White Almond Sicily

" Another tempting call is the Chocolate of Modica ..... It has an incomparable taste, because when you taste it you have the impression to have reached the absolute, and any other kind of chocolate, even the most renowned - looks like its adulteration, its corruption " Quote by the famous Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia from his book La Contea di Modica Modica is a wonderful city of late Baroque period in the heart of the Noto valley, the town dominates with its opulent architecture from a historic era of palaces and ancient churches and was rewarded with being declared a UNESCO world heritage site. It is known as the town of one hundred churches but it is also famous for something else .... Chocolate. The towns famous chocolate production has been crafted in Modica since the 1600's and follows an Aztec recipe. Chocolate can be eaten at the height of summer without it melting in your hands!!!!! This is possible thanks to the cold processing of the cocoa solids ...

When visiting Sicily a trip to the South East corner is a must do, the landscape is very much different from the rest of the island yet this small corner is rich in sights. The towns of Syracuse, Caltagirone, Ragusa, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Scicli and Modica have all been declared as UNESCO World Heritage sites on the merits of their Baroque architecture and town planning, the result of the rebuilding after the destruction of the 1693 earthquake. A wonderful city of late Baroque period in the heart of the Noto valley Modica dominates with its opulent architecture from a historic era of palaces and ancient churches such as the Duomo of San Giorgio which dates back to 1300. Modica rises in the middle of three valleys assuming a Y shape and it can be easily seen from the Guerrieri bridge which is over 1300 metres high and as a result is one of the highest bridges in Europe. You may recognise the city from the opening titles of the popular television series Inspector Montalbano sh...

"Lemons are not Real Lemons unless they are Sicilian" an old Sicilian saying Spring is in the air and it is that time of year again when the lemon trees bloom and the Sicilian air is fragrant with Fiori di Limone which then turn into big juicy lemons. The Sicilian climate and fertile volcanic earth creates a long growing season and the gathering of lemons takes place over three periods. First is the autumn harvest or Primo Fiore following the cultivation of the Bianchetti in Spring and the Verdelli between June and July. I can remember once driving down a country lane behind an opened back truck full of lemon peel and the aroma was overwhelming, a traffic jam Sicilian style. At this time of year everyone who visits our Sicilian home will bring bags full of lemons from their gardens or land. But what do we do with all those lemons? Here are 14 ways I use our Sicilian lemons: With Water in the Morning ... best drunk on an empty stomach, a squeezed lemon in wa...