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.

The 4 humors of Medieval medicine

Ideas about the origin and cure of disease in the middle ages were not purely secular, but included factors such as destiny, sin, and astral influences. The efficacy of cures was similarly bound in the beliefs of patient and doctor more than in empirical evidence, so that physical remedies were often subordinate to spiritual intervention. The theory of the four humours (bodily fluids of blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) arose out of Greek philosophy in an attempt to relate all things to universal laws. And so we have parallels drawn between particular aspects of the surrounding world. The humors were oftentimes attributed to appropriate seasons, properties such as hot, cold, dry, and wet, signs of Zodiac in groups of three, four ages of mankind - infancy, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, and even sometimes to the four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as the compass directions. (Even now, we still use words "choleric", "sanguine", "phlegmatic" and "melancholy" to describe personalities.) Such balance and classification of the world was of utmost importance, hence the balance of humors within a human body was necessary for health. The physician evaluated the patient's home climate, their normal diet, and astrological charts during consultation. The heavens influenced every person in different ways by influencing elements connected to certain humors, important information in reaching a diagnosis. The physician could determine which humor was unbalanced in the patient and prescribe a new diet to restore that balance. Diet not only included food to eat or avoid but also an exercise regiment, medication, and blood-letting.

Almond milk - today and in the Middle Ages - no refrigeration

A number of books on medieval cooking, especially in the Mediterranean, refer to the consistent use of almond milk. In my treasure trove of Sicilian cooking called Sweet Sicily by Alessandra Dummone, she shares that simple recipe with us. Latte di mandorle - blend the almonds with sugar to a fine powder. Pour the powder in a saucepan with water and put more sugar in. Heat, but don't boil, cool, then refrigerate. Strain or filter the milk through fine cloth or a strainer. How perfect for a region whose temperatures often sizzle above 90 degrees! Who needs cows?