Archive | Sicily

another pre-baby getaway to Taormina

May 15, 2013 at 9:25 am

My friend Becca is about to have her fourth baby any day now, which is about the stage I was at the last time we went to Taormina. Both of us love the gorgeous vistas and old-world charm of this beautiful cliff-top town, and we’ve been visiting it together since we first became friends. (See photos of our first adventure to Taormina here, back when Lena was just four months old!)

With just one week left of Becca’s pregnancy, we decided to brave the hour-long drive and steep hills for a fun day with our little kiddos. There is no lovelier time to visit than on a balmy May morning! We parked along the water and rode the cable car up into the town, wandered down to the city park (Villa Communale) to eat a picnic lunch, and then stopped for granite (Italian ice) on the way back to the cable car.

I really hope we get to go to Taormina one more time together before the dear Arthur family moves late this summer. By that time Becca’s baby girl might be four months old… which would be an ironic way to finish off our adventures together after we’ve now visited with four-month-old Lena and four-month-old Gil over the years!

But that’s enough talk of people moving! I think it’s often — but not always — hardest for the ones left behind, don’t you?

5 :: in friends, Sicily, Taormina

a Sicilian tradition :: Breaded Eggplant Cutlets

May 14, 2013 at 2:07 pm

Recently Elliott and I have been trying to eat more vegetarian meals, especially after reading the fascinating results of this study. I also am always trying to find new eggplant recipes, because eggplants are cheap, plentiful, and everywhere in Sicily. This isn’t easy when I don’t particularly like eggplant! (Do you??) I have recently learned two great eggplant recipes (a Sicilian pasta dish and an Italian antipasto). But eggplant and me… still not great friends.

However, when I bit into these uh-may-zing eggplant cutlets at a recent cooking class, I began to reconsider my preferences. Maybe it’s because everything breaded and fried is delicious? Here’s how to make them at home:

First, peel and slice the eggplant lengthwise.

Then dip it in beaten eggs.

Dredge the cutlets in a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and salt.

Fry ’em up in butter. Or vegetable or olive oil, as you prefer. (The health study I mentioned earlier would probably recommend olive oil over butter. Just a guess.)

Remove from the pan and let drain on paper towels. As soon as they’re cool enough (they’ll burn your tongue!), cut them up and enjoy.

If you don’t have time to do the breading and frying yourself, Trader Joe’s sells pre-cut and pre-breaded eggplant cutlets. They recommend using them as a meatless main dish and adding a little tomato sauce and cheese on top… yum yum!

I’ve included the kitchen-friendly recipe below. Do you have an eggplant recipe you love? Please share any ideas in the comments; I need some new recipes!

Breaded Fried Eggplant Cutlets

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant
¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt
2 eggs
Vegetable oil or butter

DIRECTIONS

Peel & slice eggplant into ¼ width cutlets
Dip cutlets in egg wash.
Dredge eggplant pieces in breadcrumb mixture (breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, & salt).
Fry eggplant cutlets in vegetable oil or butter in large, non-stick pan until brown on both sides.
Remove from pan onto paper towels.

14 :: in eat this, Italy, Sicily

saying goodbye, Sicilian style

May 6, 2013 at 2:34 pm

Oh, sigh… bittersweet pictures. They’re from a goodbye party for some of our very dear friends — Emily, Nathan, and their little daughter Ava — who left Sicily last week. I still can’t believe they’re gone! Emily and Ava came up to my house every single Wednesday to play and visit. This Wednesday is going to be especially glum.

They did host a fabulous goodbye party for themselves, though. The location they chose was the farm of Mariska and Emilio, an Italian and Swiss couple whose beautiful farm — Azienda Agricola Infantino — is hidden away in the rolling green hills of Sicily. Mariska and Emilio host groups for al fresco lunches and dinners, offer Italian cooking classes, and sell their delicious olive oil online.

We spent a late April afternoon there, soaking up the sun and eating pasta with half-a-dozen different sauces. The children jumped on the trampoline and played with the animals; the adults traded off child duty and otherwise sat in the shade and drank wine. If there is a good way to leave Sicily, I think our friends found it!

^ The town of Mineo is perched on the hill behind Nancy and Becca.

^ Trampoline time… for hours! The farm owners’ daughter fell in love with Lena.

^ Awesome truck, regal turkey.

^ Bethany and Emily before lunch was served outside.

^ On the right, this is how you drain a pot of pasta for 30 people!

^ Cramped photo of my lunch. I’m learning it’s very hard to take pictures with a baby in your arms!

^ Four-week-old kittens!

^ Mama spotted us humans with her baby, gathered him up by the scruff of his neck, and carried him back to his nest.

^ Gil, just chillin’ and blowing spit bubbles (his new thing).

