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Orange and Fennel Salad is one of my favorite salads that is super easy to make with simple ingredients which is the core of Sicilian cuisine. Growing up I always looked forward to my moms orange and fennel salad but now I've put my own twist! The bold and contrasting  flavors really pack a punch…crunchy fennel, sweet juicy slices of orange, contrast the salty black olives all tossed with a extra virgin olive oil straight from Sicily. Simplicity and flavor at its best. Got this from "The origin of fennel and orange salad is not completely known. It may have be a recipe that originated in Sicily after the Arab invasions. The orange salad was created as a poor dish that didn’t require cooking and with ingredients easily accessable. Today, the fennel and orange salad is known all over the world and in Italy it is served as an appetizer or as a final dish after an important meal." - San Pellegrino Ingredients: -One-half small red onion -2 large navel oranges or blood oranges -2 to 3 small fennel bulbs, trimmed (about 1 lb. total after trimming) -1/2 cup kalamata olives -3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil -1-1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice -3/4 tsp. kosher salt1 tsp. Preparation: Slice the onion, oranges and fennel into thin slices (I prefer to shave the fennel but you can leave them in thicker slices also). In a bowl, mix the onions, fennel, oranges and olives with plenty of olive oil. Sprinkle salt and squeeze lemon on top. Toss until all ingredients are evenly coated and serve!

Not really a huge fan of Halloween or dressing up and I didn't think the Sicilians were either but dam was I wrong! My cousin Maurizio's friend was hosting a "Hippie" Themed party at his home in the countryside or "campagna" and he of course brought us along. I always love to do things that the "locals" do and to experience life as they do, and boy do they enjoy life! The beer bottles (they only served beer) had a custom tie dye label on it, the DJ was dressed the part, there was a VW van photo booth, and a chef serving up 50 lbs of sausage and pasta at 2 am! Everyone at the party was decked out in full hippie looks with flowers head bands, afro wigs, bell bottoms and tie died shirts. It was really fun to see everyone so into the theme and just enjoying the simple things like eating, drinking, dancing and lots of laughing <3 But when they tell you you're going to a Hippie party, you dress like the most fashionable hippie that existed in the 70's ✌️. I happened to have purchased this fun jumpsuit from Forever21 thinking it would be a great day outfit to walk around town, it was light, love the color and had a cute ruffle on the bottom. But it came to serve a better purpose, my Hippie costume, plus a few accessories of course. I tied the only scarf I happened to bring with me on the trip, around my head, wasn't your typical flower headband but a leopard headband did the trick. Outfit Details: Jumpsuit: Forever21$35 Shoes: shoedazzle - last season Bag: purchased in Sicily Glasses: amazon.com$7.99 Scarf: Zara $17.90 (similar here) Taormina Armparty: orianalamarca.com $288

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Pasta "Alla Norma” is a humble, traditional and justly famous dish. The 19th-century composer Vincenzo Bellini is said to have adored it with such a passion (he ate it for lunch daily in his hometown, Catania) that the dish was eventually named after his opera “Norma.” You make a simple basil-infused tomato sauce, fry eggplant cubes in olive oil, toss both with pasta and shower with grated ricotta salata and toasted bread crumbs. Or do you? Some cooks forgo the crumbs. Some fry large slices of eggplant and lay them over the pasta, or ring the platter with them instead. Either way you slice it, it’s delicious and enjoy this dish with a beautiful armparty to match! Inspired by my favorite pasta dish, shop the "Alla Norma" armparty here! Enjoy my dads version of "Pasta Alla Norma" below! Serving Size: 4 people Ingredients 8 Plum tomatoes 1 tablespoon fine sea salt 3 cloves of fresh garlic 1 onion 1/2 cup basil leaves 2 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil 2 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 pound uncooked penne rigate 1 1/2 ounces ricotta salata cheese, grated with a Microplane grater (about 1 cup) How to Make Sauce: Step 1 -Boil water and blanche tomatoes for about 3 minutes -Remove tomatoes, peel and remove pulp and seeds and then blend until smooth -finely chop garlic and onion and sautée until golden brown, then add tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally How to make Eggplants: Step 2 - peel eggplants and cube into 1/2” pieces - sprinkle with salt and place in strainer covering with a weighted object for about 15 minutes so the dark liquid drains and removes the acidity -rinse the cubes and pat dry -in a frying pan bring a light vegetable oil to a boil. Place cubes in pan and fry u til dark golden brown -when you remove them from the pan, place them in a plate with a paper towel under to absorb the extra oil Step 3 -Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions for al dente. -add pasta to boiling water and cook for approx 10 min -add eggplants and 1/2 cup of grated ricotta salata to the simmering sauce and fold in Step 4 - when pasta is ready, use a slotted spoon to remove pasta and add to large mixing bowl without completely draining the water -add in the sauce leaving some aside to top off the plates -plate the pasta and garnish with sauce, shaved ricotta salata and basil ENJOY!

