LaBellaSorella

Italian food, travel & lifestyle

Sicilian Swordfish “Meatballs” – Polpette di Pesce Spada

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Sicilian Swordfish Polpette | labellasorella.com

Swordfish in Sicily is at its absolute finest, tables at the outdoor markets display large rounds of whole swordfish with the head complete with sword set proudly alongside, cut to order this is about a fresh as it gets.  Whether it be crudo, grilled, stuffed, or polpette the fresh flavor of the sea prevails. Fresh swordfish is actually quite neutral in flavor and lends itself to the ingredients of the island.  A late night dinner in Palermo at Il Ghiottone Raffinato we sampled the most exquisite swordfish polpette, the chef was polite yet firm about not giving away any of his secretes.  Sicilian Swordfish “Meatballs” is an attempt to capture a food memory from that special evening.

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Bruschetta with Burrata, Anchovy & Pistachio

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My visits to Italy are inspirational, especially with respect to food.  After countless trips up and down the peninsula, one thing always rings true – a few simple ingredients of the highest quality are always the best.  On one of our last nights in Rome we had dinner at Armando al Pantheon, a landmark in central Rome where we experienced the essence of Cucina Romana starting with a straightforward bruschetta topped with stracciatella, anchovy and a few pistachios.  This was something I knew I had to recreate for my readers and so it began.
 Bruschetta with Buratta, Anchovy & Pistachio inspired by Armando al Pantheon, Roma | labellasorella.com
Stracciatella is a fresh white cheese made of buffalo milk, composed of small shreds generally produced in the provinces of Lazio and Campania.  The creamy texture and milky flavor of freshly made Stracciatella is absolutely heavenly.  A mixture of cream & Stracciatella creates the filling for Burrata, more well known to those of us in the United States.  Both Stracciatella and Burrata should be consumed promptly, actually within a day or so of production to enjoy the true essence of this very special cheeses.  Unfortunately, stateside this is generally impossible resulting in a product, although appreciated by many cannot compare to what is had in Italy – so, we do the best we can.

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Palermo Street Food

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Capo Market, Palermo | labellasorella.com

This year’s marathon stay in Italy took us from Piemonte to Puglia through Calabria to Lipari and finally Sicily.  My regular readers know that I import Italian wines under the name Girasole Imports LLC. Visiting my producers is an important part of the relationship building and education that is essential in representing the varietals.  Italian wines are meant to be paired with the local food; a deeper understanding of the wines provides much insight into the food and culture of a locality.  The schedule was a rigorous one with little time off the wine trail, despite the constraints on my time I was determined to book a street food tour once we reached Palermo.

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The Evolution of La Pizza at Casa Levitt

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Outdoor forgo or pizza oven | labellasorella.com

Outdoor Pizza Oven at Casa Levitt

Where do I begin… let’s just say that pre dot-com boom, Silicon Valley was not the food mecca it claims to be today, especially in terms of Italian food. Now you must understand, we were coming from a New Jersey suburb with easy access to New York City, so our expectations were high. We took New York pizza joints and corner family run stores where you could  grab a slice or a pepper and egg sandwich for granted.

In the early days, Mio Marito and I visited every local pizza place possible in search of something remotely familiar to what we were accustomed to. Every so often a fellow transplant from the New York metropolitan area would suggest a spot where the  pizza vaguely resembled that of the old country – the East Coast.  Yes there were a few contenders, but honestly nothing compared to John’s in the Village or the Reservoir in Boonton.  We were determined and in our humble rental home with it’s basic oven devised a recipe and system that eventually resulted in a rather exceptional New York style pizza (yes, a future post, stay tuned).

Ceramic Tile hand carried from Tropea |labellasorella.com

Ceramic Tile From Tropea Calabria

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