I just returned from a five-week visit to Sicily, where I was born. On my flight from Palermo to Rome, an article in the airline magazine Ulisse caught my attention. It chronicled the history and special gifts of Djerba, the bewitching tiny island-oasis, off the Tunisian Coast. The island was immortalized in Homer's Odyssey. In mythology, the Greeks believed that it was occupied by the Lotus people who offered Ulysses a local fruit that had the power to make men forget ... their country, their home, their loved ones. In reality, the fruit was the Barbary jujube, which yields an inebriating juice, and not the classical lotus fruit. Many still believe that persimmons have similar qualities to the jujube.
As I was reading the article, my mind began to wonder off. I started to savor the five weeks I had spent in the island. My stay was enriched by several guests who visited me there. Together we explored parts of the island that are not known to the typical tourist visiting the island.
In one special case, I guided two Italo-Americans friends and their spouses to the home town of one of their ancestors. Nestled in the rugged Nebrodi mountains, we visited Tortorici, where we met four of their cousins along with their families (about 22 in total). I was touched by the warmth, love-filled reunion, and the superb banquet that followed to celebrate the reunion. They say that blood is thicker than water. I witnessed the power of this proverb first hand. What a marvelous spectacle!
In another special case, I led a two car caravan with 6 American friends through the back roads of Sicily to Vallelunga to visit the Regaleali winery. I had wanted to visit it for several years but timing was always off. This time, thanks to the fact that all my guests loved wine tasting, I led the journey there.
The winery is owned by the Conte Tasca d'Almerita, a noble family from Palermo (no direct relatives of mine). I had corresponded with the Contessa Anna Tasca Lanza about 15 years ago. She had established a well-known cooking school on the property. I had read with interest two of her cook books. The Countess had invited me to visit the winery, but to my chagrin I did not have enough time to do so. She died a few years ago. Her daughter Fabrizia now runs the school.
Conte Tasca bought the ranch in 1830 along with the nobility title from a Spanish aristocrat. After WWII, Conte Giuseppe Tasca (curiously, my father shared his first name in addition to his last name) embarked on the transformation of the property to wine production. The winery now produces 3 million bottles of wine each year. Sixty percent is consumed in Italy and the balance is exported all over the world. Sadly Count Giuseppe died in 1998 (curiously, my father also died that year). The winery is now run by Count Lucio Tasca and his two sons. The winery employs 90 people year around, more for seasonal work.
The local staff took us on a guided tour of the winery, culminating with an elaborate tasting session. Unfortunately, I am not a wine drinker, so while my friends indulged, I spent my time taking photographs of the winery's interesting setting. We ended our visit with a shopping spree at the winery's well equipped store. For all of us, it was a fun filled and memorable day indeed!
Sicily is an ancient land. It has been inhabited for 12,000 years, first by primitive people, later colonized by people from the Iberian peninsula (Sicani), The Italian peninsula (Sikels), the Levant (Phoenicians), the Aegean (Greeks), and North Africa (Carthagenians), and much later occupied by Roman, Arab, Norman, French, German, Austrian, Spanish and Italian conquerors. So the island abounds of many myths.
Ancient Greeks believed that the god of wind Aeolos lived in a nearby archipelago where the god of fire Vulcan had his forge. Neptune, the ill-tempered god of the seas, often visited the island. Greeks also believed that one-eyed Cyclops inhabited the area close to the giant Etna. Mother Earth (Demeter) lived in the island. Persephone was born from the union between Demeter and Zeus -- half human and half divine. Today, people believe that the cherry tomatoes of Pachino have special curative properties.
The island is blessed with great weather most of the year, and it is beautifully landscaped with olive orchards, citrus groves, grapes fields, and an abundance of fruit trees. The rugged North is balanced by Southern plains, and the green costal areas are offset by the arid interior. Mount Etna rises to almost 14,000 feet and it is snow-capped year around. To the surprise of most tourists, Sicily boasts of some great ski areas during the winter months.
The aromas of the Mediterranean are everywhere to be enjoyed. Being an island, Sicily is blessed with a variety of fish of unequal quality and taste, and a large variety of fresh vegetables and fruits . Its cuisine has two parallel styles. The cucina povera (the poor man's cuisine) is my favorite with many vegetable dishes and unique pasta dishes. The baronial cuisine (the cuisine of the nobility) traces its origins to the importation of French chefs during feudal times. The presence of butter and cream is noticeable in many baronial dishes.
If your time permits, I invite you to explore this website of my home town that I helped create: www.castelditusa.com