Happy trails, dear friend! Can’t wait to see you soon in your new digs.

17 :: in agriturismo, animals, friends, Italy, Sicily

visiting Casa delle Farfalle {the Butterfly House}

April 29, 2013 at 12:45 pm

My grandparents left on Friday morning and I strongly dislike the day after friends or relatives leave. The house is quieter, the children are needier, the dishes are dirtier (and more plentiful). You know what I mean?

To avoid sitting around an “empty” house all day with my two kiddos, I joined my friends Becca and Bethany on a trip to the Casa delle Farfalle. With two minivans, three moms, seven kids, and 10 packed lunches… we were ready to discover somewhere new in Sicily!

The Casa delle Farfalle is located in the Parco Monteserra. Right outside the butterfly house is a great play area that the kids loved.

Inside are a couple of rooms with educational displays, including two whole rooms dedicated to an explanation of the Silk Road. The children were fascinated with the live silk worms and their beautiful cocoons.

Finally we went into the room to see the butterflies themselves. I have to say, I was amazed. There were sooo many butterflies and they were in such a lovely setting. Many things helped us to feel like we were in the butterflies’ natural habitat, such as a little stream full of goldfish, birds chirping and nesting just a few feet away from visitors, and beautifully maintained flowers and plants.

^^^ A butterfly boldly landing on you is magical every time.

^^^ Lena was fascinated by the fish. Can you spot her on the bridge? Thankfully she never fell in!

^^^ Lena and Daniel were fascinated by this little monarch butterfly drinking sugar water… right at their height!

^^^ An Italian visitor gently coaxes a butterfly step onto Elise’s fingers.

^^^ And there’s the whole loveable, motley crew.

If you’d like to visit, the park is located just outside the town of Viagrande. That makes it an easy 30-minute drive from Catania (or, if you’re military and coming from base, about 30 minutes from NAS 1). Directions are included on the website here; the GPS coordinates are 37.616088 and 15.090467. Admission is 5 euro for everyone over 5 years old (which made this an inexpensive excursion for our group!).

Parco Monteserra — where the Casa delle Farfalle is located — has a lot to explore in addition to the butterfly house. We enjoyed the playground with young kids, and for older children or families there are hiking trails leading to a lake and a volcanic crater. Surrounding the play area are dozens of covered picnic benches; there is even a BBQ pit if you’d like to grill your lunch. I’m going to take my whole family back soon!

9 :: in animals, friends, Sicily, travel

the great-grandparents come to visit!

April 26, 2013 at 12:00 pm

We were so excited to have my grandparents (my mom’s parents) visit us for a few days this week. They had just finished an amazing tour of Sicily with Grand Circle Travel and so — without the pressure of “seeing Italy” — we could all sit back and savor the moments together. I absolutely love my grandparents and treasure any time I’m able to spend with them. Some of my happiest childhood memories come from hot summers spent in their beautiful home in St. Louis, helping my grandmother bake cookies or watching my grandfather in his woodworking shop in their basement. It was a huge honor to host them in my own home, to cook food for them in my own kitchen, to welcome them into everyday life with my own family.

Here are a few sweet moments from their visit. Above on the left, Gil and his GG (great-grandmother) enjoy lunch on base. Above on the right, Lena pages through a beautiful wooden bookthat her great-grandparents brought her. Thank you, GG and Great-Grampie!

Above left: Gil and GG chit-chatting at the hospital on base. We spent 5 hours there one morning due to my poor grandfather not feeling well for most of his visit! Thanks to excellent care at the hospital on base, though, he has a clean bill of health to head back to the States today. Above right: I can only hope to be as hip as my grandmother when I am 79.

Scenes from one early morning: Gil yawning (after only being up for an hour… typical) and Lena and Grammie enjoying a tea party.

Today we took a walk through our town, showing Grammie/GG our favorite spots.

One of our favorite places in town is definitely La Biscotteria Siciliana, where Grammie enjoyed her last chocolate gelato before leaving Italy.

Lena and I, meanwhile, celebrated the coming of warmer weather with cups of granite, or Italian ice. Lena had pistachio, I had almond and strawberry, and Gil just looked on with all the wisdom of a newly-minted 3-month-old. (Happy 3-month “birthday” today, Gil!)

Above left: My two munchkins staying busy while everyone else watches black smoke puffing out of Mt Etna through the kitchen window. Above right: Post nap time snuggles with my loves.

Above left: Afternoon playtime. Above right: Dinner tonight at Donna Fortunata. Love you, Grampie!

These pictures just make my heart melt. What an incredible gift to have my grandparents visit us overseas! I know I’ll treasure these memories for myself and for my children the rest of my life.

Are your grandparents still living? What did you do together the last time you saw them?