White Almond Sicily

Anelletti al Forno Siciliana is a very ancient Sicilian dish that comes from the islands capital city of Palermo. There are two things that people from Palermo are proud of, the cities patron saint, Santa Rosalia and Anelletti al Forno . In Sicily, Christmas starts on December 8th, the day of the Immaculate Conception and lasts until Epiphany on January 6th. During this period everyone plays cards like mad, keeping up their strength with hearty dishes. This popular baked pasta is made using anelletti , a small ring-shaped pasta that is hard to find outside Sicily and no its not that round spaghetti that comes in tin cans in the UK that are enjoyed on toast. Anelletti is traditionally used for this dish however you can substitute it with any short, stubby pasta shape, for example penne. I always bring packs of anelletti home with me to the UK as it is also useful in soups and stews. This classic pasta dish takes a lot of time to construct but i...

There are many ways that you can experience the beauty of Mount Etna. One of the things I love most about writing my Blog is the lovely invitations I receive to visit amazing places and so I was delighted through the wonders of social media to be invited last month to EtnaHub. With 2019 approaching what could be a better new year resolution than learning a new language, ie Italian in a fun and cultural way in a beautiful location. Positioned in the countryside just outside the beautiful town of Acireale, EtnaHub is nestled between the slopes of Mount Etna and the sparkling Ionian Sea. EtnaHub is located in an old winery dating back to the 19th century. It has been reclaimed and redeveloped as an open space with multi-purposed rooms linked together, located on two levels and equipped for flexible use. There is an outdoor area, immersed in a private garden in the charming Sicilian countryside set amongst fragrant lemon trees, green olive trees, lava stone ter...