fellow food followers,

wow!  i have only had a few meals in Sicily so far, having been here only three days.  but i have learned two important things already.

one, eating in Sicily is a little schizophrenic.  on the one hand, they are known for their “street food”, which is on every street corner and readily available for short breaks and relatively quick consumption.  on the other hand, when Sicilians sit down for a meal it is a really important event in the day, one that takes alot of time and where there is no rush to complete.  they really value the importance of a relaxed and lengthy meal as a really important part of their day and their interaction with family members and others. two and a half hours is very common for a sit down meal.

thought you might enjoy the picture of where we ate last night.  it was a sit down meal, but we literally sat on the street, as you can see.  the tables in the back row are located on the sidewalk.  the tables on the front row are located in the street, in the parking lane.  and the seafood is displayed and cooked in the street.

 

two, the Sicilian food is phenomenal.  let me just talk about one today. i am sure there will be many more posts about Sicilian food before this trip is over.

today i want to tell you about Caponata — a Sicilian cooked salad dish.  it is to die for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

its principal ingredient is eggplant (the Brits call it aubergine).

in addition other ingredients can include celery, olives, carrots, green bell peppers, pine nuts, raisins, all seasoned with sweetened vinegar, with capers in a sweet and sour sauce.

it can be served as an appetizer or a side dish or in some cases as the main dish.

have fallen in love with Caponata.