Vendemmia 2009

I am backtracking a bit today with memories of this years Vendemmia...

I Cachi

Persimmon

Yesterday, I visited my friend Anna, who lives just above my town in Presa, and I came home with a beautiful basket of vibrant cachi. I will now leave a few of them to ripen in my fruit bowl, next to a handful of apples, and in no time we will be enjoying this juicy, sweetly tangy, versatile fruit. (The apple will emit ethylene gas, a naturally occurring hormone, which speeds up the ripening process.)

Just Fruit Recipes had a long list of baking ideas to enjoy...


If you are interested, here are a few Health benefits of the persimmon fruit:

Persimmons contain many health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants like catechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.

Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent "Age related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.

The fruits are also very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins acts as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.

Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI) and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells.

Sapone

Many people are turning to more natural preparations of soap, maybe due to allergies, for a desire to be more gentle on the environment, or just because they like the idea of natural products. If you are looking to a natural alternative to commercial brand soaps, there are so many to choose from. We use a beautiful product called Aleppo. Made with Laurel Oil (Bay leaf), the Aleppo line has so many different varieties to choose from. (Here you can learn about the Laurel oil (bay leaf) soap in english)

Our friend Debbi informed me that she was going to make her yearly batch of homemade olive oil soap, so I joined in on the making. Soap has been made using olive oil since at least the 1600s. Since those days olive oil soap has often been referred to as castile soap because of the region of Spain where it originated. This is pure olive oil soap, but of course those we find on the supermarket shelves today may contain smaller amounts of the beneficial oil.

What is it about olive oil that makes it perfect for the base of a soap? The olive oil acts in much the same way as tallow, but is much more gentle. The oil is known to be good for your skin with the nutrients it contain providing moisture and elasticity to your skin.

Making olive oil soap requires a bit of preparation and some caution as it requires the use of Sodium hydroxide. There are several recipes available on the Internet that can tell you exactly what you need to do and warn you of any risk or hazard, as well as letting you know what benefits you can expect from using your own homemade olive oil soap in place of commercial brands.

There's no question olive oil is good for your skin. After all, many people use it as a moisturizer straight out of the bottle! They simply rub extra virgin olive oil into their skin, just as you would any other moisturizing oil or lotion. Many claim it can help you keep a youthful appearance, too! I, however, haven’t gone that far. I do however use Argan Oil and do recommend it.

We have learned about a common ingredient in most shampoos, bubble baths, toothpastes, shave foams, and shower gels. This ingredient is called Sodium lauryl sulfate. (There is a long list of other forms of the word) We choose to buy products that do not contain this ingredient because of its possible number of health concerns. Check the ingredient list on your products, and If you are interested, look it up and make your own informed decision. I’m not going to preach, but it is something you should know about.

Fico d'india- dolcezza pungente

Prickly Pear

The last days of the fico d’india are here, as the winter months are approaching. Although it doesn’t feel like winter is just around the corner here in Sicily. Our breakfast companion for many months will be missed, but we will look forward to the new year and all the gifts this land will bless us with. We have been avid fico d’india eaters, and who wouldn’t be after knowing all the health benefits these brightly colored gems hold.

This juicy plant easily and abundantly took root in Sicily so that it became an integral part of the landscape both as a spontaneous element in rocky and bare areas, and planted out by men in order to enclose farms and pastures or as a windbreaker. The prickly pears structure is a thick and insurmountable barrier, for its stems are formed by cladodes, or pads, reproducing one on the other for more than two meters. Their leathery texture and waxy surface is armed with spines matching wonderfully with the bright landscape of southern Italy, with the emerald green of its trunk, the spiny splendor of its flowers, and the liveliness of its fruits: red, magenta, orange, yellow, and pale green crowning the plant like polychromatic crests. Incas and Aztecs knew the nutritive and therapeutic properties of prickly pears and thought of it as a holy plant with strong symbolic values. They extracted a rich natural dark red dye, carmine. Just to extract carmine, in 1500 the prickly pears were grown in Europe. Soon their other properties were appreciated: their high nutritive value due to the copious presence of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and the abundant amount of vitamin C. In fact large quantities of prickly pears were stocked on ships in order to prevent scurvy during long crossings.
Excerpt taken from - Gusto di Puglia

Summer Singing

The summer months were a blast performing with a great group of guys from Vulcanika. Now, I'm looking forward to what's ahead! I'm currently working on music with a very talented piano player. It's great to sing those warm, sulty sounds that I enjoy so much!

