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According to the Sicilian legend, around the year 1000, in the height of the domination of the Moors in Sicily, a beautiful young girl lived her days in  solitary quietude, devoting her attention to caring for the plants on her balcony. One day, passing by, a young Moor saw the beautiful girl intent on watering her flowers and immediately fell in love with her and declared his love. The girl, struck by that bold and intense feeling, returned the love of the young Moor. But when she learned that he would soon leave her to return to his native land, where his wife and children were waiting for him, she took advantage of the night and killed him while he was fast asleep. So the story goes, the girl cut off his head and made a pot where she planted a basil plant. She put it on display outside  her balcony, so he could be with her forever. The basil grew abundantly as she watered it with her tears she cried daily. As the people walked past her balcony, they fell in love with the planter and began making them out of clay . Nowadays the "testa di moro" has become an iconic symbol or Sicily. As you walk the streets of charming Taormina you will notice the balconies are lined with beautiful "testa di moro" planters as the lucious greens drape over. Moral of the story...don't mess with a Sicilian woman 😉

One of the many things I love about going to the beach in Europe are the "Lido" or beach restaurants. The fact that you can go to the beach and get a delicious meal takes half of the hassel out of going to the beach. It spares a lot of time and frustration worrying about what to bring to eat, dragging a heavy cooler etc. In Castellammare, Lido Peter Pan is my favorite. You can order everything from a plate of pasta or grilled fish to gelato and cocktails, and trust me, its delicious! Today we spent the day there with my cousins Veronica and Sophia, we hung out on the beach and ended the day with a cocktail and some dancing 💃. Sundays are usually packed as all the locals come out to relax and dance the day away!

On the 6th day of January we celebrate the “Feast of the Epiphany” in Western Christianity. The feast commemorates the visit of the 3 wise Kings to Jesus after his birth bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh. In Italy and in particular Sicily, long before there was “Babbo Natale” ( Santa Claus) there was “La Befana” who slid down the chimneys to deliver children gifts. In Italian folklore, “La Befana” is portrayed as an old woman dressed in black and riding around on a broomstick. She comes on the eve of the Epiphany similar to the 3 wise Kings and leave gifts for those on the “nice” list and coal for those on the “naughty” list. Many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves which symbolized the sweeping away of the problems of the year and also the official end of the holiday season!

Da buon pizzaiolo napoletano, Peppe, Villa Verde’s renowned pizzaiolo, gives me a little insight on making the perfect Neapolitan pizza. Pizza making is an art and the pizzaiolo, the artist but what I found to be most captivating is how these guys can stand in front of a burning oven, while its 90 degrees outside and not even break a sweat! I was told several times, their bodies have just become “adjusted”, something mine was not. So I stood next to Peppe and his burning oven as I watched him make my pizza for only about 6 minutes, I sweating profusely while he was cool as a cucumber! As we already know, the freshest ingredients make a world of difference from the tomatoes and mozzarella to the double zero flour and even the water!! Peppe made us 2 different pizzas to try, one with Pomodorini del Piennolo del Vesuvio (tomatoes that grow in the southern region of Campania around Mt Vesuvius), Mozzarella di Buffala also from the Campania region, arugula and shaved parmigiano. The other was with salsiccia (sausage) and friarelli which is a special type of broccolini that only grows around the base of Mt Vesuvio, closest described as a sweeter version of broccoli rabe. Peppe makes between 150-200 pizzas per night but when I asked which was his favorite, he responded “La Margherita”! He said he’s tried them all, but plain and simple, you can never go wrong with a classic! Capri's good taste,Enchanting flavors and intriguing aromas delight the senses.Villa Verde is one of the islands oldest and liveliest restaurants on the island. Loved among celebrities and locals. My friend Simone worked at Villa Verde for over 15 years so we walked in and felt right at home!

