Quaresimali are almond cookies that were traditionally made during Lent (Quaresima).  There are many variations of this recipe but they are usually hard cookies that contain no fat and no egg yolks.  Quaresimali in parts of Northern Italy are alphabet shaped chocolate cookies without nuts.  I make these cookies year-round and add just a little […]

Infigghiulata (Nfigghiulata), impanate, and scacciate are just a few names for popular snack foods in Sicily that are made with focaccia/pizza dough and stuffed with various fillings.  They are considered rustic forms of pizza or pizze, such as a calzone.  Each of these breads is basically the same except they vary in shape and form.  […]

Marsala is an indigenous fortified wine frequently used in Sicilian cooking.  There are two varieties of Marsala – sweet and dry.  Sweet Marsala is savored as a desert wine and used mainly for making desserts.  Dry Marsala, which is less sweet, is enjoyed as an aperitif and used for making savory dishes.  I once ruined […]

Occasionally I get cravings for panelle, a highly nutritious Sicilian snack food.  Panelle are basically fritters made of chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour.  They are not difficult to make but the process takes some time.  I came up with this recipe for making panelle in a crepe form to cut down on prep time.  These crepes taste […]