White Almond Sicily

The Talented Mr Ripley is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. The novel introduced the character of Tom Ripley, who returns in four subsequent novels. It has been adapted numerous times for screen including in 1999 starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gywneth Paltrow. This year it came to our screens on Netflix as "Ripley" starring Andrew Scott. Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City by whatever means necessary including small time confidence scams. One day he is approached by shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf to travel to "Mongibello" (based on the resort town Positano) in Italy to persuade his son Dickie, a spoilt playboy, to return to the USA and join the family business. Ripley agrees and exaggerates his friendship with Dickie in order to gain Mr Greenleaf's trust. Shortly after his arrival in Italy, Ripley contrives to meet Dickie and his girlfriend Marge on a beach. Dickie allows Ripley to stay with him ...

The Sicilians love for all things sweet has ancient roots and in antiquity honey on the island was prized for sweetening local produce.  When the Arabs arrived in Sicily in the ninth century they brought sugar cane, crystallized fruit and other delicious goodies such as sugared almonds. They also left much more than sugary traces behind in the form of stunning architecture and flavoursome cuisine.  The sugar cane industry flourished in Sicily until the late fifteenth century when, with the discovery of the New World, the sugar plantations moved across the Atlantic. The Sicilian sugar industry responded to foreign competition but survived only until the late seventeenth century.  When in Sicily one look in the window of a Sicilian pasticceria will make you forget any thoughts of the so called Mediterranean diet. The sweetness of nuts and sugar seem to waft in the air and lure you inside like a child in a candy shop.  Amongst other delicious produce that our fert...