Traveling to Italy during COVID in 2021 takes the normal stresses of traveling to a whole new level. The anxiety of making sure your bags are under 50 lbs, not knowing whether you’ve done the right antigen test and whether or not you have the proper paper work filled out may just get you sick quicker than the virus. Although now that I’ve made the voyage once, I have to say, it really wasn’t all that bad! Regardless of whether or not you are vaccinated, you must show proof of a negative antigen test which can be rapid or PCR within 48 hours of departure. I went to a local urgent care center for testing the day before our flight and within an hour I had my results. Secondly, you must fill out a Digital European Passenger Locator Form (dPLF) (which you can find here ) Passenger Locator Forms (PLFs) are used by public health authorities to facilitate contact tracing in case travellers are exposed to an infectious disease during their travel. You must have your negative test results printed to present at check in and the completed PLF QR code available on your phone. You will be asked to show both again before boarding the plane. Lastly, the airline will provide you with a self-declaration form ( which you can access here here Returning to the US, you must get a negative antigen test in order to enter the country. We simply went to a local pharmacy the day before departure and in europe mostly all pharmacies are administering the test. Same rules apply coming home, so just have your negative test and PLF QR code available and you’ll be good to go! This was my experience traveling beginning of July 2021 but as we are in a volatile state, things can change from day to day so just be sure to check the Italian embassy website ( https://it.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/) It may sound stressful but I promise you the second your feet hit the ground you will forget all about it!

When COVID-19 stripped our freedoms to travel, sit around a dinner table with our loved ones, socialize and do anything that was once considered part of our everyday life, the only thing left to do was to stay home and cook and eat, then cook and eat some more. Food has a funny way of transporting us to a magical place whether a plate of tagliatelle alla “bolognese” takes you to Bologna in northern Italy or a plate of pasta “alla norma” takes you all the way south to Sicily, each bite evokes a euphoric feeling. I, myself, can say that my taste buds have been spoiled by the culinary talents of both my mother and father. Both of them were born and raised in Sicily, came over as teenagers, and believed that eating McDonald’s was a sin. Not really, but the concept of fast food did not and does not exist for them. Only the freshest ingredients sourced locally and from Sicily are used in the kitchen. Cooking is an art and a labor of love as my father likes to say. Whether you're cooking “la cucina povera” like eggplant parmigiana or a classic Sicilian staple like pasta alla norma, all you need are fresh ingredients and passion...I happen to be very passionate about eating pasta. I’ve grown up spending a couple of weeks in Sicily every summer; trips to Sicily bring me “home”, home to my roots, my family, my passion for the culture, my traditions and in particular the food. This overwhelming passion for Sicily inspires everything I do, design, and create. Hence my passion project evolved: www.MySicilianLoveAffair.com. It is a reference place for where to go, what to do, how to dress, where to stay, where to eat and all the things that I love so much about Sicily translated in my own personal experiences and photos. Since the pandemic has halted so many of life’s greatest joys, one of those being travel, I am in constant search of how I can evoke the essence of Sicily here in NY/NJ. The most gratifying has been through designing my jewelry collections inspired by the vibrant colors of Sicily, delicious food, architecture and all that encompasses our culture. I designed my signature My Sicilian Love Affair collection of bracelets using hand painted ceramics that are made in Sicily. The campaign was shot in my mom’s hometown of Castellammare Del Golfo in order to capture the spirit of everyday Sicilian life. But when it came time to launch my new My Sicilian Love Affair “Baroque” Collection of earrings, Sicily was off limits so I had to find a way to capture Sicily stateside. Piccola Cucina Estiatorio was the ideal location to fuse food and fashion. Naturally big family dinners on Sundays always bring me back but there's something about going to Piccola Cucina in NYC that truly makes me feel like I'm in Sicily. This cozy string of restaurants transports me to a world across the Atlantic while only having to cross the Hudson River, and I’m sure it will do the same for you! “Piccola Cucina” means small kitchen in Italian but the warmth and culture packed into this tiny space is anything but small. At the hands of culinary extraordinaire and Sicilian native, Philip Guardione, Piccola Cucina has covered the essence of authentic dishes from each region of Sicily. Sicily may be considered a hidden gem in the meditteranean but with its strategic location and ports, everyone wanted to take hold of this land. Greek and Arab invasions left behind strong culinary influences such as citrus, pistachios, olives and eggplants which are widely used in Sicilian cuisine. From the “Piaggio Ape” cart displaying fresh Sicilian fish to the pulpo and arancini, from the Eros Ramazzotti playing in the background to hearing the entire waitstaff converse in Italian, Phillip Guardione brings me back to some of my favorite memories in Sicily. Guardione first opened Piccola Cucina Osteria on Prince St in 2008 with the vision to bring a piece of his hometown to the heart of NYC. Next he opened Piccola Cucina Enoteca on Spring St in 2013, Piccola Cucina Estiatorio in 2017 and most recently Piccola Cucina Uptown just at the heart of the pandemic in March of 2020. His goal in each location is to maintain the level of quality and freshness by importing only the finest ingredients from Sicily. So whether you’re in the mood for “Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare” (sea urchin) or “Taglierini al nero di seppia”(squid ink), you can rest assured that you will taste Sicily and all of its flavors. From the first time I stepped foot in Piccola Cucina several years ago, I felt “home”. There is no place else in NYC that delivers as much of Sicily in such a small space like Piccola Cucina does. It is rare to go to an Italian restaurant where the wait staff, kitchen staff and patrons are straight from Italy, let alone Sicily. And in true “southern hospitality”, from the first “Ciao, come stai? ” we were no longer patrons, Piccola Cucina and its entire staff became family. Simply put, the way a plate of pasta from Piccola Cucina transports you to Sicily is pure magic. I long for those marathon dinners al fresco under the Sicilian moonlight, a dinner table packed with family and friends, conversations and laughter so intense you can barely hear yourself think, and an abundance of dishes until you can’t see the tablecloth underneath. I have been counting down the days until I can board an Alitalia plane and hear those magic words, “Get ready for takeoff….” but it doesn't seem like that is happening any time soon. So for the time being, although we may not be under the Sicilian moonlight, Piccola Cucina has brought me many dinners with friends and family, many plates of pasta, and many great memories in NYC. So next time you’re in Manhattan, stop by one of their 4 locations and let Piccola Cucina transport you to my favorite place on earth: Sicily <3