Pane "Cunzatu" literally translated means "seasoned bread".  It's a traditional Sicilian dish made which can be prepared to your liking but the best pane cunzato is from Paneficio DiStabile e Anselmo in Scopello. Til this day, they bake fresh bread daily and prepare the deilcious sandwich the traditional way! Pane cunzatu is not pane cunzatu unless the bread is fresh! It is then drizzled with extra virgin Sicilian olive oil, sprinkled with oregano, studded with anchioves and topped with slices of Cacciocavallo (sheep) cheese, green olives and tomatoes 😋. Some may add capers, nonno adds whatever he he has laying around the house but the key is the fresh bread and good olive oil ;) It is truly a masterpiece of rich Mediterranean flavors.  The key is using fresh local ingredients naturally. Salt from Trapani (nearby town), olive oil pressed from local Sicilian olives, Sicilian salt-cured anchioves and Sicilian Cacciocavallo cheese. My mother has fond memories of growing up with her grandmother "Nonna Caterina", making pane cunzatu on the days that she would make fresh bread. As soon as it came out of the oven, the bread was dressed and ready to enjoy! Later on, as a teenager, her and friends would ride their vespas from Castellammare to Scopello, grab a "pane cunzatu" and enjoy it at the beach! Now its a tradition we look forward to enjoying pane cunzatu strictly from Paneficio DiStabile e Anselmo in Scopello each year!

Dont' try this at home... Needless to say, not a smart idea to hold a fico d'india in your hand. I learned the hard way. Tons of tiny invisible thorns stuck in my hand for days. The pain was literally a "thorn in my side" for days until they finally fell out. The picture came out cute though, so I guess it was worth the pain! I got this set from a "marocchino"(moroccan man) selling beach towels at the spiaggia in Castellammare. Obviously I had to buy it because it reminded me of the Dolce & Gabbana set but at a mere 20 euros I couldn't resist!

These beloved jewels may look pretty and sweet on the inside but on the outside they are dangerous! They have paper thin thorns that easily insert themselves into your skin if you touch them and are molto difficile to remove. Therefore picking them and peeling them require a special technique (see videos below) My nonno has built himself a special tool he uses to pick them. Basically it is a long pole with a double cone shape at one end. Nonno cups the fruit and turns it to the side to break it off the "pala". Since the cactus plants grow tall and wide, sometimes the perfect fico d'india is a real challenge to get. (see video below, wait til the end, you will LOL) Now the tricky part is peeling them without getting a million thorn in your hands! Nonno starts by soaking them in water for about 30 minutes. Then he cuts both ends, slices down the middle and the beautiful fruit comes right out! By the time he's done peeling them, half of them have been eaten haha

The Fico D'India/ Ficchi D'India (plural) or prickly pears as we know them, are the spikey yet sweet fruit that hangs like jewels on the cactus plants along the Sicilian coastline. Ficchi D'India are an indigenous fruit of Sicily. The cactus plant was originally used as a natural barrier between neighboring farmers and they have now become a symbol of Sicilian decor and culture. One could say that this fruit perfectly symbolizes Sicily, as it is a truly expression of what living in this island means, that is adapting to many different conditions, overcoming thorny pitfalls, and then finally savoring unexpected sweetness. You can see it everywhere, often portrayed with its bright colors on typical landscapes or colorful carts, on the precious ceramics of Caltagirone, but also on clothing and jewelry :) There are three different  Prickly pears varieties, having 3 distinct  colors: The Sulfarina the most widespread and therefore less in demand variety, has a typic orange-yellow flesh and a slightly powdery consistency; Muscaredda, a sweeter and more crunchy variety, having a white pulp,  and finally the Sanguigna, which is characterized by its red-purple pulp. Beyond varieties, a distinction of quality should be made between the fruit first flowering, which takes place between May and June, and the so-called "bastardoni" or "big bastards", which are the prickly pears born after the second flowering, in the period running from late September to November. These latter have a firmer pulp containing less seeds and somewhat larger hence their endearing nick name . The fruit is juicy and sweet and contains many seeds which if eaten in excess can cause constipation (just ask my dad LOL). Ficchi D’India are also transformed into preserves, juices, condiments, liquors. Not to mention its large, fleshy and thorny leaf, called " la pala", whose juice and pulp are used in cosmetology and in phytotherapy for their incredible healing and moisturizing qualities. This tiny fruit has a lot of power packed in with a high concentration of vitamin C, magnesium and fiber. Research also shows that prickly pears have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, two aspects that might explain why some Sicilians consider it the perfect hangover cure ;) The beautiful range of color of the ficchi d'india have inspired my Ficchi D'India armparty which can be found here!

When life gives you limoncello, make this easy and delicious ricotta cheesecake! My obsession for anything with lemons or limoncello is no secret so naturally im obsessed with this cheesecake and I think you will too! Check out my dads recipe in this video! Ingredients 2 cups ricotta cheese well drained 4 eggs 4 tablespoons sugar granulated 4 tablespoons limoncello creamy or not lemon zest from 1 lemon Instructions Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175°C) . Grease or use non-stick spray to coat an 8 x 8 square baking pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, whip the ricotta until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon zest and the limoncello. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until light golden, firm and set. Allow to cool before serving or can be refrigerated and served the next day. If desired, garnish with powdered sugar, small berries, mint leaves and drizzle with extra limoncello.

Both of my parents were "Made In Sicily". Born and raised there, they came over as teenagers as their parents were in search of a better future for them.