Sicilian Secrets in the Kitchen

It is no secret that I ADORE Sicily. I am looking for a place in Trapani to perhaps split my time 50/50 with Tuscany. I want to write my  Secrets of My Sicilian Kitchen cookbook.

I have always believed in dreaming and making dreams come true.

Each time I come down with one of my tour groups, my friends share more and more of their secrets with me and I can then pass them on to my friends. A never ending learning process.

Yesterday we spent the day with Gabriella Becchina and her family at their family estate, and did a cooking class with her dad on his version of cuscus and then a fabulous cookie with her aunt.

Gianfranco showing us how to clean and prepare the fish for his cuscus.

learning to make extruded cookies with Zia Enza

they looked so delicate and were  as light as air

The cookies were made using olive oil instead of butter, which is a fabulous trick I have learned in Italy, butter is used more north of Florence but EVO is easily substituted for butter in any recipe.

Zagara blossoms and fruit

ancient wild olive tree on the Becchina Estate

collection at the Molini dei Ponte in Castelvetrano

I adore the passion of the people that I have met in maintaining their traditions and continuing with quality products and sharing it with us.

Filippo Drago- Molini del Ponte