The Sicilian cuisine…
where you can find the influence of the Greek and
Arabs…..
Cookery Courses in Sicily
Various civilizations – Greek, Roman, Arabs, Normans, Spanish and British – have left their mark and from the gastronomic point of view, their influence is still in evidence in modern day Sicilian cooking – such as the grill cooking, use of oregano, garlic and olives. The influence of the Arabs had been very strong; under the Arabic rule Sicily went through several changes which can be seen in their cuisine. The confectionery is the principal testimony of the Arabs’ big influence; the “cassata”, the cake that is the symbol of the region, has this name because of the Arabic word “quas’at” which means casserole, in reference to the circular stamp used for its preparation.
This region was fortunate to have the stock of food and origin of fishing which was typical of inhabitants of the coast. Then, in the Sicilian cuisine we will find preparations of any kind based on mackerels, swordfish, tuna (considered the pig of the sea for the possibility to use it entirely) and dried salt cod. The sea also offers other products such as little fish which when floured and fried can be used with pasta and tomatoes. More appreciated qualities such as lobster, codfish, shrimp and octopus are also offered. The inland populations prefer vegetables, cheese, eggs and meat. The floured roast and the Sicilian roulades represent the Sicilian cuisine of the inland.
To let you discover the flavours of Sicily we have based our venue in the east and west of the island. The surrounding area is dotted with well know historical sites – such as Mt. Etna, Palermo, Siracusa Greek Theatre and various Baroque towns such as Noto and Ragusa – as well as popular gastronomic locations such as Pachino for cherry tomatoes, Modica for chocolate, Avola for almonds and wine, Ragusa for Caciocavallo cheese and so on…..
>> TENUTA SCILIO – Cookery Classes on Mt. Etna
Personal Chef http://www.francescomariarico.com/