wrap up a picnic in a kerchief and wander off to the beautiful Riserva dello Zingaro on Sicily’s north western tip. Visit the park’s small museum to see how pasta was made by locals in centuries past. (www.riservazingaro.it).
10. Read Camilleri
Andrea Camilleri’s Commissario Montalbano books are wonderfully evocative mysteries set in Sicily, where plots are peppered with intriguing descriptions of local foods and where much of the protagonist’s sleuthing occurs at the dinner table. Too good to miss. (www.panmacmillan.com)
