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| LA CUCINA EOLIANA E SICILIANA
the food of the eolian islands and sicily |
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Eolo is Italian for Aeolus, the son of Zeus, custodian of the four winds, and in Homer's Odyssey, the ruler of the island of Aeolia.
Named for Aeolus, the Eolian Islands, are located off the northeastern coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The seven individual islands that make up the archipelago are Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli and Vulcano. The peaceful, yet enigmatically volcanic archipelago is an extraordinary place to visit, and the combination of its beautiful setting and slower, less harried way of life, make them a worthwhile side trip from the mainland. A little over twenty years ago I had one of the happiest days of my life when my cousins from Milazzo took me to Lipari for the first time, where we spent the day exploring the main town, visiting the archeological museum and ancient ruins. |
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| Perhaps the highlight of the day was the delicious lunch we enjoyed at Ristorante Filippino, where I enjoyed my first taste of la cucina eoliana.
Eolian cuisine subtly unites many ingredients found in the wild, which are used to enhance everything from goat to grouper. The aromatic finocchio selvatico (wild fennel), mirto (myrtle), nepitella (calamint), ruchetta selvatica (wild arugula) and dente di leone (dandelion), are essential components in the recipes of the islands. These, along with the more familiar and easily cultivated mint, oregano, rosemary and basil, round out the necessary list of herbs in the eolian pantry. Capperi (capers) are omnipresent in numerous eolian recipes, and their citrus-like piquancy heightens many typical dishes Pomodorini pennuli (cherry tomatoes on the vine) are one of the blessings of summer and add color and a tangy sweetness to salads and pasta. |
| Fish is a staple in the eolian diet and is either pan-fried, grilled, poached or broiled, but rarely embellished with more than a hint of herbs, squeeze of lemon and a swirl of olive oil.
Mollusks are another favorite of the eolian table with Calamari (squid) and totano, its larger cousin, either stewed in a tomato-caper sauce or stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, olives, capers, garlic and parsley. Seppia (cuttlefish) are often stewed in their own ink, and polpo (octopus) makes a mouth watering salad when tossed with capers, lemon juice, olive oil and parsley. A perfect way to finish a meal is with a simple dessert of fresh fruit or biscotti, complemented by a glass of malvasia (malmsey wine) or homemade limoncello (lemon liqueur). continued... |
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