Caltagirone is one of the eight towns of south-eastern Sicily known as the baroque towns of the Val di Noto, which were almost entirely destroyed and rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693 and classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.The town of Caltagirone stands out for its unusual link between the pre- and post-1693 periods and for its ceramic production. Ceramic production in Caltagirone is a millenium old tradition making the town one of the most important ceramic production centers of Sicily, renowned in the entire Mediterranean. While the ceramic tradition dates to prehistorical times, the name of the town itself is believed to derive form the Arabic word qal’at-al-ghiran, meaning “Castle (or fortress) of vases”. The ceramic tradition is visible in every part of the town, not only in its numerous shops selling ceramics and maiolica, but also throughout the city’s architecture, balustrades, vases, and other decorative ceramic features enhancing the streets of the baroque town, the most famous landmark being the magnificent stairs, Santa Maria del Monte in the center of town. Built in 1606, the amazing stairs Santa Maria del Monte connect the old part of the town with the newer one. On either side of the stairs lie the two old quarters of San Giorgio and San Giacomo. The stairs consist of 142 steps, covered with colorful tin-glazed ceramics. The lower steps show older ceramics, while the newer ones are located in the higher part of the stairs.The stairs are celebrated three times a year; on July 24 and 25 they are lighted with 4000 canle lights at the occasion of the Feast of San Giacomo. Any trip to the gem of Caltagirone is sure to be filled with color and amazing memories!

Modica is one of the most interesting towns in Sicily. Included into a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with 7 other towns of the Val di Noto area, Modica has a rich historical and cultural heritage and is home to several fine examples of the Sicilian Baroque architecture. It is a community that flourished for centuries in what was once the capital of an ancient and powerful county whose territory, in the Middle Ages, extended to the gates of Palermo. Modica is also famous for its delicious locally produced chocolate, the Cioccolato di Modica. Made with a very old recipe, the Aztecs can be accredited for the delicious recipe. If you are wondering what the Aztecs have to do with Sicily, think about the Spanish conquistadors in South America and you will see that the same Spanish have dominated this island for a couple of centuries. The aroma is the one of the roasted cocoa beans, with a slight trace of astringency. It is traditionally flavored with cinnamon or vanilla. However, you can just as easily find chocolate with chili, carob, coffee, and citrus fruits. Because of its unique composition, it can actually be eaten as it is or dissolved in water as a drink! A trip to Modica will certainly leave you starstruck and full of cioccolato!

