Cannolo Therapy

"Leave the Gun ... Take the Cannoli" Pete Clemenza, The Godfather Part I

The Cannolo (singular) or Cannoli (plural) is one of Sicily's most popular Dolci (desserts) and was supposedly invented by the Arabs in the Harems of Caltanisetta. Cannolu in Sicilian dialect means little tube.

Cannoli are made from crispy rolls of pastry which are deep fried around special metal tubes. They are then filled with sweetened ricotta and then decorated with candied fruits, pistachio nuts or chocolate and then dusted with icing sugar.

Are you dribbling yet?

First there is the crunch of the Cannolo shell as you bite into it and then the ricotta cream oozes into your mouth like a little piece of heaven. When I first tried Cannolo Siciliano I was told that I would never want to eat any other dessert.

A cannolo really does have the "Wow" factor when you are served it.

Cannoli were such a temptation and proved so seductive for the Benedictine monks that they spent all their money eating them and became fatter and fatter (note to self). This earned the monks the nickname Porci di Cristo (the Pigs of Christ).

Hence where the term "holy cannoli" hailed from.

At the end of the 19th Century the monks were driven out of Sicily but thankfully the Cannoli stayed. Phew !!!!!

The first time I tried one I was warned by my lovely friend Valentina that every Sicilian man in the vicinity would turn to watch how I ate my Cannolo, I will leave it up to your imagination as to why they would feel the need to do this.

I soon became addicted to Cannoli, however these days I never seem to be able to finish a whole one since we adopted our dog Daisy as it turns out that she loves them too.

A couple of months ago whilst enjoying an aperativo with our friend Maurizio from Olive Oil Route Sicily who suggested that I should go for "Cannolo Terapia" and yes a Cannolo Therapist really does exist. They told me that the next time I was in Siracusa that I should visit Francesco Neri at Alfio Neri.

I never need an excuse to visit Siracusa as the Islet of Ortigia is one of my favourite places in Sicily and so last month we headed to Siracusa to see what Cannolo Therapy is all about.

The company Alfio Neri was founded in 2008 and took advantage of more than fifty years of experience and craftmanship within the Neri family to regenerate a market that was seeing the disappearance of important local ingredients, methods, knowledge and flavours using products of the highest quality destined for lovers of goodness as well as beauty.

The primary aim of the company was the transformation of almonds from nearby Avola and in particular mixing them with products from the surrounding territory, Moscato Siracusa DOC (a dessert wine), Honey from the Hyblean Mountains and Lemons from Siracusa calling it MMMhUUhUhhMMM©. This sweet delight won the prestigious "Sapore Innovations Award" at the International Food Exhibition in Rimini in 2012.

The laboratory boasts over 150 square meters which is equipped with all the best devices for creating these delicious delights and it is located in a strategic part of the city of Siracusa close to the Archaeological Park, the Archaelogical Museum Paolo Orsi, the Sanctuary of Madonna delle Lacrime and the Catacombs of San Giovanni. It is open 365 days a year offering high quality pastry and almond delicacies, cakes, granita and gelato. All the almond delicacies are packaged in the laboratory by hand and individually wrapped.

And then there is the Cannolo Therapy ....

As I mentioned earlier I am addicted to Cannoli, I love a good tasty big cannolo so last month after taking a walk around Ortigia with Daisy we headed off to visit Francesco.

The laboratory is on Via Pausania just off Viale Teocrito. On arrival we eagerly looked at all the goodies behind the glass counter inside but we could not see any cannoli?

We asked for two cannoli and our server advised us to take a seat outside and said that the cannoli would be brought out to us.

Then Francesco appeared with our delicious cannoli. All the cannoli at Alfio Neri are prepared fresh and in the moment. Francesco held out our cannoli in front of us like a prize offering together with a shot of Moscato which is used as part of the ingredients and creates the bubbles in the cannolo shell.

Francesco showed us that Cannolo Therapy should be imagined in stages, each with the key elements that make up the Cannolo:

1) The Shell - Fresh with voluptuously crunchy sheets of pastry

2) The Ricotta - Francesco uses the perfect quota of sheep and cow ricotta mixed with minimum sugar

3) The Almond Grain - Strictly from Avola in the pizzuta quality. (A sharp tongue in Sicilian dialect is "Pizzuta" which also refers to the famous sweet almonds grown around Sicily. The name derives from the shape of the almond shell that curves round and ends with a point)

4) The Pistachio Grain - Strictly Sicilian nuts

5) Oranges and candied cherries for decoration - Strictly Sicilian fruits

6) Icing sugar

and finally ...

7) Cinnamon - Which has the supreme task of opening up all your taste buds of pleasure triggered by the "crunch" generated by the first bite into the Cannolo that goes directly to your nose even before reaching the stomach, the smell of this spice activates all the senses of the brain.

Francesco's Cannoli are prepared on the spot using all the ingredients listed above according to the tastes and preferences of the "patient" who is made to feel pampered and indulged during the experience.

During Cannolo Therapy as "patients" Francesco explained to us the steps, the meaning and the nature of the raw materials used, the reason for his choice of a balance of sheep and cow ricotta, the dosages of sugar used and the recipe for the shells.

After our therapy the Cannolo became no longer a simple Sicilian sweet but a taste therapy that is good for your mood, your palate, your head and your heart.

Francesco can bring his Cannolo Therapy experience to your wedding and special events in Sicily where your guests can marvel watching him fill, stuff, garnish and serve their cannolo providing a positive therapeutic effect for their spirits.

Cannolo Therapy has been featured in Vogue Italia and Glamour Italia.

A visit to Alfio Neri for Cannolo Therapy
is the perfect addition when visiting Siracusa area.

For more information visit www.alfioneri.it

A BIG Grazie to our new friend Francesco.

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