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Sicilian Cooking

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Sicilian Appetizers

An appetizer is a small portion of a tasty food or drink at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite. (Webster’s)
The Sicilian cuisine has no tradition of antipasto. It was an accomplishment when the majority of people could get three meals a day!

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Vegetables Giardiniera – Vinegar

The Giardiniera is made of pickled vegetables; the pickling makes it possible to preserve vegetables in season when they are abundant and conserve them for some time. It is a somewhat complicated proceeding ..

Eggplants Vinaigrette

Do you like eggplants? Do you want to make an appetizer that is easy to prepare ahead of time? Do you want to get yourself and your guests’ craving? This recipe is easy to prepare, tastes better the next day and truly is a tasteful morsel that will stimulate your appetite.

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MINIATURE RICE BALL APPETIZER

Arancine is derived from the Italian word for orange, or arancia. This preparation will make approximately 25 visually and gastronomically appealing miniature rice balls...

Bruschetta – Pani Cunzatu

Making bruschetta is an easy undertaking. The bruschetta is sliced Italian bread rubbed with fresh garlic, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, placed on an oven rack and toasted until golden ..

Fried Bread

In the western part of Sicily, the leftover bread is mostly transformed into grated bread and used for stuffing, as a filler to increase the volume of chopped meat or to replace cheese in many pasta dishes ..

Crispeddi Fritters Salty or Sweet

Crispeddi are made stuffed with anchovies or ricotta. In Catania, all the friggitorie, local fast food restaurants, make a version of fritters that is salted, to be served as an appetizer or for a snack, and a version ..

Artichokes Viddanedda

Carciofi alla Contadina is a different and delicious appetizer, a compliment to any meal as a side dish or a main course for a vegetarian. At Joe’s of Avenue U, we prepared the Cacocciuli a Viddanedda ..

Olives

Olives are produced all over Sicily. In fact, Sicily produces such a large amount of olives that it accounts for over 80% of the olive oil manufactured in Italy. The olives grown in Catania are colossal, and ..

Stuffed Mushrooms

This is the recipe for the stuffed mushrooms we prepared at our restaurant, Joe’s of Avenue U. It was my wife who suggested we use the inside of fresh bread instead of muddica (toasted breadcrumbs), and ..

Shrimp Cocktail Gamberi

Shrimp cocktail is one of the most appealing and preferred antipasti. One and a half to two pounds of unpeeled shrimp of the “16/20” count, which is the preferred size, are needed for 4 people. If there is any ..

Nunnata Appetizer

Fishermen are allowed to catch the nunnata only for a short and limited period of time, usually fifteen days, between February 15 and April 15. Nunnata refers to just born sardines, anchovies or mackerel ..

Baked Clams

Clams are a very popular antipasto in the United States, especially in the coastal areas. They can be served sautéed with garlic and oil, over pasta to make a fragrant and appetizing entree, into chowder with potatoes and broth or stuffed and baked in a variety of ways ..

Squash Sweet Sour

To prepare this dish, you can use butternut squash, the acorn squash, Calabasas squash or pumpkin. Winter squash is best between fall and winter because the flesh is protected by a hard skin, giving it a long shelf life ..

Caperberries Salad

Caper berries, tomato, olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper make a healthy as well as tasty salad that goes well as a contorno, side dish, or as an aromatic appetizer to tease your taste buds.

Peperonata with Pineapple

This exotic mixture of peppers, onions, tomato and pineapple with a hint of garlic is served in a sweet and sour sauce. It is a tasty condiment for meat dishes or a delicious antipasto to stimulate the appetite.

Introduction to Eggplant

There are many varieties of eggplant in various shapes, colors and sizes. They may be round, elongated or oval; purple-black to white; weighing from one ounce to five pounds. Native to India, the eggplant ..

Eggplant Croquettes

A good vegetarian dish filled with elements available in the pantry of every Sicilian household, eggplant croquets can be served fried as an appetizer or well cooked in tomato sauce as a main dish ..

Eggplants Rolled with Ricotta

In the United States, Rolled Eggplants stuffed with ricotta are a very popular appetizer. You will find this appetizer on the menu of most Italian restaurants, especially in New York. It is well-liked for ..

Eggplant Beccafico

Beccafico (Sylvia borin) is a small songbird that nests in Tuscany and passes over Sicily in spring and fall for the winter migration. Those birds were stuffed and cooked in the kitchens of the nobles and ..

Caponatina

Zia Bettina, my father’s sister and the guardian and keeper of our family cooking recipes, made this classic, savory dish in huge amounts because it was tastier the next day. We enjoyed it as contorno (side dish) or in a sandwich for our lunch at school.

Stuffed Eggplants

This antipasto or side dish goes well with grilled food. It is a very convenient dish because it can be prepared in advance. The stuffing of capers, anchovies and cheese lends a typical Sicilian taste to the stuffed grilled eggplants. Any leftovers are delicious the next day.

Eggplant in Oil

Olives, cheese, giardiniera, salted anchovies or sardines are a “necessary requirement” in a Sicilian pantry, and preserved eggplants, garnished with fresh extra virgin olive oil and peperoncino (hot pepper), ..

Grilled or Fried Eggplants

Grilled or fried eggplants can be served as part of the appetizers, or as a side dish, or to stuff Italian bread for an exceptional sandwich. It is a very convenient dish because it can be prepared in advance. Just add salt and peppers and enjoy!

Eggplant Bracioli

This is one of my preferred appetizers for the unique rich taste and for the easiness to prepare it. It can be prepared in advance and baked at the last minute. The combination of salami and fresh Caciocavallo when it blends with the mint and ..

Fried Vegetables – Frittedda

This is a vegetable dish I enjoy eating for the delicate and delightful fragrance. Aunt Francesca specialized in the preparation of this simple and typical Palermitano dish. When I cooked the Frittedda at Joe’s of Avenue U -the Focacceria Palermitana ..

Polpo Octopus

Piazza Caracciolo is the center of the famous open market of Palermo: La Vucciria. Vucciriameans butchershop, from the French boucherie, but because of the continuous yelling and screaming of the ..

Octopus Salad

Place the polpo in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, the juice of 2 lemons, garlic, ½ of the parsley, red pepper(optional) ½ teaspoon of salt and some pepper, and dress polpo with it.

Boiled Octopus

In a large pot, boil 3 gallons of water. Add lemon cut in half and bay leaves. Using a pot fork, submerge and remove each polpo three times and then let it cook over a high flame. When the water starts to boil again, cook for 15 minutes ..

Fried Octopus

Purpu frittu is a popular dish in most Mediterranean countries. It is preferred because the octopus can be cooked in advance and easily and quickly sautéed with garlic, parsley, and olive oil ..