Catania is a major transport hub, university center and economic hub in the area and is known for its active nightlife and vibrant culture. Catania is also known for its architecture which is mostly Baroque and urban style due to the major devastation that it faced in the earthquake of 1693. It attracts thousands of tourists from around Italy as well as other countries through the world. Piazza Del Duomo is the main square in Catania and the center point for all activities. The square has a giant elephant statue which has become the symbol of the city in the last few decades. The Piazza is a great place to just sit and relax and watch the people passing by. Via Etnea is the main shopping destination and is lined with shops selling numerous types of local as well as branded merchandise. The street also has lots of churches as well as imposing buildings, some of which are architectural wonders. Locals like to stroll around the street at a leisurely pace in the evenings and so it is a good place for people watching. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Mount Etna resides in the area of Catania! As the biggest volcano in Europe, it is definitely a must visit. There are several guided and organized tours that take tourists to the volcano and the views offered from the top of the mountain are spectacular.

Set in the splendid scenery of the Iblei mountains, the picturesque village of Palazzolo Acreide shows itself as a treasure chest to be discovered that is characterized by the singularity of its urban structure, full of testimonies from different eras. The Ancient City lies on the hill above the modern town, the approach to it being defended by quarries, in which tombs of ancient periods have been discovered. The auditorium of a small theatre is well-preserved, though nothing of the stage remains. Nearby are the ruins of other buildings, which bear, without justification, the names Naumachia, Odeum (perhaps a bath establishment) and Palace of Hiero. The town was largely destroyed by the earthquake of 1693, and most of the buildings date from the 18th century. Inserted in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Palazzolo is an ideal destination for trips out of town or for those who want to visit a place suspended in time, away from mass tourism. Palazzolo is also known to be festive as many baroque festivals are celebrated each year: the San Paolo at the end of June and those of San Sebastiano and San Michele in August and late September. Your trip to Palazzolo will surely be rooted in ancient history and a great time!

Less well-known than its prestigious neighbours (Ragusa, Noto and Modica) but just as fascinating and beautiful, Scicli is well worth a visit if you’re ever in south-eastern Sicily. It sits in a gorge just a few miles from the long sandy beaches of Sampieri and Donnalucata and is overlooked by a towering rocky mass on which the Church of San Matteo sits. The town shares much of its history with the other UNESCO Heritage Site towns of the Val di Noto, most specifically the fateful earthquake of 1693, during which over 3,000 of the town’s population died. Scicli, like the towns in the area, was totally rebuilt in pure Sicilian Baroque style. Today, it is a joy to wander round. Scicli’s history, of course, long predates 1693, and it is thought to have taken its name from its founders, the Sicels, one of the three main tribes that inhabited Sicily before the arrival of the Greek colonists. Like the rest of the island, it was passed from one invading conqueror to another, reaching its economic and cultural peak during the Arab and Norman dominations. Today, Scicli is renowned for its many greenhouses producing the "early fruits" that are exported all over Italy!

Sometimes, stepping into a place transports you into an ethereal world that you never knew could look so picturesque. Ragusa is just that, a beautiful and unique historical town in Sicily. Located on a hilltop, it’s famous for its unusual geographical layout and stunning Sicilian Baroque architecture. Ragusa is divided into two towns: Ragusa Ibla (lower old town) and Ragusa Superiore (upper town). These two parts of Ragusa are separated by a deep ravine. Narrow winding streets and staircases connect the two parts and taking a walk from Ragusa Superiore down to Ragusa Ibla opens up the most breathtaking views of Ragusa Ibla. You can see pretty much the whole town of Ragusa Ibla from that staircase. The views are amazing!