My uncle, Ferdinando, lived all his life in my paternal house. My siblings and I loved him more like a father than an uncle, and he treated us as if we were his own children. In Palermo, we usually had supper at 8 PM, and when it was merenda time—the afternoon snack at about 4 PM—Uncle Ferdinando would ask me and my siblings if we would like to taste the snack he was going to prepare. He would not tell us what he was going to make, and our usual answer was that nobody wanted it!

Zio Ferdinando knew how to prepare only a few dishes, but what he cooked was very tasty and appetizing. One of his specialties was Cacio all’Argintera. This simple dish has exceptional taste and incomparable fragrance. The smell of the cheese, garlic, vinegar and oregano would attract us into the kitchen, and without fail, he would invite the gang to sit with him at the kitchen table and share this appetizing dish accompanied with sourdough panini, which are a Palermo specialty.