Traveling light

27147837

Several days ago, I thought it would be fun to put together a series of international dinners for family and friends. I chose Sicily for our first destination.

When we dine in a French, Spanish, Italian, Greek or any type of foreign-fare restaurant, we too often forget these countries are made up of a number of regions with diverse dishes. The cuisines of Provence are different from the cuisines of Burgundy. Spain is a marvelous example of regional fare. The foods of Catalonia bear little resemblance to the meals created in the Basque region.

Italian cucina is often overdone and not done well at all in Philadelphia restaurants, so I just prefer to prepare it at home. When was the last time you enjoyed a dish from Sicily?

I began my research by leafing through several cookbooks, including "The Basque Table" by Teresa Barrenechea and "Sicilian Home Cooking" by Wanda and Giovanna Tornabene, a mother/daughter duo who own a restaurant and cooking school at Gangivecchio, their 13th-century abbey in Sicily’s Madonie Mountains.

I will take you to foreign lands where the food is tasty and easy to prepare. All you need is to invite guests for an evening of good food, good wine, conversation and fun.

Here are recipes from "Sicilian Home Cooking":


Syracuse-Style Peppers (Peperoni di Siracusa)

Ingredients:

  • 3 large yellow bell peppers
  • 3 large red bell peppers
  • 1/3 cup of olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • 10 fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons of toasted bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup of almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • Red wine vinegar, to taste

Directions:

  • Remove the core and seeds from the peppers and cut into quarter-inch strips.
  • In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the peppers and season with the salt. Cook until softened and slightly browned, stirring often.
  • Stir in the mint, garlic, bread crumbs and almonds. Sprinkle lightly with vinegar. Combine well and cook for five minutes over low heat. Taste for seasoning.
  • Transfer the peppers to a shallow serving dish and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Mix before serving.
  • Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: Mint and almonds play a large part in Sicilian cooking.


Tagliatelle with Cherry Tomatoes, Mussels and Capers (Tagliatelle con Pomodorini, Cozze e Capperi)

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 dozen mussels, well scrubbed and debearded
  • 2 tablespoons of capers
  • 8 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1/2 pound of tagliatelle or linguine

Directions:

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes. Saut� over medium-low for 10 minutes. Stir in the mussels, capers and basil. Season with salt. Cover and simmer until the mussels open, about 10 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
  • Bring four quarts of water and the salt to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring often.
  • Drain, reserving one cup of hot pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large shallow bowl. Top with the sauce and gently toss, adding a little of the hot pasta water if dry. Taste for seasoning.
  • Serves four.


Cucumber and Caper Salad (Insalata di Cetrioli e Capperi)

Ingredients:

  • 3 small Kirby cucumbers, peeled and cut into thin slices
  • 2 tablespoons of capers, rinsed and dried
  • 1/2 cup of finely shredded romaine lettuce
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

Directions:

  • Place the cucumber in a shallow bowl and sprinkle the capers and lettuce on top.
  • In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in the mayonnaise and blend until smooth.
  • Spoon the sauce over the vegetables and toss well.
  • Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: Israeli or Persian cucumbers, which can be found in the Reading Terminal Market and Trader Joe’s, work well in this recipe.


Roasted Rolled Pork Loin (Rollo di Maiale Arrostito)

Ingredients:

  • 1 2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin, butterflied lengthwise and flattened until 1/3-inch thick
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 sage leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 8 ounces scamorza or provolone, thinly sliced
  • 3 Italian sausages, cooked and cut into 1/4-inch coins
  • Flour, for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup of dry white wine
  • 1 cup of vegetable broth

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Season the inside of the flattened piece of pork with the salt and pepper. Arrange the sage, cheese and sausages over it evenly. Roll up on the long side and tie with string. Dust with the flour.
  • Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and brown the roast all over. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Transfer the meat and liquid to a roasting pan. Add the broth. Roast for one hour.
  • Remove and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
  • Strain the liquid in the pan and serve with the pork.
  • Serves six.