December Saints Days, Coffee and Chocolate

So I'm going through my usual morning routine - the cats (which they had in the 13th century) jump on my head, I get up and make coffee (which Sicily did not have in the 13th century) and I contemplate my espresso beans - a gift from my sweet friend Meredith - covered in chocolate (which they did not have in Sicily in the 13th century.  My, those 13th century Sicilians were deprived!  Well, they had cats.  And lemons.  And cane sugar.  And leather.  It's a start ...


And because one of my friends mentioned the Feast of the Immaculate Conception the other day (December 8) I thought I'd peruse the Book of Saints to see how many December saints there are.  Holy Smokes!  Check out the list below - there's a virtual plethora of them!   Happy Feast Days!  (it always comes back to food doesn't it?)


St. Francis Xavier
St. John Damascene
St. Nicholas (
Santa Claus)
St. Ambrose
Mary's Immaculate Conception
St. Damasus
Our Lady of Guadalupe
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
St. John of the Cross
St. Peter Canisius
St. Lucy (Santa Lucia - my personal favorite)
St. John of Kanti
St. Stephen
St. John the Apostle
Holy Innocents
St. Thomas Becket
St. Sylvester


Now, as a defunct Methodist, most of these saints are not familiar to me.  But Santa Lucia, not only a popular saint in Sicily/Italy, I met at a Lutheran Church in Chicago.  I attended a Santa Lucia Day ceremony, with young girls coming down the aisle wearing tiaras with lighted candles on their heads.  Very impressive.  Santa Lucia is also Siracusa's patron saint and they have a beautiful procession, with Santa Lucia cakes.


And who doesn't know the story of Thomas Becket?  "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest" in the famous words of Henry II.  Arrivaderci, Thomas.


And that's my December saints blog!

Room for "gelo"? Sicilian sorbets that melt in your mouth

So OK, I'm trying to look at lighter alternatives post-holiday season and readers of this blog know I often give you tidbits from and lately, from my lovely Christmas present from my Sicilian friend, Bruno, Sweet Sicily. On page 144 a lovely recipe called Gelo di mellone is described, and I'll need to quote some phrases from the book because the descriptions are so lovely. "In Sicily, the word 'gelo' indicates any refreshing preparation using a liquid that sets at low temperature, with the ice forming in the water." This particular recipe is a watermelon sorbet and the book indicates that melon sorbet is watermelon. Did you know that watermelon was originally imported from Africa - another gift from the Arabs to the incredible cuisine of Sicily. Gelo de mellone can be flavored with jasmine, cinnamon, the fresh sweet juice of watermelon, lemon or coffee. Watermelon in Sicily can be found in the Trapani area or around Messina. The author tells us that this refreshing dessert is a "must" during "Festino di Santa Rosalia" in Palermo which is held every July 14. It's often served with candied pumpkin and chocolate garnish. All I can say, it's not the "jello" I was brought up on!!! As the author informs us: "Because that is how summer evenings are, in Sicily." Yummy.