JESS AND JOHN IN SICILY 2
Our pizza at La Grotta was very pleasant last night. Afterward we walked around town and enjoyed gelato and the main Piazza Scandaliato and the warm Sicilian night. We wondered why no one was out walking in a place that used to hold hundreds of people for their nightly passeggiata. Last night there were only about 20 people in the huge expanse. Perhaps people got used to walking in different areas after the months and months that it took to finish the work on the piazza last year.
Today we got an early start to spend our first cloudy day in the interior. Again we headed toward Agrigento, past Caltanisetta, and then on to the new Pietraprezia exit, finished after YEARS of work. Is this not a common theme here? We found the Angelo Mancuso family well, with TWO new grandchildren on the way! The youngest daughter in the family, Ketty, lives in Switzerland with her husband Vincenzo, and is expecting her first child in November (her due date is Jons birthday, Nov, 18). Lindora, who now lives upstairs in the just-finished apartment with her husband Salvatore, will have her second child in May. The oldest daughter, Patricia and her husband Germania left before we could get a picture with them, but here is the family with Jess and I. We missed seeing the oldest grandchild Dalila this time!
Then we headed to San Cataldo to see Marianna and Jack and their daughter Veronica. We ate a typical Sicilian meal at a wonderful restaurant there, La Pantera Rossa, and Jess and John got to try such classic antipasti as buffalo mozzarella, smashed spiced olives, eggplant torte, potato frittata, a wonderful breaded and fried pumpkin and onions, various sausages and cheeses, panelli (fried chickpea flour squares), and fresh sardines. Our pastas were pasta con sardi, a fettuccine with wild fennel and sardines topped with mollica (Sicilian bread crumbs), and a bottini with rucola, buffalo mozzarella, and tomatoes. For dessert, we had two classic sweet ricotta cheese dishes, a hot pastry that was flaky yet substantial, and a cassata with pasta reale (almond paste) coating. Jack and Marianna are exporting gourmet Sicilian products to Montreal markets, so if you get up there, look for Sicilian Gourmet products. We enjoyed seeing their office space and John, Jess, and Veronica participated in an English class! And then we saw their lovely home and we know why they left sunny Sciacca for this vibrant interior town.
The rain cleared as we approached the coast and home. Tomorrow we hope to head to Segesta and Erice. We will have pizza home-made by Brigette tomorrow at Brigette and Joe's house!
Today we got an early start to spend our first cloudy day in the interior. Again we headed toward Agrigento, past Caltanisetta, and then on to the new Pietraprezia exit, finished after YEARS of work. Is this not a common theme here? We found the Angelo Mancuso family well, with TWO new grandchildren on the way! The youngest daughter in the family, Ketty, lives in Switzerland with her husband Vincenzo, and is expecting her first child in November (her due date is Jons birthday, Nov, 18). Lindora, who now lives upstairs in the just-finished apartment with her husband Salvatore, will have her second child in May. The oldest daughter, Patricia and her husband Germania left before we could get a picture with them, but here is the family with Jess and I. We missed seeing the oldest grandchild Dalila this time!
Then we headed to San Cataldo to see Marianna and Jack and their daughter Veronica. We ate a typical Sicilian meal at a wonderful restaurant there, La Pantera Rossa, and Jess and John got to try such classic antipasti as buffalo mozzarella, smashed spiced olives, eggplant torte, potato frittata, a wonderful breaded and fried pumpkin and onions, various sausages and cheeses, panelli (fried chickpea flour squares), and fresh sardines. Our pastas were pasta con sardi, a fettuccine with wild fennel and sardines topped with mollica (Sicilian bread crumbs), and a bottini with rucola, buffalo mozzarella, and tomatoes. For dessert, we had two classic sweet ricotta cheese dishes, a hot pastry that was flaky yet substantial, and a cassata with pasta reale (almond paste) coating. Jack and Marianna are exporting gourmet Sicilian products to Montreal markets, so if you get up there, look for Sicilian Gourmet products. We enjoyed seeing their office space and John, Jess, and Veronica participated in an English class! And then we saw their lovely home and we know why they left sunny Sciacca for this vibrant interior town.
The rain cleared as we approached the coast and home. Tomorrow we hope to head to Segesta and Erice. We will have pizza home-made by Brigette tomorrow at Brigette and Joe's house!
posted by Sicilian Mama at 4:05 PM
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