What comes to mind when you think of Sicily? The Godfather? Notorious organizations? Hollywood has played a significant role in the perception of Sicily as being dangerous, however it’s not so. Long gone are the days of Dons and Mafiosos.
When Sicilians first migrated to the USA in the late 1800s , only 56% could read and write. As they assimilated throughout Boston and New York City they passed on to their children their Italian slang. Surprisingly, every Italian-American I've met over the decades do not speak any Italian but just a few curse words. It was the mindset of these new Americans that they are now in America and will only speak English. But slang words are still commonly spoken in the USA.
For example, The word for mistress in Italian is comare (one who takes care of you). But in Sicilian slang (as in The Sopranos). it is pronounced gomah. (the letter "c" in Italian is pronounced slightly at the back of the throat)
Still on my bucket list, I plan to visit the homeland of my father, Pacchino, Sicily located on the southeast tip of the island which is famous for its cherry tomatoes. In reading about the Mediterranean's largest island, I've learned that the people are known for their hospitality and are incredibly welcoming. Unlike most European countries, English isn’t widely spoken so I will have to brush up on my Sicilian.
Side note: There are over 300 dialects spoken in Italy today.
What about Sicilian pizza?
I'm reminded of my dad who would take me down to the Sicilian neighborhood on Common Street in Lawrence MA, where there were several salumerias and bakeries serving their version of pizza topped with creamy and rich buffalo mozzarella; and pastries like delectable pastaciotti and sfogliatelle; memorable treats of flaky crust filled with real ricotta, custards or cream. Today that area has been regentrified with Latinos and Asians whereby an old standby Tripoli's Bakery remains but have altered the traditional recipes to satisfy the tastes of the local residents. However, today if you pay a visit to Hanover Street in Boston's North End, you will find Mike's Pastry and Modern Pastry who still maintain the old world foods and ingredients .
My dad was a great story teller and I remember some of the tales he would tell about his godmother, Adelina, being a fantastic cook and so much better than his own mother, my nonna, who was not good in the kitchen and very jealous of her sister's cooking. After school, whenever my nonna would mind me, she would serve her marinara sauce over spaghetti . I can still see her long glare and how she scowled as I spent 10 minutes picking out all the onions she had put in it. She would yell "Mangia! Mangia!"
I imagine I inherited my culinary talents from Adelina since my own mother diiked cooking and only prepared meals for our survival, not out of a genuine love
As a child, i was a horrible eater, hating most everything my mother made. She would chase me around the table with a spoonful of her latest concoction yelling, "Try it! Try it". She worried because I was so skinny refusing to eat (whatever happened to THAT girl? LOL!) Sometimes I would go over to my own godmother's house and try her sauce - but even that was not palatable for she prepared it with only tomato paste and cooked it for hours.
Side note: It is commonly believed that one must cook tomato sauce for hours and hours. Some even cover it which gives the sauce a boiled taste. My experience has been to give your sauce a fresher taste, I simmer it just 45 minutes. Longer times brings out the acid in tomatoes whereby some have added sugar i To sweeten it. Instead try adding a teaspoon of instant coffee. (For more info on that, See blog: You Put Coffee in Marinara Sauce?)
After I got married and whenever I would visit the family, mom would ask me to prepare some of my gourmet dishes She neither commented or complimented my outpourings, but her plate was always empty. My dad? Well, no reason to explain how he felt about my cooking; but watching my mom’s deadpan facial expression whenever he lifted his head from his dish, (as he would eat in complete silence), he would look up with wide eyes and reached for a third helping.
For authentic Italian recipes, go to my web site at www.theitaliandiva.com . You will learn how to cook without the use of premature aging chemicals or preservatives.
Below is an old photo of my Sicilian family and the Godmothers 1, 2, and 3. My mom is seated 3rd in from your left with her arm around her Sister-in-law. My dad is standing directly behind her. I sure miss them.