Live in Presa

I know, I have been busy...

Our band will be in Piedimonte Etneo on the 16th of August for the "Cafe Concerto". If you're in the area come on by!

Where or where does the time go??

Yes, I am here!! These weeks have flown by while we've been busy enjoying the sicilian sun. I plan to sit down and get back to posting, as I have so much to share...

A presto... ;)

Our Second Anniversary...

On this special day, all the wild flowers of Etna were in full bloom for us!


For those of you who were able to join us two years ago, here in Sicily for our wedding, do you remember the yellow Ginestra bursting out along the streets? Today, on our motorbike, we drove the same streets and thought of that very day...

Auguri Debbi and Carmelo

Yesterday Debbi and Carmelo celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary. Thirteen of us dined on a fabulous feast!
Don't forget, Debbi and Carmelo offer a very relaxing Sicilian Vacation Rental Property. Their current guests joined us!

Auguri Francesco & Kelly Marie Russo

Here are some pictures from Kelly and Francesco's wedding...

Sagra delle nespole: Calatabiano (CT)

Time to gather the nespole! This past weekend in the town of Calatabiano, there was the Sagra delle nespole. Hoards of people gathered to taste nespole gelato, nespole jam, liquor, cream, crepes, and many more creations. To kick of the night the mayor of the town helped serve the guests slices of a 12 meter long nespole cake.



Next weekend the town is celebrating A CALATA DI SAN FULIPPU. Check out a video from a few years ago here. I won't be able to make it next weekend, but I've heard it is something not to miss...

Pellegrinaggio a Vena

This morning, bright and early, the town set off on their annual Pellegrinaggio a Vena, pilgrimage to Vena. Vena is a fraction of Piedimonte Etneo, just north 5km. The Sunday of the festa delle Madonna, devotees make this pilgrimage and share in a Church service all together. (I didn't take my camera out much today, unfortunately. I was busy walking... :)

Church service was held at 10:00 in Vena, and the church was packed! Afterwords, everyone gathered in the square and enjoyed the fresh Vena air. It was a glorious morning...

Back home!

That's right, back home in Sicily! We visited many beautiful places these past few weeks, but I must say that it feels great to be back. One thing is true, in my opinion, nothing can beat the Sicilian Simplicity!

Fresh from the garden vegetables, what can be better?

Beautiful plump fave beans...

Sweet, juicy peas...

May is here and everything is in bloom! What a beautiful welcome home gift...

Our neighbors were staying cool in the shade...

¡Adiós para ahora, regresaremos!

Barcelona sunshine...






It's now time to go back home, Sicilia here we come!

A Night in Tunisia

When in Tunisia...

A walk along the streets of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia. This lovely blue and white village is perched on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Tunis.

In the distance, the emerald sea with the mountain of Bou Kornine and the southern beaches of Tunis across the Bay.

It was a Sunday evening and the streets were full of locals. Family and friends gathered together in the cool evening air.

Along the cobblestone streets, we followed the sound of music and singing up to a small room. We discovered a group of women enjoying the afternoon together. It was here that I turned and noticed Alessia Marcuzzi and two of her frineds standing right next to us. They were also enjoying the celebration...

I met a friend and got to work...

So many beautiful things to see here... In Carthage, the museum displays mosaics, sculptures and artifacts from the period before Carthage was destroyed by Rome in 146 BC.

Saint Louis Cathedral (French: La cathédrale Saint-Louis de Carthage) is an old Roman Catholic cathedral located in Carthage, Tunisia. Situated on the peak of Byrsa Hill and near the ruins of the ancient Punic and then Roman city, the cathedral is no longer used for worship but hosts concerts of Tunisian music and classical music.

St. Louis Cathedral, built by the French in 1890 and dedicated to the 13th century saint-king who died on the shores of Carthage in 1270.

Ella Fitzgerald A Nigth In Tunisia

The moon is the same moon above you
Aglow with its cool evening light
But shining at night, in tunisia
Never does it shine so bright

The stars are aglow in the heavens

But only the wise understand

That shining at night in tunisia

They guide you through the desert sand

Words fail, to tell a tale

Too exotic to be told

Each nights a deeper night

In a world, ages old

The cares of the day seem to vanish

The ending of day brings release

Each wonderful night in tunisia

Where the nights are filled with peace