Lisa Yarde - medieval author

Like I said, I've just returned from the Historical Novel Society conference in Denver and I bought a book from a woman who also writes about the 13th century!   Do you think we have anything in common?


I bought her book, Sultana, set in Granada in 13th century Moorish Spain.    As you know, the Vespers series is set during the War of the Vespers, when Aragon battles Charles of Anjou for control of Sicily.  The whole Iberian peninsula is fascinating, especially in that time period.


So go to Lisa's site - it's at:  www.lisajyarde.com and check out all her books, and, well, check out her!  She was terrific to talk to and who can go wrong writing about the 13th century?  Right?

Holidays - modern and medieval

I don't know about you, but I'm gearing up for cooking out with my friends over the 4th of July weekend.  There's nothing so satisfying as a well-grilled burger with chips and good coleslaw and fabulous baked beans.  Not to mention all the tasty desserts people manage to come up with (I'm an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie girl myself).


So it always makes me think - what did medieval people do?  For sure not grilling burgers, especially in Sicily, although the classic movie shot of Henry VIII (was it Charles Laughton?) who was gnawing on a huge animal bone and throwing it over his shoulder ...


But Ysabella and Family weren't doing that, I don't think, although they may have been roasting bits of fried meat as snackies, they certainly had veggies galore and salad stuff (do you think they made honey mustard dressing?  probably not ...) and had lots of desserts made - at least in Sicily - from almonds, pistachios, sugar (yes, they grew sugar there) some of them called Chancellor's Buttocks and Virgin's Breasts.  I leave it to your research ingenuity to find those ...

Sailfish steaks in the market

Vegetable market in Sicily

Peasant dance in medieval times, with aprons

Sicilian carts at Grant's Farm

Hey, I just got back from the Historical Novel Society conference in Denver and ran into my old friend, Sandy, whose blog you need to visit.  Check out the colorful Sicilian carts at Grant's Farm that she talks about - great pictures too - here's the link - www.theitaliansouth.com and see Sicily in Missouri.


And speaking of the Historical Novel Society and Sicily, you might want to check out Dan Armstrong's book called The Siege of Syracuse, featuring Archimede's slave, Timon Leonidas.  Great read!

sardines, anchovies, mullet and other fish stories in Sicily

Since Alison and I returned from Sicily, I can't stop thinking about the fabulous "polpe" or octopus we had in Siracusa.  And that brought back memories of a wonderful meal our friend Pietro cooked for us which included stuffed sardines alla Palermo which we shopped for in Palermo's incredible, medieval fish market, the Vucciria. 


Other friends made us mullet, swordfish and tunny and I never ate so well as I did that 8 months in Palermo.  Fresh, wonderful fish, straight from the Mediterranean.


And in Trapani, the medieval salt pans with their lazily turning windmills - beautiful scenery around Castellemare and Cefalu's beauty.  I don't know why anyone goes to mainland Italy! 


And let's remember Paolo's restaurant in Siracusa, thank you Bruno and Lucia for taking us there, it was incredible.  So was Basirico's - fabulous octopus and sea bass.

Historical Novel Society conference in Denver

This weekend my co-author and I are traveling up to Denver for the Historical Novel Society conference.  Not only do I get to rub shoulders with my fellow authors, but there are always fabulous giveaways we get to take home and we get to meet with editors, agents, and see what's new and happenin' in our world of the historical novel.


Writing fiction has come late in life to me, and what a great way to share all the research I've done and the trips we've made, including when Bill and I lived in Sicily for all those months.  For everyone who has dreamed of living in other worlds and time, check out the Historical Novel Society.  There's something for everyone!

Yes, the Mediterranean really is that color!

Trapani Salt works

Trapani windmill in disrepair. Mounds of salt in front

Norman architecture

Medieval baths in Cefalu

I was totally envious that my writing partner got to go back to Sicily, and when she brought home the picture, my oh my, I'm sure I turned green.  She and her friends must have had a wonderful time. I got a postcard, not a T-shirt.  But with the postcard and the pictures from Trapani, I just might design a windmill quilt for her. Here are some of the wonderful places she visited.

Eating in Cefalu and Siracusa - octopus, sea bass and other yummies

Having recently returned from our trip to Sicily and Budapest, I wanted to let our readers know about a wonderful restaurant in Siracusa.  It's called Basirico's and it is in Ortigia, specializing in seafood.  My friend and I ate there twice and had octopus (my personal favorite and something you don't eat in the Rocky Mountains) and sea bass.


My Neapolitan friend just came up for a visit to the cool, refreshing mountains from Florida and has the cookbooks we love to read - the Sicilian Food Lovers cookbook (she wants to take that cooking class in Cefalu from Cinzia and Antonio!), plus Eating in Sicily and a few others.  So I don't have my normal cookbooks around me.


But octopus - goodness!  What a treat!  When I first had calamari (which is squid and not the same, correct???) in Chicago it tasted like my Jeep tires.  I decided calamari and octopi were not for me!


In Siracusa and Sicily in general, it's a whole different ball game.  I don't know what they do, but it's tender, perfect and exquisite.  Olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic with breadcrumbs is what I Sapori di Sicilia recommends for baking small squid in the oven.  (p. 178)


While I don't think I can buy any calamari or octopus (polpa or polpette as I saw it referred to in Siracusa) in a store here that even vaguely compares to fresh product in Sicily, the memory will linger for a long, long time.